1980s–1990s Singer directed a short film in 1988 called ''Lion's Den'' involving a number of friends, including actor
Ethan Hawke, whom he knew from his childhood in New Jersey, and editor
John Ottman, whom he had met while working on a friend's short film. After a screening of ''Lion's Den
, Singer was approached by someone from Tokuma Japan Productions, a Japanese company interested in funding a series of low-budget films. Singer pitched a concept that eventually became the film Public Access (1993). Ottman again served as editor but this time also composed the score for the film. At the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, the film was named as co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize with Ruby in Paradise''. In 1994, he founded the production company Bad Hat Harry Productions, in homage to
Steven Spielberg and the famous line from
Jaws. Singer followed this by directing
The Usual Suspects, which was screened out of competition at the
1995 Cannes Film Festival. It was a success, winning
Christopher McQuarrie an
Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay), and actor
Kevin Spacey an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1998, Singer obtained the rights to adapt
Stephen King's novella
Apt Pupil, a thriller about an all-American boy discovering that a
Nazi war criminal lives in his neighborhood. Singer's
film adaptation starred
Ian McKellen,
Brad Renfro, and
David Schwimmer.
2000s In the early 2000s, Singer was hoping to direct
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind based on the
Chuck Barris book of the same name. The film was later directed by
George Clooney for
Miramax Films with
Sam Rockwell in the lead role. In February 2001, Singer was attempting to produce a new
Battlestar Galactica television series for
Studios USA (now
NBC Universal Television Studio). Speaking to
BBC News, Singer said he was "confident that the
Galactica brand is a sleeping giant. It was a show I watched during its initial run, from the pilot to the final episode. The essence and the brand name is quite potent in a climate where there's a great deficit of sci-fi programming." Singer eventually left the project, which was produced by another team on the
Sci Fi Channel. Singer directed the superhero films
X-Men (2000) and
X2 (2003), which were commercial successes. In mid-2004, Singer was in negotiations to direct
X-Men: The Last Stand for
20th Century Fox when he agreed to direct
Superman Returns for
Warner Bros. Pictures. In consequence, 20th Century Fox terminated its production deal with Bad Hat Harry Productions, Singer's production company.
Superman Returns was filmed in Australia in 2005, and was released on June 28, 2006. Singer claimed that he had always admired and identified with the character, citing the fact that he and Superman are both orphans, noting that he was inspired by
the 1978 film starring
Christopher Reeve and the comics of
Alex Ross. '' in 2009 In August 2009, Universal Pictures announced that Singer would direct and produce a big screen reimagining of the
Battlestar Galactica television series of the late-1970s, which would not draw any material from the Syfy Channel
reimagined series. On September 10, 2009, it was announced NBC has partnered with Singer and
Bryan Fuller to adapt
Augusten Burroughs's
Sellevision into a series about a fictional home shopping network, according to
The Hollywood Reporter. Neither project was ultimately produced. At the premiere of
James Cameron's
Avatar on December 16, 2009, Singer confirmed that he would be directing
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) for Warner Bros. Pictures, and that he had signed on to do
X-Men: First Class, but conflicts between the two projects led to Singer being only a producer and co-screenwriter on
First Class, with
Matthew Vaughn taking over directorial duties.
2010s In October 2012, it was announced that Singer would direct the next movie in the
X-Men series,
X-Men: Days of Future Past; Vaughn stayed on as a producer and screenwriter, and the film was released in May 2014. Singer produced the commercials for the ice cream
Magnum Gold, which featured
Benicio del Toro. In 2012, Singer was the executive producer alongside
Jane Lynch of the short film,
Ronny and I, directed by Guy Shalem that screened at Outfest and Cannes. Singer directed another
X-Men film,
X-Men: Apocalypse, which he also produced and co-wrote with
Simon Kinberg,
Dan Harris, and
Michael Dougherty.
Days of Future Past stars
Hugh Jackman,
James McAvoy,
Michael Fassbender,
Jennifer Lawrence,
Nicholas Hoult,
Lucas Till, and
Evan Peters re-teamed with Singer for
Apocalypse. After the release of
X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016, Singer expressed interest in directing a solo
Mystique film starring Jennifer Lawrence. In 2015, Singer, Bad Hat Harry Productions, and Same Name Productions started to collaborate on a documentary project with Guy Shalem. The documentary was set to explore the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict through the vantage point of a dynamic Arab-Israeli activist. In 2016, Fox announced that Singer would direct its version of
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, after having been asked to participate on the elaboration of the movie's script. In November 2016, it was announced that Singer would direct the
Queen biopic
Bohemian Rhapsody. He produced the film with
Jim Beach and
Graham King. On December 1, 2017,
The Hollywood Reporter reported that 20th Century Fox had temporarily halted production due to the "unexpected unavailability" of Singer, with sources saying that he had failed to return to the set after the Thanksgiving week. Producers were nervous about the state of production and started discussions about potentially replacing him, at which point cinematographer
Newton Thomas Sigel may have stepped in to direct during Singer's absence. Singer's absence was reportedly due to "a personal health matter concerning [him] and his family", and Singer's representatives stated that he was visiting his ill mother. However, other sources stated that the film's lead actor
Rami Malek and the crew had grown tired of Singer's behavior; Singer had reportedly shown up late to set on multiple occasions, and had repeatedly clashed with Malek. On December 4, 2017, Singer was fired as a director with about two weeks remaining in principal photography. Singer's replacement
Dexter Fletcher is quoted saying he came in and "just finished it up, really." 20th Century Fox terminated his
Bad Hat Harry Productions deal with the studio. Singer still received directorial credit for
Bohemian Rhapsody due to a
Directors Guild of America ruling that only a sole director can receive credit. At the end of January 2017, Singer signed on to direct an action adventure pilot in the
X-Men Universe entitled
The Gifted. The show was broadcast on
Fox and canceled after two seasons.
2020s In June 2023,
Variety reported that Singer was producing and self-financing a documentary in which he would address the accusations of sexual abuse made against him. In August 2025,
Variety reported that Singer was secretly directing his first feature film in eight years, with
Jon Voight in a starring role. The film is described as a period drama that revolves around the relationship between a father and son during the height of
Israel's occupation of Lebanon in the late 1970s or early 1980s. ==Personal life==