Deadline is a Hollywood industry blog, i.e. a legitimate news outlet, so I think this is the next best thing to an official announcement!
GK Films Taps Dexter Fletcher To Helm Queen Rock Pic With Ben Whishaw As Freddie Mercury link
EXCLUSIVE: Hot off directing the musical Sunshine On Leith, British actor-turned-helmer Dexter Fletcher has closed a deal to helm the movie on rock supergroup Queen, with frontman Freddie Mercury to be played Ben Whishaw. GK Films’ Graham King is producing, and Sony Pictures has first crack at the film. This has been a passion project for King for several years, and it started with Sacha Baron Cohen attached to play Mercury, the singular-voiced frontman. Fletcher, who’s repped by WME and Independent, made his directorial debut with Wild Bill before directing Sunshine On Leith, a musical based on the Proclaimers songbook. Before that, Fletcher became a familiar face acting in films that include Guy Ritchie’s Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Whishaw has been rumored to be getting the Mercury role for some time.
I’m told that Fletcher has been meeting the band and getting a feel for the Queen story, and that the intention is for the movie to get up and running next year regardless of whether Sony steps up. With the band’s songs part of the package, the pic will tell the formative coming-of-age story of the group, culminating in Queen headlining Live Aid in 1985. Queen’s performance is considered one of rock’s all-time great concert appearances. Mercury died November 24, 1991, of complications from AIDS, and while his death helped to remove the stigma of AIDS sufferers prevalent at that time and particularly in the rock music industry, Mercury’s last days won’t be the subject of the film. Script is by Peter Morgan and King’s producing with Tim Headington and Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions, and Queen Films. Among the tunes that are in the rights package are “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” “Another One Bites The Dust” and “You’re My Best Friend.”
What I find worrying about this is that Medusa, in whatever the hell her (I'm convinced it's a she) latest incarnation was/is, suggested him as a viable director a week or two ago, didn't she?
First she campaigns to get Sacha Baron Cohen out of the Freddie role...which subsequently happened.
Then she crowes on about Jeremy Kapone being perfect for said role...and he was then mentioned by some news website as being a contender for it.
Then she suggests Dexter Fletcher as director...which turns out to possibly be what is actually happening.
What's going on?!