A biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has been in the works for quite some time. In an inspired bit of casting, Sacha Baron Cohen is attached to star as the famed rock musician, and now the project is close to landing a director. Variety reports that Stephen Frears (The Queen) is the frontrunner to land the directing job, though negotiations have yet to begin. Apparently other filmmakers are still in the mix, but Frears âhas the inside track.â In addition to more serious fare like The Queen and Dangerous Liasons, Frears also directed the excellent 2000 music-centered dramedy High Fidelity. Hit the jump for more.Steve sat down with producer Graham King late last year, and he revealed that itâs possible that Cohen might be singing Queen songs himself in the biopic. He stretched his vocal chops in Sweeney Todd, but Iâm not too sure if he can match Mercuryâs range. Peter Morgan (The Queen) wrote the latest draft of the script, and the story will follow Queenâs formation up through their famous appearance at Live Aid in 1985. The film will not, however, cover Mercuryâs death in 1991 after battling AIDS.Frears is currently directing the drama Muhammad Aliâs Greatest Fight for HBO, but his schedule is relatively clear for the near future (save for an adaptation of The Bengali Detective). If he does land the gig, Iâm hoping that production begins sometime this year; Iâm eager to see Cohen tackle more dramatic material and this appears to be a fine vehicle to showcase his acting talents. Producers have secured rights to a number of classic Queen songs, including âBohemian Rhapsody,â âWe Will Rock You,â and âWe Are the Champions,â so this wonât be a music biopic that conveniently neglects the artistâs most famous work a la The Story of Jackie Jorp-Jomp.
Stephen Frears Frontrunner to Direct Freddie Mercury Film Starring Sacha Baron Cohen
Stephen Frears Frontrunner to Direct Freddie Mercury Film. Stephen Frears might direct the Freddie Mercury film, starring Sacha Baron Cohen.