It's been in the works for literally years, however the Freddie Mercury biopic is now edging one step closer to becoming a reality.
The original plan was for Sacha Baron Cohen to play Farrokh Bulsara, better known as Freddie Mercury, however the actor / comedian ditched the project a couple of years ago and the whole thing's stalled since then.
There's been a glimmer of hope lately, with Theory of Everything screenwriter Anthony McCarten signing on to write a new script for the biopic, tentatively called Bohemian Rhapsody.
Ben Whishaw, meanwhile, is said to be very close to signing on for the lead role and is still the top choice for the lead role. No director's been assigned as yet, however names like Dexter Fletcher and Tom Hooper had been previously attached.
Peter Morgan, likewise, wrote an early draft of the script which brought Sacha Baron Cohen onboard. However, the rumour going around is that the studio don't want the film to have an American R-rating, something Sacha Baron Cohen felt wasn't possible given Mercury's hard-partying lifestyle.
Whether that's still the case is unknown, but what is known is that the film is being pursued as a priority.
It'll be interesting to see what former members Brian May and Roger Taylor make of the film, given that it's a Mercury biopic and not a Queen biopic. In the meantime, listen to Queen's best song that isn't Bohemian Rhapsody.
Via Deadline
