Deadline is reporting tonight that the Freddie Mercury biopic, which has been in the works for quite a while now, is springing back to life with news that director Bryan Singer and Mr. Robot star Rami Malek have boarded. Not only that, but the project (which is now called Bohemian Rhapsody) is being put on the fast track over at 20th Century Fox, with producer Graham King stepping in to oversee everything.
Set to start shooting early next year, with original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor on board as music producers, the film will use a script from Theory of Everything writer Anthony McCarten. Both Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Whishaw had been attached to the project at various points in the past, though as far as we understand, neither actor is involved anymore.
At the time of writing, plot details are still unclear. It’s unknown which part of Mercury’s life the film will place the most focus on, but you have to believe that Queen will obviously be a very big part of the story. Whether or not Bohemian Rhapsody gives us a look at the singer’s entire life or mostly just sticks with him during his time in the band remains to be seen, but either way, this is sure to be one biopic that’s worth keeping an eye on.
It should be noted that the reason Cohen dropped out in the first place was because he wanted a more “R-rated look at Mercury’s life,” while the band preferred a PG tone. As such, it’s likely that this version of the project may be a bit watered down and play it safe, which would be a shame. Though with talented individuals like Malek and Singer now on board, we’re holding out hope that it’ll all work out in the end.
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