The production of the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody became a textbook studio headache in post-production when its directorial leadership evaporated and the film landed on composer-editor John Ottman’s desk. According to accounts in trade coverage, Ottman — already a longtime collaborator of Bryan Singer who had provided scores and editing on multiple Singer films — ultimately “saw the film through on his own” after Bryan Singer was fired and Dexter Fletcher also left (the latter to begin pre‑production on Rocketman shortly after finishing his work on the shoot). With the picture in limbo, Ottman found himself navigating the delicate, adversarial terrain between filmmakers and studio executives, working closely with producers Graham King and Dennis O’Sullivan to shepherd the film through post-production and delivery.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 2010s
How John Ottman Kept Bohemian Rhapsody Afloat After Directors Departed — and Then Faced a Viral Editing Backlash
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) / 2010s
The production of the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody became a textbook studio headache in post-production when its directorial leadership evaporated and the film landed on composer-editor John Ottman’s desk. According to accounts in trade coverage, Ottman — already a longtime collaborator of Bryan Singer who had provided scores and editing on multiple Singer films — ultimately “saw the film through on his own” after Bryan Singer was fired and Dexter Fletcher also left (the latter to begin pre‑production on Rocketman shortly after finishing his work on the shoot). With the picture in limbo, Ottman found himself navigating the delicate, adversarial terrain between filmmakers and studio executives, working closely with producers Graham King and Dennis O’Sullivan to shepherd the film through post-production and delivery.
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