In Light Of Sex Abuse Allegations, Bryan Singer May Be Fired From Directing ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’

An unnamed “insider” has told Radar Online that 20th Century Fox is not very comfortable with the idea of X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer, who is facing a $75,000 lawsuit claiming he sexually abused a minor, returning to direct the follow-up, X-Men: Apocalypse.

The source said Singer’s attorneys are furious because a deal for him to direct the film, an adaptation of the “Age of Apocalypse” storyline from the X-Men comics, was inked months ago.

According to Radar, whether Singer actually abused his accuser, Michael Egan III, back in 1999, as the lawsuit claims, is beside the point. The worry is having Singer’s name attached as director could turn the movie into box office poison. Reportedly talks are underway about pushing the production schedule back (without changing the May 27, 2016 release date), and about hiring a new director, with Singer still producing. There have allegedly been walkouts in those talks.

The studio is also reportedly closely watching the long-term performance of Days of Future Past, which is nearing $200 million in ticket sales. (That puts it third among comic book movies this year, after Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Those all fall behind the top movie of the year, The LEGO Movie.) Most likely the thinking is that if audiences aren’t going to let the allegations stop them from going to see a Singer-directed movie now, odds are they won’t two years from now.

Whatever happens, Singer will reportedly earn a hefty payday from the film, per the conditions of a a deal he’s already signed.

Singer’s attorneys have filed a motion to throw out Egan’s suit, but there hasn’t been a hearing yet. Singer says he was not in Hawaii, one of the places where the assaults allegedly occurred, at the time it is alleged to have happened.

Of course, all this information comes from an unnamed source, so who knows how valid any of it really is. Certainly Days of Future Past seems to be doing just fine at the box office in spite of the allegations.

The worry is having Singer’s name attached as director could turn the movie into box office poison

I think DoFP's success was a combination of the crossover between the original and new casts of X-Men and the good reviews/word of mouth.