Freddie Mercury

It was beginning to seem as though a Queen biopic would never come to pass. Sacha Baron Cohen (who, let’s be honest, would be perfect) was attached to the project at one time, but creative differences with the surviving band members ultimately forced him to drop out. But after years of will they or won’t they development hell, Bohemian Rhapsody is finally in production with Mr. Robot star Rami Malek portraying rock icon Freddie Mercury — and there’s actual photographic evidence to prove it.

Malek will star as the iconic rock star in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ a biopic that’s been in the works for years.

If it seems like Hollywood has been trying to get a Freddie Mercury biopic off the ground for years, well, that’s probably because Hollywood has been trying to get a Freddie Merecury biopic off the ground for years. Back in 2007, it was rumored that Sacha Baron Cohen had signed on to play the famous lead singer of Queen, kicking off a decade-long futile struggle to get the film made. Over the next ten years, Cohen would officially join the film, quit, potentially rejoin, and then sign the project’s death warrant by officially airing his creative differences with the surviving members of Queen.

We haven’t heard much about the Freddie Mercury biopic since Sacha Baron Cohen dropped out of the project over disputes with the remaining Queen band members. Queen Films and producer Graham King are still trying to get the film off the ground, and have hired The Theory of Everything writer Anthony McCarten to draft a new version of the screenplay, while Ben Whishaw is reportedly the current top choice to play Mercury.

A biopic based on the life of legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has been in the works for years, with Sacha Baron Cohen previously attached to star before he was forced off the project by surviving band members who disagreed with his vision. Since then, the project has fumbled, with various actors and directors rumored for the biopic, which has made negligible progress since Cohen’s departure. Now it appears that the surviving bandmates have had a change of heart, pulling Cohen back onto the project, this time granting him complete control.

Sacha Baron Cohen was attached to the Freddie Mercury biopic for many years, but once the project started moving forward Cohen left, and the film seemed like it might die. But then Ben Whishaw joined and actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher was hired to helm the project. Now Fletcher has left the film, citing "creative differences," which makes us wonder if this project is cursed. Read

The Freddie Mercury biopic, backed by legendary band Queen, has hit its fair share of snags along the way to production, but now things are back on track. Dexter Fletcher, a British actor-turned-director who recently helmed the musical 'Sunshine on Leith,' has been tapped in to direct the film.

Sacha Baron Cohen dropped out, Daniel Radcliffe was never in talks, so who's next in line to take Freddie Mercury's crown in the upcoming biopic? The band Queen, who's been behind the film every step of the way, has their pick; if everything works out, we could see 'Skyfall' star Ben Whishaw take the lead.

Earlier this summer, Sacha Baron Cohen dropped out of the long-gestating Freddie Mercury biopic due to disagreements with the remaining Queen band members over the content and tone of the film, but now it looks like his replacement may have been found. 'Captain America' star Dominic Cooper is rumored as the latest actor looking to step into Mercury's unitard.

Following Sacha Baron Cohen's departure from the lead role in the Freddie Mercury biopic, the film's writer Peter Morgan was unconvinced the project would ever happen, but perhaps it can survive after all with a bit of magic. According to a report, Daniel Radcliffe is the next in line for the gig.