Bryan Singer, the embattled Hollywood director best known for The Usual Suspects and the X-Men franchise, has completed filming a new period drama centered on Israel’s 1982 war in Lebanon, Variety reported on Wednesday.
The film marks Singer’s first major project since his public fall from grace in Hollywood, following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors. Once a celebrated Jewish-American filmmaker, Singer was fired from several productions, shuttered his production company and left the United States. He has been living in Israel in recent years.
According to Variety, the new film was shot in Greece in 2023 and co-produced by Israeli producer Yariv Horowitz. It reportedly stars veteran actor Jon Voight, known both for his Oscar-winning career and outspoken political support for Israel, U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Voight’s role in the film has not been publicly disclosed.
The storyline takes place in Israel during the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the First Lebanon War as its backdrop. Sources described the film as portraying Israel in a deeply critical light, suggesting it may ignite political controversy upon release. One person who viewed the final cut but was not involved in the production told Variety it is “a really well-made film with awards-season potential” but warned "it’s going to be a huge hotbed of controversy."
Singer, now 59, rose to prominence with the release of The Usual Suspects in 1995, and later directed major studio hits such as Superman Returns (2006) and Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), though he was fired during the latter’s production. His Hollywood comeback efforts have largely stalled; a planned reboot of Red Sonja, backed by Israeli producer Avi Lerner, fell apart when distributors refused to pick up the project, leading to Singer’s dismissal.
Despite this, Singer continued developing projects from Israel with the help of longtime collaborator Jason Taylor. The new Lebanon War drama is one of three films he has worked on in recent years. A release date has not yet been announced, but industry sources expect it to premiere internationally within the next year.