14 DAY TRIAL // 2011 will mark the production start of a biopic on the formative years of Queen, arguably the biggest rock band in music history. British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen will play the lead, Freddy Mercury.
Though this may seem like an odd choice, producers see Cohen as the only one who could carry off such a part, Deadline reports.
He may have made a name for himself for his comedic performances (“Bruno,” “Borat” and “Ali G”) but that’s not to say he can’t do drama as well. Plus, the physical resemblance is there too.
Moreover, Cohen can also sing – though it’s uncertain at this point whether his or Mercury’s voice will be used for the film, the e-zine goes on to say.
“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,” Deadline writes.
“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,” the e-zine notes.
“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,” the same report goes.
The remaining Queen members have already licensed music for the film, including hits like “Another One Bites the Dust,” “We Are the Champions,” “We Will Rock You” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The biopic marks the first time the band licenses music for film. The members also started Queen Films so they can be involved in the development of the film as producers, and thus retain some form of creative control.
“Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and a music brand all unto itself,” GK says in a statement for the same e-zine.
“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,” the same statement reads.