Freddie Mercury biopic enlists writer, with Ben Whishaw sought for lead
Ever since Sacha Baron Cohen departed the Freddie Mercury biopic due to creative differences, things have been very quiet on the film. After a long time spent in development, it looks like the project is once again gathering steam.
Deadline are reporting that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten - who penned The Theory of Everything - has been hired to take another crack at the screenplay, while Ben Whishaw remains the top choice to play the iconic singer. The article goes on to say that the current title of the film is Bohemian Rhapsody, which of course refers to Queen's biggest hit of the same name.
The next step will be to find a director; Tom Hooper and Dexter Fletcher were both rumoured to be close to signing on the dotted line at various points before dropping out. Whishaw - who is on a great run right now with Spectre, Suffragette and The Lobster - had previously been linked with the project back in 2013, so its no surprise to see that he's back in the mix again. Here's hoping its made official soon.
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Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.
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