A Freddie Mercury biographic
al film has been in the works for quite some
time now. Over the years, there
have been talks of Johnny Depp
playing the
Queen front man. Howev
er, as of November 21, 2011, B
orat star Sacha Baron
Cohen is officially the frontrunner. O
bviously most people associate him with
comedy, but Cohen is a very talented actor who has proven
himself to be a
box office heavy hitter. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, it is still
unknown whether he will attempt to replicate Mercury’
s famously flawless vocals, or if original tracks will be used.
The film will follow Mercury's career from the beginnings of
his band Queen, to their legendary performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium. This performance is c
onsidered to be one of the greatest of all time, and features Mercury’s signature energetic performing and shows his appreciative relationship with his audience. According to Rolling Stone
, the final years leading to Mercury’s tragic AIDS-related death will not be in the film. It is also unknown to what level the film will consider the topic of Mercury’s sexuality.
Freddie Mercury is a legend,
often referred to as one of the greatest, if not the greatest vocalists of all time. He is famous for his four-octave range and flamboyant
performances. In his personal life, Mercury was known as a shy and private man who let very few people get close to him emotionally.
Over his career and up to his death, tabloids and fans speculated about his sexuality. Mercury was known to be a bisexual man,
but never acknowledged this publicly. He did not announce his illness to the public until the day before his death in 1991. It is
the belief of many that had he come out about his illness earlier on, he would have been able to raise significant awareness and
funds for the AIDS cause.Cohen’s participation so far is a stroke of genius casting-wise. There
are many physical similarities between him and Mercury
, and Cohen is known for his outgoing and energetic performances, much like Mercury. Cohen is no stranger to controversy, much
like the Queen singer, and has always appreciated his fans. Queen, one of the most famous rock and roll bands of all time, has
penned such hit songs as We Are The Champions, Another One Bites The Dust, This Thing Called Love, We Will Rock You,
and Bohemian Rhapsody.
The film is still in its early stages, as nothing is written in ink yet, but the script will most likely be written by Frost/Nixon and The Last King of Scotland writer Peter Morgan. According to cinemablend.com, Gangs of New York and The Departed producer Graham King will be producing the film, and has worked with Cohen on Martin Scorsese’s newest film Hugo.
“Who better to play Freddie Mercury than Sacha Baron Cohen?” said King. “You never know [if a film will actually come together] until it's done, but I'm hoping [he plays the part]. He's so talented, and you see a side to him in Hugo that no one had ever seen before. Very emotional, and very heartfelt.
”
With this kind of critically acclaimed talent involved, the upcoming Mercury film is sure to continue generating buzz. Much of that buzz will most likely be Oscar related as the Academy loves biopics such as Walk the Line, Ray, and
My Week With Marilyn.
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