Bryan Singer, best known for directing the X-Men films and The Usual Suspects, has issued a statement regarding his removal from the upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
A representative for 20th Century Fox said on Monday that Singer was no longer the director of the film.
Hours after the announcement that he had been terminated, the 52-year-old, through his lawyer, responded, "Bohemian Rhapsody is a passion project of mine. With fewer than three weeks to shoot remaining, I asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the US to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents."
"This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services. This was not my decision and it was beyond my control," he said, as reported by Mirror.
Actor Rami Malek, who stars as Freddie Mercury in the film, reportedly complained to the studio about Singer's unprofessionalism on behalf of the cast.
"While, at times, we did have creative differences on set, Rami and I successfully put those differences behind us and continued to work on the film together until just prior to Thanksgiving," he continued.
"I wanted nothing more than to be able to finish this project and help honour the legacy of Queen, but Fox would not permit me to do so because I needed to temporarily put my health, and the health of my loved ones, first."
The biopic is set to be released in December next year.
