Dynamite Entertainment/Amanda Conner
A new "Red Sonja" comic-book series debuts next month for Dynamite Entertainment.
- Bryan Singer is currently set to direct a "Red Sonja" movie for Millennium Films, based on a comic-book character who survives a sexual assault.
- Singer is facing new allegations of sexual misconduct this week in a report from The Atlantic published on Wednesday.
- Singer denied the allegations in a statement on Wednesday, and called the report a "homophobic smear piece."
- Singer was negotiating up to $10 million for directing "Red Sonja," The Hollywood Reporter reported in October.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" director Bryan Singer faced new allegations of sexual assault, including sex with underage boys, in a report published by The Atlantic on Wednesday. But as of now, Singer already knows what his next project will be.
Singer is expected to direct a "Red Sonja" movie for Millennium Films, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter in September, based on a character originally created for Marvel Comics in the early 1970s by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith.
Millennium did not respond to a request for comment.
Red Sonja's Marvel Comics interpretation was loosely based on "Conan the Barbarian" creator Robert E. Howard's Red Sonya character. Her origin has been retold throughout her comic-book history, but when she first debuted, her family was killed and she was raped by a gang of mercenaries. She is then given enhanced combat skills by a goddess to carry out her revenge.
Red Sonja comic books are now published by Dynamite Entertainment, and a new series is set to debut in February. A movie based on the character was released in 1985 starring Brigitte Nielsen as Sonja and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan.
MGM "Red Sonja" (1985)
The Atlantic piece published Wednesday alleged years of sexual abuse by Singer, specifically in the late 1990s, including accusations that he molested a 13-year-old boy on the set of one of his earliest films, "Apt Pupil," and that Singer had sex with a 15-year-old boy when he was in his early 30s.
Singer released a statement on Wednesday calling the report a "homophobic smear piece" and denied the allegations.
There had been accusations of sexual misconduct against Singer prior to The Atlantic piece this week, and he is currently facing a lawsuit that alleges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old during a yacht party in 2003.
Singer was also fired by Fox late into production on "Bohemian Rhapsody," which was nominated for the best picture Oscar this week, for repeatedly being absent from the set. He still remains the credited director on the movie.
But Millennium was still willing to take a chance on Singer because none of the previous allegations against him seemed to have "merit," an anonymous source told The Hollywood Reporter in September.
Singer was negotiating making up to $10 million for directing the movie, THR reported in October, an impressive figure given that Singer was not an in-demand filmmaker after the "Bohemian Rhapsody" debacle.
Singer appeared at American Film Market in November and pitched his idea for the "Red Sonja" movie to 200 international buyers. The movie has a budget between $70 million and $80 million, and if Singer remains on the project, it could start shooting this spring, according to THR.