There are few rock bands quite as iconic and prolific as Queen. Freddie Mercury's vocals are unmatched to this day, and the band's music is still constantly played on the radio, in addition to movies, TV shows, and commercials. As such, you'd think that a biopic around Queen and specifically Mercury himself would have been produced. Alas, this story hasn't been mined for the silver screen... until now. Bohemian Rhapsody will portray the rise of the band, as well as the personal demons frontman Mercury faced in the wake of their success. A first trailer just hit, check it out.
If you've gotten through that first trailer without at least humming along to one of Queen's songs, then you're beyond hope. All jokes aside, this first trailer promises an emotional and heart thumping ride for Bohemian Rhapsody, all told to the band's beloved catalogue.
The Bohemian Rhapsody trailer starts off with Freddie Mercury's iconic multi-octave vocals. After getting glimpses of Mercury in various parts of his career (complete with absolutely stunning costumes), the action of the story begins, with Queen still very much in the early moments of its long tenure. After the band of iconic musicians forms, we see as Queen starts getting gigs in little clubs. And while all of the band members will be major characters of the movie, the story seems very much focused on Mercury's vision, as well as his somewhat sordid personal life.
One idea that Bohemian Rhapsody's first trailer really hammers in is that Queen's massive success wasn't guaranteed, in fact, there were plenty of reasons why commercial success seemed almost impossible. The band's name and unique perspective somehow managed to resonate with generations of fans, and the upcoming biopic will no doubt focus on that journey.
Bohemian Rhapsody stars Mr. Robot actor Rami Malek, who is an absolute chameleon through Freddy Mercury's various looks and ages. The actor is almost unrecognizable with Mercury's costume and accent, and it looks like a real star-making moment for Malek. Both musicals and biopics clean house during awards season, so he's got a lot going for him to hopefully snag a few nominations.
Of course, there is a fair amount of controversy revolving around Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie was originally helmed by X-Men director Bryan Singer, before being taken over by Dexter Fletcher. Singer was one of the many powerful Hollywood men accused of sexual assault, after the scandals surrounding Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey broke the floodgates. Additionally, some reports indicated that the director left the project after repeatedly clashing with Rami Malek. Singer maintains that he departed the project to tend to family matters, but the controversy and his exit from Bohemian Rhapsody seems to be surrounding the biopic. At least until now.
Bohemian Rhapsody will arrive in theaters on November 2, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
