Considering he was the lead singer of the Queen, one of most renowned rock and roll bands of all time, and has one of the most compelling stories in music history, it's surprising that there has never been a biopic about Freddie Mercury. One of the greatest live acts of all time, the band has been spent decades earning its legendary status and now they are finally getting a film treatment with an intriguing choice to play the great vocalist.
Deadline is reporting that not only have GK Films, Tribeca Productions, and Queen Films teamed-up to make the project, but that the lead has been cast, with Sacha Baron Cohen in the role of Mercury. Currently being written by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen), the film will focus on the band's formative years through to their performance at Live Aid in 1985. While the rights for some of Queens greatest songs have been purchased - including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions , Another One Bites The Dust and You’re My Best Friend - it's unknown whether Baron Cohen will actually sing or if they will use Mercury's vocals.
The choice of Sacha Baron Cohen is an interesting one if not downright peculiar. There certainly are few actors that look the part as much as him and with a proper mustache (not like the one he sported in Borat) the resemblance could be downright uncanny. While I don't like the idea of a music biopic overdubbing with studio tracks because it feels so inauthentic, they should consider it if Baron Cohen is even slightly below par. Let's hope that this project doesn't go the way of previous Janis Joplin or Jimi Hendrix pics, which is to say development hell.
