14 DAY TRIAL // In September 2010, Sacha Baron Cohen was confirmed for the role of Freddie Mercury in an upcoming Queen biopic but rumors had him attached to it a long time before that. Deadline is now saying he’s dropped out.
According to inside sources, the actor and the remaining members of the band could not agree on the script and director approval.
Because he could see no solution to their creative differences, Cohen simply walked out.
“That film had Cohen circling the role but I’ve just learned he’s now pulled out. The reason is that the band wanted to make more of a PG movie about Queen while Cohen was counting on a gritty R-rated tell-all centered around the gifted gay singer,” Deadline writes.
The problem is that, with Cohen out, it seems that no other actor could do as fine a job as Mercury as he would have done, the same media outlet points out.
If this project ends up dying a slow death, rest assured you’ll find out about it here.