Bryan Singer's 'X-Men' Film Set Was A Complete Disaster
The original X-Men film, directed by Bryan Singer, was reportedly a nightmare to film. Known for his erratic behavior, Singer nearly derailed the completion of the film since several cast members, including Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, threatened to walk off the set.
In the wake of sexual assault allegations against the director by four men who claim they were forced into sexual situations when they were underage, Singer has since been blacklisted by the industry. Yet back in 1999, while working on X-Men, his behavior went unchecked.
The film, which set the standard for modern superhero movies, was plagued by crisis after crisis. Studio sources claim drug use was rampant and questionable incidents took place on-set and off. Four months after production wrapped, one of the film's actors, Alex Burton, who played Pyro, filed a civil suit alleging that he had been raped by three of Singer's friends and business associates.
Given Singer’s innate talent, his oftentimes troubling on-set behavior was ignored. In 1994, Shuler Donner began developing the X-Men film with Fox. Singer, who won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for his debut film, Public Access, became a coveted director, especially after the release of his second film, The Usual Suspects, which won writer Christopher McQuarrie and Kevin Spacey Oscars.
In 1996, Singer was signed onto X-Men, yet rumors of his on-set conduct began swirling after two underage boys filed a civil lawsuit alleging that they had been ordered to strip naked for a scene in the film Apt Pupil, which began filming in February 1997. Two other civil lawsuits followed. Eventually, the plaintiffs settled and were forced to sign confidentiality agreements.
In 1998, X-Men was greenlit at a $75 million budget. Singer oversaw the film's casting, which included Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, Tyler Mane, Halle Berry, and an unknown Hugh Jackman, as well as a bevy of handsome young men, who were hired as extras. At one point during filming, Singer, who was reportedly under the influence of narcotics, insisted that filming resume after Jackman was injured during a stunt. The actors threatened to walk off the set with Halle Berry telling the director to “kiss my Black ass.”
Singer, who managed to salvage his reputation despite ongoing sexual assault accusations, went on to film X-Men 2, which was filmed in 2002, and X-Men: Apocalypse, which was shot in 2015. In the wake of the #MeToo movement and allegations against Kevin Spacey, who worked with Singer on The Usual Suspects, it seems unlikely at this point that any major studio will take a chance on Singer again.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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