After years of scandal and silence, the “X-Men” director quietly returns with a controversial period drama.
After nearly eight years away from Hollywood, director Bryan Singer is mounting a surprise comeback — and he’s doing it with a film that’s already stirring up conversation.
Singer, who once dominated studio filmmaking with hits like Superman Returns and four X-Men installments, has secretly completed a new period drama starring Oscar winner Jon Voight.
The film, shot in Greece in 2023, centers on the relationship between a father and son and is set against the backdrop of Israel’s occupation of Lebanon in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
According to insiders, the story follows an architect searching for redemption. One source who has seen the finished cut described it as “a really well made film with awards-season potential” but warned it will likely spark backlash: “It makes Israel look really bad and could be polarizing.”
Israeli filmmaker Yariv Horovoitz (Rock the Kasbah) is also involved, and reports suggest a domestic distribution deal is close to being finalized.
A Complicated Comeback
Singer’s return is fraught with controversy. For years, he was one of Hollywood’s most in-demand directors, credited with creating commercial blockbusters while earning critical acclaim.
His films helped launch major careers and won awards — including Oscars for The Usual Suspects.
But his career collapsed amid sexual misconduct allegations, dating back as far as the late ’90s. In 2019, The Atlantic published a detailed exposé outlining claims of abuse involving underage boys. Singer has denied all allegations and has never faced criminal charges, but the scandal effectively ended his mainstream career.
He was fired mid-production from Bohemian Rhapsody and dropped from a planned remake of Red Sonja when financing fell apart.
Singer has been living in Israel in recent years, working without an agent and reportedly developing multiple projects set in the region. His Jon Voight drama may signal his most serious attempt yet to reestablish himself in Hollywood.
But whether audiences — and the industry — are ready to welcome him back is another question entirely.
