UPDATE: Brian May has posted on his official website that Queen manager Jim Beach was joking, and that Sacha Baron Cohen is not currently attached to the biopic in any capacity.
The on-off biopic of legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury finally looks set to be moving forward, with Sacha Baron Cohen set to write, direct, produce and star in the lead role.
“You have probably followed the saga of the famous Queen-Freddie Mercury biopic which has been developing in Hollywood for the last seven years,” said Queen manager Jim Beach at the Artist and Manager Awards this weekend. “An important breakthrough is that we have now managed to persuade Sacha Baron Cohen to write, produce, and direct this movie, and he has also agreed to star.”
The last we heard about the project, Cohen was looking to produce an R-rated “tell-all” biopic, while the band – who have script and director approval – were instead looking for a PG-version. However, it seems the two parties have ironed out any disputes, although Cohen is yet to officially confirm his involvement himself.
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