Peter Morgan has revealed he has put his Freddie Mercury biopic on hold for Sacha Baron Cohen.
The award-winning writer of The Queen and Frost/Nixon has written a film about the life of the late Queen singer and is keen for controversial comedian Sacha to play the lead.
Peter revealed at the London Film Festival screening of 360: "Well, Sacha Baron Cohen is currently making a film about a dictator and a goat herd, or something. He's busy doing that.
"So while he's away, for the best part of a year, we've sort of put the script in the fridge and we will revisit when he re-emerges."
He quipped: "As a dictator, or I hope he comes back as goat herd. He'll be easier to deal with."
The Ali G funnyman is starring in The Dictator, a Saddam Hussein-inspired comedy which he wrote himself.
The film is said to be based on Zabibah And The King, a romance novel the CIA believes was penned by ghost-writers under the influence of former Iraqi dictator Saddam and published under his name.
The comedy is due to be released worldwide on May 11, 2012 by Paramount Pictures. link
I strongly suspect Brian didn't like where the movie was going, so they pulled the plug.
He would have never agreed to this movie in the first place had he not had creative veto power. And good on him - he has every right to ensure the movie would be free of fabrications purely meant to make Hollywood money.
Hollywood and Freddie Mercury never sounded like a good mix. I liked the idea of a new generation experiencing Queen at Live Aid at the end of the movie, but there was always the question of whether or not they were going to focus too much on Freddie's gay club life instead of the actual plot pf the movie - his relationship with the band between 1980-85. Looks like we just got the answer.
I too suspect there's a disagreement between the band (mainly Brian) and the film makers
a few years ago, someone "leaked" a script (or at least a synopsis), which focued mainly on Freddie's wild lifestyle.
and as much as he might have indulged - the world has always known him, and WILL always know him, for his music.
if the focus of the film is not mainly music - I applaud Brian's decision to pull the plug on the whole project.
the movie is the last chance the band has to win over USA again (let's face it, this queen extravaganza thing won't...) - so if they go the "sex ,drugs and a touch of rock n roll on the side" route, it'll be an instant smash.
let's hope integrity wins
I too had reservations about it. However, the idea of there being a film about Freddie (and with SBC playing him, and it being written by Peter Morgan) is really appealing to me. Even if there is an over-emphasis on his personal life, it will have to also focus on his musical career, and if that means that he can attain the recognition which he deserved but did not get, then I would be happy with that. I mean, while he was extremely famous, he isn't spoken of as an icon, and in the Lennon/Jagger vein, at least in the US. Anyway, the one film which I do NOT want to be made is the WWRY musical.
I don't think an inaccurate biopic would harm his legacy all that much. If anything, these things actually have the reverse effect of educating people, because there's always someone around to tell you just how many lies are in the movie. I don't even care if he doesn't have big teeth in this movie, it'll be good for a laugh.
same here. Sacha Baron Cohen... why?
Seems like just an excuse for this guy to ham it up and kiss more men on screen. (Something that - despite the fact there are sooo many gay actors, seldom gets portrayed on the screen) A ploy to generate self controversy and milk his stupid career based on bad taste and 12 yr old morons. Hopefully they'd give dignity, trouble and strife to the man's life rather than go for extremes and well...ah...
Sir GH summed up the suspicion well... who knows?
I figure if it wouldn't see the light on the 40th then it probably wouldn't. Ever.
Maybe the man's private life should just be left to speculation.
Good!
SBC should keep on playing parodies of dictators, French car racers, journalists form Kazakhstan etc. this list can
go on and on..
Yes, I'm typecasting him.
Told ya.
This movie ain't happening people. Brian didn't pull a plug. A producer never put it on hold.
It never got off the ground! All that publicity was to "test the waters". Waters were ice cold. Cohen didn't sign anything, it was brought up to him at a lunch or something. He said, "uh-huh". And you've all been hoping for Johnny Depp and James Cameron to sign on.
Move on. There will never be a Queen Biopic at the motion picture level. Just go watch Days Of Our Lives again and be content.
Personally, I have NO interest in the biopic, other than the additional publicity the band would end up getting because of its release (whether it's good, bad or otherwise) - that part, I'd enjoy.
I have been doing work on this biopic for the last couple of months, i
now have an entire cast proposal, that i hope Queen and Gk films will
consider employing for the movie. My work is free, i am only invensted
in it , in the respect i want the best movie, which requires amongst
other things the best cast.
The attachment is a picture of the actor who should play Freddie Mercury in the biopic
His name is Jeremy Kapone, aswell as being an actor, he is also a lead
singer, and so is used to that enviroment, although i believe all music
should be dubbed.
It is best to go to my youtube for further insight into what i have come up with.
It is best to start at the featured video and work back in the playlist link
But here is a basic list of parts i have found actors for.
Freddie Mercury
Brian May
Roger Taylor
John Deacon
John Reid (Manager)
Jim Beach (Manager)
Roy Thomas Baker (Producer)
Mick Rock (Photographer)
Sid Vicious
Paul Prenter
Mary Austin
Jim Hutton
Barbara Velentin
Rienhold mack MAC
Peter RATTY Hince
Chis CRYSTAL Taylor
Peter PHOEBE Freestone
Richard Young (Photographer)
James Trip khalaf
Elton John
Paul Gambaccini
David Bowie
Bob Geldof
USA FREINDS JOE FANELLI -JOE SCARDILLI LEE NOLAN JOHN MURPHY etc
Kenny Everett
Wayne Sleep
Peter Straker
Most of the possible cast for these are included in videos i have made, but some of them are new
I have 4 possible David Bowies and 2 Elton Johns' I also have 2 possible Sid Vicious'
Yet mostly thecast is as is , as they are the best possible, both in
character, similarity looks and abilitiy to play the role .