The creator of “Transparent” is now taking on “Red Sonja.”
Jill Soloway will write and direct the movie for Millennium Films, replacing Bryan Singer, whose status on the film was called into question in the wake of accusations of sexual assault and misconduct against him.
Most recently, in February, Avi Lerner’s Millennium confirmed that shooting on the project had been delayed. While Singer had faced allegations of misconduct in the past, a report early this year in the Atlantic, which detailed allegations that Singer groped and had inappropriate sexual relationships with four young men, renewed backlash against the “Bohemian Rhapsody” director. Singer has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Soloway’s hire is a solid strategic move on Lerner’s part, replacing problematic director Singer in a Hollywood climate that shows little tolerance for the accused men of the #MeToo movement.
Soloway is a different story. The award-winning writer and director is at the forefront of the diversity and inclusion movement in show business, both as a gender non-binary person and a creator on the groundbreaking transgender-centered Amazon Prime series “Transparent.” Soloway fired star Jeffrey Tambor from the series in 2018 after two employees on the show came forward with misconduct accusations against the actor. Soloway, who prefers “they/them” pronouns, will likely have to confront working with Lerner while promoting the finale of “Transparent” this fall.
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In addition to “Transparent,” Soloway is also known for producing “Six Feet Under” and directing the 2013 film “Afternoon Delight.”
The “Red Sonja” project has been in the works for more than a decade, dating back to 2008 when Robert Rodriguez announced he was working on a version of the film that would have starred Rose McGowan. However, that version of the movie did not come to fruition, and Millennium announced in September 2018 that Singer had been hired to take the reins, even after he’d been fired from “Bohemian Rhapsody” for repeated absences from the set (Singer would, however, retain his directing credit on the musical drama, which was a box office hit and won four Oscars).
The Soloway news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.