For a long time, it appeared as though the Freddie Mercury biopic was dead in the water. It was a project forever tied to British comedy star, Sasha Baron Cohen, who was pegged as the potential lead for a number of years. Cohen dropped out of the film, after expressing concerns over the project’s direction. Last we heard of the movie, Sasha said that Queen guitarist, Brain May, was too focused on the band and not enough on its lead singer – whose narrative was the most integral piece of the puzzle. May responded by calling Cohen “an arse” and said that producers were looking to move forward without the actor.
Now, it appears as though the stalled movie is finally on its way to the big screen – and sooner rather than later. Whether it be the “Freddy Mercury biopic” or the “Queen biopic”, the project has finally landed its star. After taking home an Emmy award for best actor earlier this year, Mr. Robot‘s Rami Malek, will now assume the role of Freddie Mercury in the tentatively titled, Bohemian Rhapsody. According to multiple reports, Malek will join director Bryan Singer, who will helm his first non-superhero move in eight years. While finding a home on television, Malek has displayed acting chops in movies like The Master, Old Boy, and Short Term Twelve.
Producers have yet to settle on a release date, but Singer expressed his excitement via an Instagram post, sent out to fans earlier this week. You can check that out below.
A photo posted by Bryan Singer (@bryanjaysinger) on