The much talked about Freddie Mercury and QUEEN biopic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, yes the one starring Rami Malek as Freddie himself, has its trailer out today. November 2 will see the movie hitting the theaters on its release day as scores of rock & roll fans will throng to their nearest multiplex screens, to witness the legend’s story unfold to the masses for the very first time.
The one of a kind biopic on probably the best noted rock star of the bygone years, depicts the journey of Farokh Bulsara, a.k.a. Freddie Mercury and of his band mates in QUEEN, from the time they formed in 1970 to their greatest live performances which includes the legendary Live Aid, the ups and downs in the band. The film written by Anthony McCarten, follows QUEEN as they produce hit after hit, topping the charts while constantly evolving their sound. Through disparate songs like “Killer Queen“, “Bohemian Rhapsody“, “We Are the Champions“, “We Will Rock You” and countless others, the band reaches unparalleled success and Freddie becomes one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet.
Emmy award winner and Mr. Robot star Rami Malek can be seen fronting the lead role in the movie as Freddie along with his band mates, Gwilym Lee (Brian May), Ben Hardy (Roger Taylor) and Joe Mazzello (John Deacon).
Rock & roll has always had a turbulent journey across history, so has the movie production. Original director Bryan Singer was fired from the crew after remaining absent from the production on multiple occasions. Reports say the Bryan also had a handful of unpleasant clashes with the actors and crew on the set. Later, Dexter Fletcher (Eddie the Eagle) was robed in to finish filming and post-production of the movie. Bryan later retorted in defense that he simply needed additional time off to deal with a family situation.
The talks of the movie along the lines of Freddie Mercury has been doing the rounds for years now. Previously, much before the final cast was decided, it was believed that Sacha Baron Cohen would play Mercury in a biopic. Although, he later dropped the plan citing creative dissonance and problems with original members of QUEEN. The clashes arose as the band members wanted to film a PG-rated movie which clearly kept Freddie’s dark side at bay.
After trying out with a few more actors, the choice for Freddie’s on screen star was laid to rest. Ultimately, the band members decided to choose Malek as Mercury and what a decision it has been. Rami dons an uncanny resemblance and one can go ahead and say that the choice for the lead role has been a bull’s eye achievement.
Here’s what multi-talented Brian May, lead guitarist for QUEEN had to say about the movie:
“I’m thrilled with the way our Freddie film is shaping up. Much more than a documentary of someone’s life, it’s a piece of pure art, chiselled out of solid rock. It speaks of families and relationships and hopes and dreams, and heartache and disappointment, and ultimately of victory and fulfilment, in a way that everyone can connect to. It hasn’t been an easy journey – but all the most worthwhile journeys are like that! Rami and Lucy and the boys give monumental performances – more than worthy of the originals !!”
The trailer looks scintillating and it has definitely pumped up my curiosity to find out how it really is once it releases. It’s not often that large and mainstream production and movie houses choose to make a film on rock and roll. Now that it is here, don’t miss a chance to go see this when theaters open on October 24 in the UK and November 2 in the US. Cause you know what, Freddie always rocks you!
