After hearing in October that Skyfall and Cloud Atlas star Ben Whishaw was the hopeful to take the lead role in a biopic about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, it's official. Deadline has word that Whishaw has signed on to play the lead singer of the iconic classic rock band in a film from British actor turned director Dexter Fletcher, fresh off the musical adaptation Sunshine on Leith with featured music from the music group The Proclaimers. As of now the plan is to shoot the film next year, whether or not Sony Pictures is ready to pull the trigger on the film produced by Graham King (The Town) and his own GK Films banner.
Fletcher has already been meeting with Queen to get a feel for their story as the film isn't just about Freddie Mercury, but rather the formative coming-of-age story of the group, culminating in Queen headlining Live Aid back in 1985, one of the greatest live performances ever, six years before Mercury's death in November of 1991. However, his last days spent battling AIDS will not be part of the film, despite the prominence of his death and the impact it had on the stigma of AIDS sufferers at a time when hosts of the disease was still being shunned and creating prejudice. We're still not sure whether Whishaw will belt iconic tunes like "Bohemian Rhapsody" on his own or if he'll lip sync, but we're looking forward to his performance. link