It was a calamity that happened almost overnight: reports started to break that Bryan Singer, director of the X-Men franchise past and present, was being accused of sexually assaulting a 17 year old boy back in 1998. In a story that sounds like a sequel to Eyes Wide Shut, the victim’s case details wild house parties that routinely involved adult males chasing after young males. We’ve previously covered the details of the allegations, as well as Mr. Singer’s reaction to them, but now we have something new to report in what looks to be a long term story.
The latest scoop from Deadline is that Mr. Singer was scheduled to appear at the WonderCon convention in Anaheim this weekend, but he is now withdrawing his attendance. In his place, writer and producer Simon Kinsberg will be attending to talk up the latest X-Men film, Days of Future Past. What was once supposed to be a triumphant return to form for the director who started it all has now been marred with a massive scandal.
It’s hard to write about this matter without sounding like one side or the other is preferred, but the truth of the matter is no matter what you believe, this is probably a smart move for Mr. Singer. The case is in its early phases, and as such he’s going to be deluged with questions that he shouldn’t be answering without an attorney present. That’s not being sympathetic, that’s being by the book and expecting due process from the proceedings that are gearing up. Also, Mr. Singer is probably trying to limit the damage to the film’s marketing campaign, which is an artistic decision.
Cases like this bring up the perpetual argument of whether we can separate the art from the maker, particularly when the maker is embroiled in questionable activity that’s brought out in legal proceedings. This is not a pleasant case to discuss, and nor should it be. Allegations like these are serious, and should be vetted with the fullest extent of the law. However, as franchise fans, can we enjoy the film knowing that these proceedings are going on in the background? That is left open to interpretation, but hopefully the world can accept X-Men: Days Of Future Past as a collaborative effort of more than just a controversial director. Of course, now the big question is, how will this affect the production of X-Men: Apocalypse?
X-Men: Days of Future Past opens on May 23rd, 2014. As a palette cleanser, we’d like to offer a clip from the film. Regardless of the personal drama, this does look like it could be a really good movie.
