Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

[The_Basterd]

EXCLUSIVE: Sacha Baron Cohen Set To Play Queen Singer Freddie Mercury In GK Film
By MIKE FLEMING | Thursday September 16, 2010 @ 5:29pm EDT

EXCLUSIVE: Whether it's Marvin Gaye, Janis Joplin, Phil Spector or a host of others, enough announced music pics stall that it’s hard to find one worth worth getting excited about. Try this one: Sacha Baron Cohen has closed a deal to play Queen front man Freddie Mercury in a film that’s being scripted by Peter Morgan for a 2011 production start.

The untitled film will be financed by GK Films partners Graham King and Tim Headington, who'll produce in partnership with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions, and Queen Films. Morgan is already working on a script focused on the band’s formative years, leading up to Queen’s appearance at Live Aid in 1985. Queen’s performance is considered one of the rock's all-time great live concert appearances.

A rights package has been set that includes the band’s tunes, including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions , Another One Bites The Dust and You’re My Best Friend. It is unclear whether Baron Cohen will sing—I’m told he can sing—or whether Mercury’s vocals will be used. Nobody sang like Mercury, so trying to replicate him would be a tall order. These decisions will be made as a director gets hired. Mercury died November 24, 1991 of complications from AIDS. Though his death helped to remove the stigma of AIDS sufferers prevalent at that time and particularly in the rock music industry, Mercury’s last days won’t be the subject of the film.

Baron Cohen is an intriguing choice. For one thing, he looks more like Mercury than any star I can think of. While Baron Cohen’s primarily a comic actor, he plays well-defined characters in films from Borat to Talladega Nights, Sweeney Todd and Bruno, and he’s currently starring in the 3D Martin Scorsese-directed drama Hugo Cabret, also for GK Films. In April, Baron Cohen was the catalyst for a big bucks comedy pitch being written by Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel. Paramount beat out others for a film, which calls for Baron Cohen to play dual roles of a goat herder and a deposed dictator who gets lost in the US. It was an extravagant deal and the project is on a fast track. It’s unclear how timing factors into the Mercury film.

Morgan has become a go-to guy for prestige films based on real figures, from Frost/Nixon to The Queen (no relation), The Last King of Scotland and Damned United. His most recent script, Hereafter, made its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last Sunday, with director Clint Eastwood and stars Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard introducing the film at the Elgin Theater.

GK’s King confirmed the Queen deal: “Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and a music brand all unto itself,” he said in a statement. “Freddie Mercury was an awe-inspiring performer, so with Sacha in the starring role coupled with Peter’s screenplay and the support of Queen, we have the perfect combination to tell the real story behind their success.”

This is the first time the surviving members of Queen--Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon--have licensed songs and music publishing rights for a movie about the band and they formed Queen Films to be part of the production team on the film. They previously supplied their songs to We Will Rock You, the stage musical that has been running 9 years on London’s West End.

GK Films tomorrow opens the Ben Affleck-directed The Town through Warner Bros, and the Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp thriller The Tourist opens December 10 through Columbia Pictures. Baron Cohen’s repped by WME and Morgan by UTA and UK-based Independent Talent Group

http://www.deadline.com/2010/09/excl...lm/#more-67806

This has been rumored ever since the Borat movie came out. Cohen didn't sign to star then and Queen wouldn't sign over the music. Both did! And Peter Morgan wrote wrote the script! Future Oscar winning film.

BEST
CASTING
EVER.

[Evra]

Originally Posted by The_Basterd

http://www.deadline.com/2010/09/excl...lm/#more-67806

This has been rumored ever since the Borat movie came out. Cohen didn't sign to star then and Queen wouldn't sign over the music. Both did! And Peter Morgan wrote wrote the script! Future Oscar winning film.

BEST
CASTING
EVER.

Cohen = 2012 ACADEMY AWARD BEST ACTOR WINNER

Seriously, I dig this casting. I dig it. I dig it. I DIG IT!

[Crimson King]

Originally Posted by Evra

Cohen = 2012 ACADEMY AWARD BEST ACTOR WINNER

Seriously, I dig this casting. I dig it. I dig it. I DIG IT!

Is'nt he bit to tall to play Freddie. Freddie was not tall.

[vegeta88]

Sacha Baron Cohen seems perfect for Freddie Mercury. The look is fantastic and Cohen is a very good actor.

Originally Posted by BillyJack

Is'nt he bit to tall to play Freddie. Freddie was not tall.

Height is relative to other actors, but you are right; Cohen is a good 6 inches taller than Mercury.

[GORT]

He had better be the best lip syncer of all time or this movie will fail.

[Crimson King]

I want to remember Freddie Mercury for what he was, a great musician and showman. I'm straight and a huge Queen fan (got most of their albums and videos!) and don't care about his personal life, that was his business. Sadly the movie will probably focus on that part of his life. For me, it was all about the great music Freddie Left behind for us still to enjoy. I'm pretty sure Sacha can do the job though, I just hope the film is more about the music of Freedie and Queen and not the naughty bits.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Can't say I'm thrilled at the idea. Sasha Baron Cohen is a hack of a performer in my opinion. The only character that I have found any merit in was Ali G. Everything else he has done has been utter trash created for shock and awe. He is an attention h-o-a-r, nothing more.

I'll reserve my final opinions of the casting until I see footage.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by GORT

He had better be the best lip syncer of all time or this movie will fail.

...Yes, he WAS an incredibly bad singer in Sweeney Todd, wasn't he?
(And no, that's not sarcasm, he was.)

Come to think of it, a lot of the "craze" for putting Baron in acting roles sort of cooled after that, and like the poster said, this one's been hanging around since then.
Back then, everyone thought they were making a "discovery", and nowadays they think it's charity to give him a job after "Bruno".

[LordCrumb]

He certainly can come off as Freddie, as he has similar facial features. Will he be good in a dramatic role? Who knows, too early to judge. I am a big Queen fan and look forward to see what he will pull off. The film has the backing of the other 3 band members, and Freddies estate...

[gcchifi]

Cohen does have a resemblance to the late, great Queen frontman. The lipsync part probably won't be bad but he has to get the overbite. LOL! Now, who are they casting as Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor?

[LordCrumb]

They should just cast May, Deacon and Taylor as themselves.

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by KaiGusto

They should just cast May, Deacon and Taylor as themselves.

Well considering John Deacon has now retired and Brian May and Roger Taylor look a great deal older, then I don't think it's going to happen, but I do think May and Taylor should be heavily involved with the film.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by BillyJack

I want to remember Freddie Mercury for what he was, a great musician and showman. I'm straight and a huge Queen fan (got most of their albums and videos!) and don't care about his personal life, that was his business. Sadly the movie will probably focus on that part of his life. For me, it was all about the great music Freddie Left behind for us still to enjoy. I'm pretty sure Sacha can do the job though, I just hope the film is more about the music of Freedie and Queen and not the naughty bits.

Good stuff 'BillyJack - I am going on Record as prob. being Thee Biggest QUEEN Fan that I personally know of . Now, I agree with most of your post & am hoping the movie also focuses on Freddie, his early formative years musically & then into the formation of QUEEN & their subsequent success. (

[Show spoiler]Sept. 26, 1980 I saw QUEEN for the 1st time: This BEST "LIVE" Band EVER played at the old Boston Garden, on the Day After Led Zep's John Bonham died. Some fans were walking around the floor level holding a Huge BED SHEET, with the words "BONHAM LIVES!!" written on it. Of course the roar was deafening. QUEEN came out running, as per usual, & Delivered the most amazing LIVE show I've yet to see Topped [until I saw them Perform 5 yrs later at "LIVE AID", via satellite, as I was at JFK Stadium in Philly, Pa. & QUEEN as we know, came on from Wembley Stadium in London on July 13, 1985. In case you were wondering, Yes, I STILL HAVE MY "LIVE AID" TICKET stub!!]. At the end of the Boston show, Freddie dedicated "We Are The Champions" to "their great Friend" John Bonham. That deafening roar I noted earlier, was then Dwarfed. Believe me, this is Not Hyperbole.

) - Now, Sacha "does" look like Freddie enough I think that his casting "could" work. COULD, mind you, If he plays it serious. Yes, Freddie was gay & never was shy about that aspect of his life. The movie shouldn't Shy Away from that, but I'm thinking it won't be a major part of the story. It Was who HE was, it played into his flamboyance & his Incredible years of being one of the Best FRONT MEN ever, for a truly great Band (both "Live" & in the studio, IMO). (

[Show spoiler]Note: I have just 2 Tattoos: One obviously is of the "Aerosmith" logo with smoke/flames & A G-Clef in the flames, which you can see in my "Avatar" - The other is a combination of QUEEN's "A Night At the Opera" & "A Day At The Races" album covers. ("Opera's" Top half, & "Races" Bottom half. I came up with the concept, my tattoo artist did the rest.

) - Again, if the other 3 guys are On Board already, they're obviously going to have a Major Say in what the script/story is, as will Freddie's estate (to what extent, who knows). I own EVERY record they ever made, including "Made In Heaven", which was made with some vocals Freddie had recorded in his last days. Also in my collection is This QUEEN Box Set ("The Crown Jewels") & the DVD for "The Making of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA". I own both the DVD & BLURAY of "Queen Rocks Montreal" & "Live Aid", etc. So again, I'm a HUGE fan of QUEEN.

Btw, they better not even give 2 seconds of thought to Anything other than using the REAL Freddie Mercury for the vocals, if not the just playing the Recordings themselves & let the other "actors" for Brian, Roger, & John, just play along (similar to what the actors in "THE DOORS" film did).

Originally Posted by KaiGusto

He certainly can come off as Freddie, as he has similar facial features. Will he be good in a dramatic role? Who knows, too early to judge. I am a big Queen fan and look forward to see what he will pull off. The film has the backing of the other 3 band members, and Freddie's estate...

Well said KiaGusto' -- I've read that playing Comedy roles WELL is or can be, the hardest kind of good acting. Cohen has done "some" funny stuff, so maybe he is a good actor that we've yet to see unleashed, so to speak.

Originally Posted by gcchifi

Cohen does have a resemblance to the late, great Queen front man. The lip sync part probably won't be bad but he has to get the overbite. LOL! Now, who are they casting as Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor?

Yea, the infamous "overbite". I wonder if they'll give him a prosthetic or just ignore it () altogether. As for the other 3 guys to play Brian, John & Roger, they could just contact my friend's band, "KILLER QUEEN". The drummer would just need a blond wig. The Singer for "Killer Queen" not only Looks like Freddie, even more than S. B. Cohen, but Has the slight overbite & Sounds Incredibly like Freddie. Well, as much as one can I suppose. To me, Freddie had one of the Top 3 Voices in Rock Music ever.

[Show spoiler]It's unimportant to get into who the other two could be.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Clone Trooper

Well considering John Deacon has now retired and Brian May and Roger Taylor look a great deal older, then I don't think it's going to happen, but I do think May and Taylor should be heavily involved with the film.

May & Taylor WILL Definitely have their say, & I'm sure Deacon will want a look at things as well. As for them playing themselves, if the movie is only going up to LIVE AID (in 1985), obviously they'll have to use younger actors for those 3 roles.

[Show spoiler]Btw - If anyone caught Paul Rodgers + Queen at any of their shows of the last few years, you'd know Paul didn't Try to be or sound like Freddie, as obviously Nobody in their right mind would try. He himself said Many times that "in His mind" Freddie was the Best Vocalist he'd ever heard & thus, had Incredible Respect for him. But, he Did do a very good job still using his own voice with the catalog of QUEEN classics. Plus, Roger & Brian do sing quite a bit of songs LIVE themselves. I was lucky enough to catch them 2x, & QUEEN still had their Over The Top INCREDIBLE "Live" show, with some of the most Amazing Lighting Rigs, which they've always done in years past

.

[Jezza]

Here's an article from the BBC News website with a brief interview with Brian May about the film. I don't know if anyone outside the UK will be able to watch it, but I'll post it just in case.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11340336

[Crimson King]

Originally Posted by gcchifi

Cohen does have a resemblance to the late, great Queen frontman. The lipsync part probably won't be bad but he has to get the overbite. LOL! Now, who are they casting as Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor?

Put a blonde wig in Simon Pegg to be Roger Taylor, and Colin Firth as Brian May. Not sure about John Deacon.

[Josh]

If Cohen plays this role serious, this could definiltey be a breakout role for him. That's not to say he has to leave all the laughs behind, he just has to pick and chose when and where to drop a smile. Reminds me of what Ferrel did in Stranger than Fiction, only on a much larger scale.

Originally Posted by BillyJack

I want to remember Freddie Mercury for what he was, a great musician and showman. I'm straight and a huge Queen fan (got most of their albums and videos!) and don't care about his personal life, that was his business. Sadly the movie will probably focus on that part of his life. For me, it was all about the great music Freddie Left behind for us still to enjoy. I'm pretty sure Sacha can do the job though, I just hope the film is more about the music of Freedie and Queen and not the naughty bits.

I disagree. Being gay was part of who Freddie was. Leaving that out would be detrimental to portraying who he was as a person. I don't think it will come across as a 2-hour gay-pride film, but a touch here and there to bring some insight into what Freddie was going through personally as he became a star. I think that is going to be an important part of the film.

[cougarswithguns]

Originally Posted by Josh

I disagree. Being gay was part of who Freddie was. Leaving that out would be detrimental to portraying who he was as a person.

Seriously.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Good stuff 'BillyJack - I am going on Record as prob. being Thee Biggest QUEEN Fan that I personally know of . Now, I agree with most of your post & am hoping the movie also focuses on Freddie, his early formative years musically & then into the formation of QUEEN & their subsequent success. (

[Show spoiler]Sept. 26, 1980 I saw QUEEN for the 1st time: This BEST "LIVE" Band EVER played at the old Boston Garden, on the Day After Led Zep's John Bonham died. Some fans were walking around the floor level holding a Huge BED SHEET, with the words "BONHAM LIVES!!" written on it. Of course the roar was deafening. QUEEN came out running, as per usual, & Delivered the most amazing LIVE show I've yet to see Topped [until I saw them Perform 5 yrs later at "LIVE AID", via satellite, as I was at JFK Stadium in Philly, Pa. & QUEEN as we know, came on from Wembley Stadium in London on July 13, 1985. In case you were wondering, Yes, I STILL HAVE MY "LIVE AID" TICKET stub!!]. At the end of the Boston show, Freddie dedicated "We Are The Champions" to "their great Friend" John Bonham. That deafening roar I noted earlier, was then Dwarfed. Believe me, this is Not Hyperbole.

) - Now, Sacha "does" look like Freddie enough I think that his casting "could" work. COULD, mind you, If he plays it serious. Yes, Freddie was gay & never was shy about that aspect of his life. The movie shouldn't Shy Away from that, but I'm thinking it won't be a major part of the story. It Was who HE was, it played into his flamboyance & his Incredible years of being one of the Best FRONT MEN ever, for a truly great Band (both "Live" & in the studio, IMO). (

[Show spoiler]Note: I have just 2 Tattoos: One obviously is of the "Aerosmith" logo with smoke/flames & A G-Clef in the flames, which you can see in my "Avatar" - The other is a combination of QUEEN's "A Night At the Opera" & "A Day At The Races" album covers. ("Opera's" Top half, & "Races" Bottom half. I came up with the concept, my tattoo artist did the rest.

) - Again, if the other 3 guys are On Board already, they're obviously going to have a Major Say in what the script/story is, as will Freddie's estate (to what extent, who knows). I own EVERY record they ever made, including "Made In Heaven", which was made with some vocals Freddie had recorded in his last days. Also in my collection is This QUEEN Box Set ("The Crown Jewels") & the DVD for "The Making of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA". I own both the DVD & BLURAY of "Queen Rocks Montreal" & "Live Aid", etc. So again, I'm a HUGE fan of QUEEN.

Btw, they better not even give 2 seconds of thought to Anything other than using the REAL Freddie Mercury for the vocals, if not the just playing the Recordings themselves & let the other "actors" for Brian, Roger, & John, just play along (similar to what the actors in "THE DOORS" film did).

Well said KiaGusto' -- I've read that playing Comedy roles WELL is or can be, the hardest kind of good acting. Cohen has done "some" funny stuff, so maybe he is a good actor that we've yet to see unleashed, so to speak.

Yea, the infamous "overbite". I wonder if they'll give him a prosthetic or just ignore it () altogether. As for the other 3 guys to play Brian, John & Roger, they could just contact my friend's band, "KILLER QUEEN". The drummer would just need a blond wig. The Singer for "Killer Queen" not only Looks like Freddie, even more than S. B. Cohen, but Has the slight overbite & Sounds Incredibly like Freddie. Well, as much as one can I suppose. To me, Freddie had one of the Top 3 Voices in Rock Music ever.

[Show spoiler]It's unimportant to get into who the other two could be.

Showing our age here.

I bought their first album in 1973 and never looked back.

I saw them multiple times. Even back in the '70s when Freddie had very long hair, nail polish and wore leotards.

No one has ever had, or ever will have Freddies range.

No one will ever sweep from a beautiful falsetto to throaty growl like Freddie could.

No one will ever OWN an audience the way Freddie did.

No one will ever ooze CHARISMA like Freddie did.

Queen was one of only a handfull of bands that got all 4 components to gel, just right, to make something really special.

Queen was so special, I am tempted to say that maybe this film shouldnt be made. Brian and Roger being involved offers a little security I guess. For me, its not a Cohen issue. Its a "Should it be done at all?" issue. I just dont think anyone will be able to nail it, and if its not perfect, its going to suck. Does that make sense? I just dont know.....I'll think about it for a while.

[Pondosinatra]

Will his hottie wife be in it???