Bryan Singer has been officially removed from Millennium Film’s Red Sonja, following reports of sexual assault and misconduct. The project is now being led by Transparent creator Jill Soloway, who looks to be the first nonbinary writer and director of a major comic book film.
According to Deadline and confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Soloway has stepped in to write and direct Red Sonja, a fantasy epic based on a sword-and-sorcery comic book series. The project has been on hold since February, following an investigative article in The Atlantic that accused Singer of rape, sexual assault and inappropriate conduct.
For a a little while, Millennium Films was digging in its heels and chose to keep Singer on the project. CEO Avi Lerner defended the choice, even calling the accusations “fake news” in a published statement (he later claimed the statement was written and released without his approval).
After halting production a short time later, reports circulated in March that Singer had been removed from the film, suggesting it was because the studio was unable to secure a domestic distributor so long as Singer was involved.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/03/reportred-sonja-will-not-be-directed-by-bryan-singer-after-all/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/jeptzmkmjmajlnvgmsbg.jpg” title=”Report: Red Sonja Will Not Be Directed By Bryan Singer After All” excerpt=”The clock was ticking on this one, and it finally seems to have happened: a new report says controversial director Bryan Singer will not direct Red Sonja after all.”]
Soloway is most known for creating Transparent, as well as writing and directing several of the episodes — including the upcoming musical two-hour series finale, which was filmed without Jeffrey Tambor as he was fired from the show in 2018 after two employees accused him of sexual harassment.
This will be Soloway’s first comic book film — and, to our knowledge, it will be the first major comic book feature film with a writer and director who identifies as nonbinary. In a statement to Deadline, Soloway said they’re excited to dive into the world of Red Sonja.
“I can’t wait to bring Red Sonja’s epic world to life,” they said. “Exploring this powerful mythology and evolving what it means to be a heroine is an artistic dream come true.”
Red Sonja has been in flux since production was stalled in February. With Soloway’s hiring, the movie now looks to be back on track with a new and exciting perspective… although Deadline is reporting that casting is likely going to be starting over. No expected release date has been announced.