HOME TRAILERS 2013 SCHEDULE PODCASTS REVIEWS POSTERS INTERVIEWS SHORT FILMS NEWS FEEDS ABOUT APPS

LATEST NEWS

Tom Hooper Circling Sacha Baron Cohen's Freddie Mercury Biopic

by Ethan Anderton
March 15, 2013

Word of a biopic featuring Sacha Baron Cohen playing Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury has been gestating for a couple of years, and it sounds like it might be finally getting close to launch. Deadline has word that Les Miserables director Tom Hooper is circling a reunion with Cohen for the film set up at Sony Pictures and GK Films. However, no deals are in place, and Hooper is said to have several offers in addition to his Mercury biopic that would focus on the history of the Queen from their formative years up until their appearance at Live Aid in 1985, largely considered to be one of the greatest live performances of all-time.

GK Films grabbed a rights package to Queen that includes all of the signature songs from the band's discography which includes Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, We Will Rock You and many, many more. In addition to their chart-topping, sing-a-long inducing tracks, remember that Queen is also responsible for the Flash Gordon soundtrack and Princes of the Universe, the pseudo-theme from Highlander.

The surviving members are also throwing their full support behind the film with a makeshift production company (appropriately called Queen Films) to produce it themselves. This could be the kind of role that gets Cohen an Oscar nomination, especially with a script from The Queen and Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan and matching the high notes that Mercury made famous shouldn't be hard after the actors turns in Sweeney Todd and Les Miserables. Stay tuned.

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

http://twitter.com/rltuva Robert L. Tuva

There is more than just a theme song in Highlander by Queen?
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Sleider/1847907840 Brian Sleider
  
  Ummm......YEH.
http://www.facebook.com/peter.dizbon Peter Dizbon

NOOOO, please don't ! Having Sacha Baron Cohen playing Freddie is like having Roseanne Barr playing Queen Elizabeth or having Will Ferrell in anything !
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Sleider/1847907840 Brian Sleider

Well who says hollywood is out of ideas? Its a TERRIBLE IDEA but an idea none the less.
http://twitter.com/davide_coppola Davide Coppola

Basically almost any other actor would be better. Or why not use CGI?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Christopher-Philip-Cinquegrano/100000932639147 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano

I like the Casting, would be nice to see Sacha in a more serious role.
gerry

In the first paragraph you wrote the Queen instead of just Queen at one point
jacobcrim

If he puts as much dedication into Freddie Mercury as he did his other characters on "Da Ali G Show" then I do not see why everyone is freaking out.
$126191

SBC really doesn't have the right face shape to play FM. The music would be great to hear, though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7YGEVuJ4mM Carpola

I reckon he could pull it off.
http://www.facebook.com/JamesTheAmazingPeters James Alexander Peters

I can't believe any Freddie Mercury fan would be okay with Sacha BC playing this role. Freddie was an embodiment of goodwill, tolerance, and personal power. Cohen has made his career off exploiting stereotypes. He targets cultures and steptypes that no one will call him out for ridiculing, and degrades them until noone laughs anymore. Borat, Dictator, Bruno, Ali G, all just him exploiting others. That is not okay for Freddie. We need somebody with genuinely the same heart. Without the mustache, Cohen looks nothing at all like him anyway! Why not find a real actor then, or somebody that can sing. Marc Martel isn't even an actor and I'd still prefer him.
Jennifer

Freddie Mercury was a very serious musician. If you study his work you will find the man was a musical genius & his vocals/stage presence still cannot be matched. We don't have that today. If done right I think SBC will be in for an Oscar consideration. Can SBC pull off singing Cool Cat?