Rami Malek Will Play Queen’s Freddie Mercury In Movie ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

Rami Malek will star on the big screen as Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury in the upcoming biographic film Bohemian Rhapsody. The award-winning actor from Mr. Robot will transform into one of the most influential musicians of the 80s.

Bohemian Rhapsody has been in production for eight years, and Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor are also on board as music producers. X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer is going to direct the project.

Disagreements about the direction of the film caused Sacha Baron Cohen – who was originally cast as Mercury – to walk away from the film earlier this year. Speaking to radio show host Howard Stern in March, Baron Cohen said he disagreed with May and Taylor over how much of the film should be dedicated to Mercury.

The comedian and actor said to Stern: “A member of the band – I won’t say who – said: ‘You know, this is such a great movie because it’s got such an amazing thing that happens in the middle.”

“And I go: ‘What happens in the middle of the movie?’ He goes: ‘You know, Freddie dies.’ … I said: ‘Listen, not one person is going to see a movie where the lead character dies from AIDS and then you see how the band carries on.”

Filming is set to begin filming early next year, and there is no date for the release of the project yet. Malik is also currently shooting a remake of the 1973 movie Papillon.