That Freddie Mercury biopic gets The Theory Of Everything’s writer, may really come out
A Freddie Mercury biopic has been in the works since at least 2010—back before The A.V. Club thought to put pictures in its Newswires—with Sacha Baron Cohen originally attached to play the lead. He and the surviving members of Queen parted ways in 2013 when they reportedly couldn’t agree on the film’s tone, and a few months after that, Ben Whishaw was named the new favorite for the role. Then, in March of 2014, director Dexter Fletcher dropped out of the project, saying that he and the band had “creative differences.”
But it looks like every single setback in the world can’t stop the Freddie Mercury biopic, because apparently he was just that awesome. According to Deadline, the project is still happening, and the producers have just hired The Theory Of Everything’s Anthony McCarten to write the script. Considering that movie won Eddie Redmayne an Academy Award for his starring role, it seems like the studio is hoping this project will also be able to grab some of the sweet Oscar gold.
Deadline says the working title for the biopic is Bohemian Rhapsody, which feels a little too Walk The Line, but it’s probably a better choice than Fat Bottomed Girls, Bicycle Race, or Flash Gordon Theme. Also, Ben Whishaw is still the favorite to star, but it doesn’t sound like anything official is in place yet.