| Daniel Nester 16.04.2015 21:21 |
Searched for "Freddie Mercury" in the recently uploaded leaks of Sony's files on the Wikileaks site, and lo and behold, there are emails that discuss "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody"). The link is here, and here's what I believe to be the main email with all of the messages. Any new information here? Email-ID52772Date2014-03-05 22:37:35Fromandrew_gumpert@spe.sony.comTohannah_minghella@spe.sony.com, amy_pascal@spe.sony.comdoug_belgrad@spe.sony.com, andrea_giannetti@spe.sony.comRE: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK SubmissionIt’s net.. it’s in the budget pdf attachment From: Minghella, Hannah Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 2:37 PM To: Pascal, Amy; Gumpert, Andrew Cc: Belgrad, Doug; Giannetti, Andrea Subject: Re: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK Submission Are we sure the new number isn't a gross number? From: Pascal, AmySent: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 2:35 PMTo: Gumpert, AndrewCc: Belgrad, Doug; Minghella, Hannah; Giannetti, AndreaSubject: Re: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK Submission ME TOOOn Mar 5, 2014, at 2:32 PM, Gumpert, Andrew wrote: I believe we were discussing 35m budget cap last go around. From: Pascal, Amy Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 2:24 PM To: Belgrad, Doug; Minghella, Hannah; Giannetti, Andrea; Gumpert, Andrew Subject: Fwd: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK Submission Was this the number he agreed to Begin forwarded message:From: "Galston, Jay" Date: March 5, 2014 at 12:15:57 PM PST To: "Gumpert, Andrew" Cc: "Litt, Stefan" Subject: RE: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK SubmissionAttached is the current model, updated for the $46.9M net budget. At Jeff’s target of $50M DBO / $50M IBO (which he gave in December), we’re showing $2.5M of profit, which is ($24M) below the Return Threshold. To hit the threshold, we would need to be at 70/70, assuming similar marketing numbers. I know GK’s co-financing was a possibility, so we also ran a 50/50 co-fi version under those terms, which looks slightly better at $5.3M of profit, but is still well short of the Return Threshold. For both cases, we’re running Return Threshold on SPE’s share only (net of pre-sales and co-fi investments). GK notes in their submission that they intend to sell UK. We don’t have any details for what they think they might get, so we are assuming the sale is for 10% of budget, and we get overages after a 20% fee. GK’s deal is also still in discussion. This version of the model includes the last incarnation we ran. The other participations are per their submission. Please let me know if you have any questions/comments. -Jay Jay GalstonMotion Picture Business Development | Sony Pictures Entertainment 10202 West Washington Blvd | Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 244-2200 | jay_galston@spe.sony.com From: Gumpert, Andrew Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2014 4:38 PM To: Pascal, Amy; Belgrad, Doug; DeLuca, Michael; Minghella, Hannah; Giannetti, Andrea Cc: Galston, Jay; Litt, Stefan; Davis, Andy Subject: FW: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK Submission Fyi, submission in. We will re-run the #’s so we have then up to date. 46.9m budget, including 2.5m contingency. From: Julie Roach [mailto:julier@gk-films.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2014 4:21 PM To: Gumpert, Andrew; Burkin, Brian; Steinberg, David Subject: "Untitled Freddie Mercury/Queen Film (aka "Bohemian Rhapsody")/ GK Submission Hi Andrew, Brian and David, Below and attached please find the revised and updated Submission on the Freddie Mercury Project. ELEMENTS: (i) Title: Current working title “Bohemian Rhapsody. The Story of Freddie Mercury & Queen”. (ii) Script: please see ATTACHED. (iii) All-in Budget: please see ATTACHED. (iv) Director: Dexter Fletcher. (iv) Principal actors:Actor playing “Freddie”: Ben WhishawActor playing “Roger Taylor”: Johnny FlynnActress playing “Mary Austin”: Gemma Arterton (v) All other currently existing attachments: Producer: Graham KingProducer: Jim BeachExecutive Producer: Jane RosenthalScreenwriters: Peter Morgan; Stephen Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson; Joe PehnallLife Story Rights: Queen Films Ltd, grant of life story rights of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor; and band manager Jim Beach.Crew heads: please see ATTACHED list of attached crew members. (vi) Schedule of third party participations: please see ATTACHED.(Please note there are no changes to the previous summary emailed to you on 12/4/2013 – but attached again for your convenience). (vii) Chain of title: previously forwarded. (viii) Proposed schedule of commencement: May 26, 2014 (ix) Rating: R, but t.b.d. (x) GK territories: GK anticipates se |
| Daniel Nester 16.04.2015 21:29 |
Another email: MERCURY Freddie will be a hero to all the misfit millenials we heard from at that seminar, real chance at cross demo action BUT Hard to proceed with three strikes: TOO HIGH A BUDGET PEDESTRIAN SCRIPT QUESTIONABLE DIRECTOR If we can eliminate budget issue and improve script, I’d roll the dice Source: https://wikileaks.org/sony/emails/emailid/16810 |
| Daniel Nester 16.04.2015 21:33 |
And another one--sorry, sifting through them myself. Direct link here. Email-ID61202Date2014-01-24 15:11:21 From adam_north@spe.sony.com To amy_pascal@spe.sony.com MERCURY I'm starting a set of page notes, but here are the big thoughts I had on the new draft of MERCURY: It's certainly a step up, but the new draft suffers from a lot of the same problems as the last draft. I think we should care most about Freddie's relationship with his band mates. That relationship sometimes plays second fiddle to his relationship with Mary, and Mary's relationship with Freddie is one of unconditional love so it feels undramatic compared to the band. We need to see how the band fulfills Freddie emotionally - how they are his family - so that we really feel the tension and the tragedy as Freddie's ego and Prenter pull him away from them. We can also feel that tension in his relationship with Mary, but that can be secondary. The climax of the movie is the Live Aid performance, but since we have that set up in the first few seconds of the movie, we have to be feeling like there's a chance we'll never make it to the Live Aid concert (even though we know we will) if Freddie keeps self-destructing throughout the movie. Prenter enters too late and never feels like enough of a villain. He should introduce Freddie to coke earlier and be a wedge between Freddie and the band from the moment that he arrives. In the first third of the script, I'm never really sure of exactly what level of fame Queen is at, which is important to us as an audience so that we feel like we're along for the ride. Maybe he needs to do another performance in the first act to help us gauge how they're doing as a band (by seeing if it's a nice venue or not, audience size). |
| BETA215 17.04.2015 00:42 |
Do you have the PDF they are talking about? Could you find it? |
| Biggus Dickus 17.04.2015 02:11 |
"He should introduce Freddie to coke earlier and be a wedge between Freddie and the band from the moment that he arrives." I've never been excited about this project and bollocks like this makes me even more suspicious. |
| vicspec 17.04.2015 03:08 |
Wow, great scoop. |
| Supersonic_Man89 17.04.2015 04:20 |
very interesting, thanks! |
| Costa86 17.04.2015 05:04 |
Great find, best post on QZ all April. |
| Daniel Nester 17.04.2015 06:47 |
I'm still digging in there, and maybe others can as well. There doesn't seem to be PDF attachments included in the emails, at least at first glance. Basically, I went to Wikileaks and searched for "Freddie Mercury." Other search terms--Graham King, Sacha Baron Cohen--might yield more results. |
| ggo1 17.04.2015 10:51 |
Johnny Flynn as Roger is a pretty good call. Can see the likeness, though he's younger than Roger was in 1985. link |
| ggo1 17.04.2015 10:57 |
Daniel Nester wrote: I'm still digging in there, and maybe others can as well. There doesn't seem to be PDF attachments included in the emails, at least at first glance.Yeah for the second dump, WikiLeaks removed the attachments (Which included whole movies and screen tests) and just produced the emails. It's probably possible to find the pdf's in the first dump which has all the files, but I've no idea how. One of the issues for those looking at the original leak was the lack of searchability which is why they dumped them in a different format this time. EDIT: It appears the documents may be there too, but filed separately from the emails. I cant figure out a way to view them on the site. Tried the documents search filtered for PDF's and get nothing Mercury related. |
| tomchristie22 17.04.2015 11:06 |
I've never seen a good (non-documentary) film about anything like this. Most of the Beatle/Lennon movies are kind of laughable. I kind of hope the Mercury film never comes to fruition, though perhaps it can be an exception among bad and pointless biopics. The discussion of fine tuning the plot here definitely indicates that they care about having strong character arcs and the like - this leads us to something of a dilemma. As has been pointed out, it means tweaking real life events to maximise drama and pacing rather than truthfulness. This is a definite shame when it results in grievous misrepresentations of people and events, however if it is used in moderation in order to craft a great film at the occasional expense of certain real life details, then I'm honestly all for it. |
| Daniel Nester 17.04.2015 11:53 |
Good points about the pitfalls of biopics. There are definitely bad ones out there, or ones that play fast and loose with the historical record. Sometimes when this is done it works to help tell the story in a more efficient way, and other times it's just for more hacky reasons. I think some biopics like The Social Network or Goodfellas plays with real scenes and makes something new. People do complain about historical inaccuracies in those movies, but they're still regarded as good films, win Oscars and all that. There there are ones like The Imitation Game or the Steve Jobs movie that do it just because they don't know what they're doing. I mean, Ed Wood is great, and so is Coal Miner's Daughter. What the great ones have in common are great performances, and Ben Wishaw is pretty great. Has anyone seen the BBC show The Hour? It was billed at first as the English Mad Men, because it's set in post-WWII, but it's different. And Ben Wishaw is pretty great in it. He's not just the new Q dude in the James Bond movies, although I bet that pays his bills. Wishaw is a great actor. I'm actually way more excited now that he's cast in the lead. Would have loved to have seen the screen test! |
| k-m 17.04.2015 15:34 |
Nice find. The cast seems okay and I do hope this film will come into fruition. Disagree with those dismissing biopics as pointless, boring etc. Off the top of my head - Control, Walk the Line, Ray - don't see anything wrong with these films. Obviously, no movie will ever satisfy everyone, especially when it comes to iconic music figures, but I think a good biopic might serve as an introduction into the artist's life and music. Films like the aforementioned Social Network or Good Fellas fall into a different category for me, although both are great. |
| paulosham 17.04.2015 19:25 |
tomchristie22 wrote: I've never seen a good (non-documentary) film about anything like this.Even with all it's flaws The Buddy Holly Story is pretty good. |
| musicland munich 17.04.2015 23:11 |
BETA215 wrote: Do you have the PDF they are talking about? Could you find it?Wanna start trading with any "leaked" emails ? |
| advanced159 17.04.2015 23:12 |
>>> Between us for now only and I could change my mind here is what we are not making and shouldn't be wasting time on >>> Bad teacher >>> Epsilon >>> Equalizer we will know this weekend >>> Mercury (sad but true 3 mil my fault) >>> One hit wonder >>> Singularity (unless god helps out) >>> Captian planet >>> Coronado high >>> Dr dan >>> Flatliners >>> Hack attack >>> How to disappear >>> In love with a dj >>> Innovators >>> Last chatter ly >>> Love may fail >>> Maple sugar? >>> Pioneer >>> Sabrina >>> Tender ar >>> Zombiand link |
| bucsateflon 18.04.2015 01:09 |
I like how the story was pitched, about Freddie and THE BAND, more towards the music and not gay stories. The more they introduce the music and the band, the budget must go up, so it is a hard movie to make. |
| BETA215 18.04.2015 03:07 |
musicland munich wrote:Shhh! That's my plan to leak the whole March '74 concert in 32mm quality! Don't mess my plan! Don't you wanna watch Fairy Feller's in video??!!BETA215 wrote: Do you have the PDF they are talking about? Could you find it?Wanna start trading with any "leaked" emails ? Oh, I think I said it quite loud... |
| The Real Wizard 18.04.2015 03:36 |
Biggus Dickus wrote: "He should introduce Freddie to coke earlier and be a wedge between Freddie and the band from the moment that he arrives." I've never been excited about this project and bollocks like this makes me even more suspicious.^ and this is precisely why this film is never, ever going to happen. They want to know when to introduce the cocaine for their purposes, not when Freddie started using cocaine or when/if it actually became a problem. Reality check - he was a diva long before cocaine was brought into the mix (he smashed a mirror over his assistant's head in 1976), and it never got in the way of their performances, so I vote nay on that. Hollywood wants to Hollywoodize, and the band want it to be genuine. They'll never agree. Films need plot and villains, and they'll create one as necessary. Prenter is indeed the guy to fill this role, but not from day one. But - they're in business to make money, not facts. |
| Chief Mouse 18.04.2015 04:09 |
BETA215 wrote:35mm.musicland munich wrote:Shhh! That's my plan to leak the whole March '74 concert in 32mm quality! Don't mess my plan! Don't you wanna watch Fairy Feller's in video??!! Oh, I think I said it quite loud...BETA215 wrote: Do you have the PDF they are talking about? Could you find it?Wanna start trading with any "leaked" emails ? |
| Marknow 18.04.2015 05:08 |
This film is gonna be some laugh if it happens. |
| Daniel Nester 18.04.2015 20:11 |
I'm way more into this than other derivative Queen projects, WWRY musical and QE. FWIW. |
| Daniel Nester 18.04.2015 20:43 |
Notes from Sony head, pasted below. From here: link Fwd: freddy Begin forwarded message: From: "Pascal, Amy" Date: March 9, 2014 at 4:30:03 PM PDT To: "Pascal, Amy" Subject: freddy P1:ISNT IT THE IDEA THAT HIS WHOLE FAMILY HAD TO LEAVE ZANZIBAR NOT THAT HIS PARENTS SENT HIM TO SCHOOL IN INDIA .OTHER KIDS SHIPPED OFF TO BOARDING SCHOOL . DOESNT GIVE YOU THE FEELING THAT HE WAS A REFUGEE AS WE DISCUSSED THE OPENING OF PETER MORGANS SCRIPT IS STILL THE BEST WITH HIM SNEAKING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HOUSE AND NEIGHBORHOOD FHE GREW UP IN AND TRANSFORMING INTO THE FUR COAT EYELINER SKIN TIGHT OUTFIT BECOMING THE OUTRAGEOUS CHARACTER HE REALLY WAS .... WHAT WAS IT ABOUT SMILE THAAT MADE HIM CONSTANTLY GO TO SEE THEM TAHT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW ALSO THE WAY HE TALKS THEM INTO LETTING HIM IN THE BAND TELLS US WHO HE WAS IN A GREAT WAY AND WHEN BRIAN SAYS WE NEED A SINER... FREDDY SAID" OH NO MY DEARS YOU NEED SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. ALSO WHAT FREDDY REALLY DID SAY ABOUT HIMSELF FROM THE BEGINNING IS IM NOT GONNA BE A STAER IM GONNA BE A LEGEND WEAND WE ARE GETTING NONE OF THAT IN THE SCRIPT P5: THE BIOPIC STANDARD OF THE FATHER WHO DOESNT UNDERSTAND AND WANTS HIM TO GET A NORMAL JOB IS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY IN THIS MOVIE WE MUST HAVE MORE ORIGINAL THINGS TO DO BESIDE THAT....THE POINT ISNT THAT THEY KNEW FREDDY WAS A POPSTAR " ITWAS THAT HE DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROVE HE WAS WHAT THEY WANTED HIM TO BE...."NORMAL;" IT WAS ABOUT HIS LIFE NOT HIS PROFESSION....THIS SETS US DOWN THE TOTALLY WRONG PATH P6: WHY DO WE NEED FREDDY IN ART SCHOOL BORED AND DOODLING....IT WAS BETTER WHEN THE OPENING OF THE MOVIE WAS HIM SNEAKING OUT OF THE HOUSE....THEY HAD TO SNEAK OUT OF THEOIR COUNTRY....HE HAS TO SNEEK OUT OF HIS HOUSE....SECRETS WITH IN SECRETS P9: FREEDY WAS ALL A TWITTER WHEN HE SAW BRIAN MAY OF SMILE....COME ON P12: ANYTIME YOU PUT JIMI HENDRIX AND TIDI IN A MOVIE YOUR ASKING FOR TROUBLE AND ITS GONNA FEEL AS LAME AS THE JULIE TAYMORE MOVIE I HAVE YET TO SEE SOMEONE DO THIS VERSION OF THE PERIOD SO THAT IT DOESNT FEEL LAME P15: THEN WE CUT RIGHT INTO HIM BEING PART OF THE BAND WITHOUT FORESHADOWING WHAT THAT IS GONNA MEAN FOR ALL OF THEM FOR THE FUTURE THEY WERE GONNA BREAK UP CUZ TIM LEFT BUT HTEY DECIDE TO STAY TOGETHER BECAUSE FREEDY JOINS THEM?AND IMMEDIATELY WE CUT TO 1973....ZIGGY STARDUST HAD ALREADY COME OUT AND GLAM ROCK WAS IN FULL SWING THEN WHY DOES FREDDY STICK OPUT SO MUCH IN OUR STORY P20: WE DONT REALLY GET Q SENSE OF MARY AND WHO SHE WAS IN THE WORLD OR TOO HIM AND DID SHE THINK HE WAS STRAIGH. DID HE THINK HE WAS STRAIGHT? WHAT WQS THERE LIFE TOGETHER WAS SHE A FORMER GROUPIE OR HOT MILKY DRINK BEFORE BED TYPE WE DONT GET A SENSE OF HER AT ALL P25: THE SCENE WITH NEWCASTLE WHAT IS TH EPOINT OF IT HOW CAN WE HAVE S CENE WTIH THIS KIND OF CONFLICT IN IT WHEN WE DONT EVEN KNOW WHO THIS CHARACTER IS OR WHY THEM GOING ON WITHOUT HIM MEANS ANYTHING TO TLLING THIS STORY P26; HOW IS HE USING BR IN THE MOVIE ....IT WAS THERE FIRST HIOT ON THE UK CHARTS I THINK...BUT DONT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SONG IS INFLUENCED BY HIS LOVE OF ALL KINDS OF MUSIC HOW HE ARANGED A MEETING WTH MONSTERRAT CABELLE(HIS IDOL) WHICH WOULD BE A GREAT SCENE...HE HAD SO MANY MUSICALL INFLUENCES TAHT IS WHAT MADE QUEEN SO DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE ALSO THER IS NO UNDERSTANDING OF HIS VOICE IN THIS MOVIE WHICH WAS THE WHOLE THING ...THAT HE HAD RAW NODULES OR SOMETHING ...WHERE IS ALL THE INTERESTING STUFF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW IT WOULD ALSO BE GREAT TO HAVE A SCENE WHERE HE AND BOWIE PREFORM UNDER PRESSURE ....ONE OF THE GREATEST DUETS IN ROCK HISTORY IN MY OPINION THERE IS TOO MUCH STUFF ABOUT THE BAND AND NOT ENOUGH STUFF ABOUT FREDDY NOW AND ITS A PROBLEM CUZ THE BAND IS A BIG SO WHAT NOTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THAT CONFLICT EITHER WE ALSO DONT GET THE WHOLD THING ABOUT HIM BEING AN HUGE ON STAGE BUT SHY OFF STAGE EIF ...THATS INTERESTING AND HOW MUCH HE LOVED WHAT HE DID ...LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON BEING ON STAGE WAAS EVERYTHING AS THE FAMOUS REFERENCE TO HIM IN KURT COBAINS SUCIDE NOTE.... ALSO WHY ARENT WE USING BR IAS THE FRAMING DEVICE FOR THE MOVIE WHICH IS THE BEST IDEA P33: WE NEED TO FIND SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO SAY INT HE SCENE WITHERE THE LAME RECORD COMPANY EXECUTIVES DONT WANT TO PLAY THE SONG....IS THERE A BETTER ANGEL HERE P36: WHY DOES JIM WANT HIM TO HAVE PAUL AS HIS ASSISTANT DID HE THINK MARY WA GONNA MAKE A ORI=OBLEM FOR THE BAND BUT IN CUTTING HER OUT HAD NO IDEA WHO HE WAS BRINGING IN? WHAT IS THE POINT OF IT IN THE STORY ...ITS GOT TO BE A CLEARER NARRATIVE P40: ARE WE SUPPOSE TO THINK THIS IS HIS FIRST SEX FWITH A MAN? IS THAT TRUE? P38: PARENTS SCENE IS BETTER IN MORGAN DRAFT PPP40ISH: IS THIS TRIP TO NEW YORK WHERE HE MET JOHN? WAS THAT BEFORE HE OFFICIALLY BROKE OFF WITH MARY? AHT ARC OF FREDDYS RELATIONSHIPS ARE HARD TO FLFOOW....MARY AND PAUL AND JOHN HUTTON I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEM BETTER I GUESS THAT WOULD BE ERIC BUT I CANT DISTINGUISH WHO HE IS CLOSE TO WHEN AND WHAT IS MOTIVATING HIS BEHAVIOR WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SID VICIOUS SCENE WHERE ITS CLEAR FREEDY HAD NO IDEA FWHATS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF HIS WWN WORLD P50: THERE ARE MONTAGE OF SCENES WITH TH BAND ADN TOURING AND TALKING AND NOTHING IS REALLY HAPPENING EXCEPT THAT FREEDY IS GETTING MORE AND MORE FUCKED UP AND MARY GETS A BOYFRIENDS AND PAUL KEEPS EVERYONE AWAY AND THE ANIMOSITY IS GROWING BETWEEN THE BAND 76: THE STORY OF FREDDYS SOLO ALBUM HAS TO BE PART OF THE STORY BUT ISNT IT ...THINGS WERE AT ODDS WITH THE BAND...HE MADE A SOLO ALBUM..IT DIDNT WORK...AND THEY GOT BACK TO GETHER...IS THERE ANOTHER IDEA HERE...DID HE LEARN HE NEEDED THEM AND DIDNT WANT TO ...WHST IS THE EMOTIONAL STORY WE ARE GOING TO CONNECT TO HERE 99: THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IN PETERS SCRIPT WHERE WHEN FREDDY TAKES A WALK AND SEES THAT EVERYONE IN LONDON IS LISTENING TO THE FOOTAGE OF THE LIVE AID CONCERT AND HE REALIZES SOMETHING PROFOUND....AND THE MUSIC OF ALL THE BANDS PLAYS OVER HIM DRESSING DRIVING AND ARRIVING AT THE CONCERT IT WAS ALSO FABULOUS THE WAY THE AFTER THE CONCERT ENDS HE SAYS THE WRLD FINALLY SAW US WE CAN NEVER QUIT AND THEN YOU GUT TO HIM GETTTING AN AIDS TEST ANDAND THE REST IS.......YOU DONT NEED THE FIVE YEARS LATER AND THE MORGAN DIALOGUE WAS 100 TIMES BETTER WE NEED TO COLLASP TIME AND HAVE OUR LAST IMAGE OF HIM BE AT THAT CONCERT FINALLY SHOWING THE WORLD JUST HOW AMAZING HE WAS.... THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING MYTHIC AND WE HAVE LOST IT |
| rocknrolllover 19.04.2015 03:13 |
Are there people who are still waiting for a biopic about Freddie? |
| Daniel Nester 19.04.2015 11:42 |
Hundreds of millions. Just an estimate :) |
| *goodco* 19.04.2015 12:03 |
Daniel, thanks for digging this up and doing all this research. One observation: it boggles my mind, and makes one wonder how good their 'quality control' would be, since they can't even spell Freddie's name correctly!!!! unbefrickinlievable |
| mooghead 19.04.2015 13:01 |
The best thing we could possibly see here would be - 'Freddy film - abandoned' |
| Snackpot 19.04.2015 15:53 |
Always seems to me like the band want to produce a fundamentally dull film because he's "their mate" whereas Hollywood want to produce a movie that'll sell even if it deviates from the truth. Writing a movie about Freddie Mercury that leaves out the drugs, the sex, the health decline and the personality (bad side as well as the good) you may as well make a biography about Henry VIII and argue that including details on any of the wives would be too salacious. Whenever I've heard about the movie Brian and Roger want to make, I always think "other than die-hard Queen fans who the hell would want to see that?" If it's going to get made at all it's going to be exploitative, economical with the truth and rely on exaggerating the dramatic, sad and tragic events of his life. I don't have an issue with that. Sooner that than some absolute snooze-fest that leaves out the parts the general audience would be interested in (sex, drugs, aids, showman) and they just make a movie Brian and Roger can enjoy watching. |
| tomchristie22 19.04.2015 20:35 |
If QP want to present a truthful account of Freddie's life, a film with a traditional story structure simply isnt the way to do it. |
| tomchristie22 19.04.2015 20:37 |
Reading those notes from Sony's head feels like being screamed at incoherently! What a rude employer. |
| k-m 20.04.2015 10:19 |
tomchristie22 wrote: Reading those notes from Sony's head feels like being screamed at incoherently! What a rude employer.Rude or not, she is spot on in a few places and seems to have a good idea overall of what type of character Mercury was. |
| mooghead 22.04.2015 06:30 |
Please never make the film, it will satisfy no one. Especially the people on this website. |
| Snackpot 22.04.2015 13:25 |
It will if it's a good film. The problem is a film obsessed over by mates/familiy members of the deceased is going to be fucking abysmal. Brian and Roger need to have zero involvement in it at all or accept it won't be made. Making Freddie's life bland, sanitised and frankly dull is ditchwater, won't do anyone any favours. What will the plot be if we can't cover the drugs, the illness, the sexual adventures, the temper, the lifestyle or the infighting? "Coming this summer....one man is on a journey.......a journey to find a place to have lunch during a tour of Germany........" The idea the rumoured plot would end at Live Aid is a fucking absurdity. What will the big storyline be? Freddie's cab to Wembley being late? He couldn't find his fags that morning? Disaster strikes as alarm goes of fifteen minutes late? I'd rather no Freddie movie was made at all rather than one that's as boring as fuck. |
| k-m 22.04.2015 16:12 |
I quite like the idea of Live Aid being the culmination of the movie. As you might have read in the leaked notes, there would only be a scene of him finding out about HIV afterwards and that would be it. Tragic enough for me, don't need to see him being ravaged subsequently by the disease. Unless they want to make... you know... a sequel or something!! |
| Apocalipsis_Darko 23.04.2015 21:25 |
Live Aid...mmm, Jim Hutton actor? And Barbara Valentine for the Munich years? I never like biopics. The only good I watched was the Clint Eastwood film's Bird.. |
| Daniel Nester 23.04.2015 22:34 |
I think Live Aid is the scene from which the narrative would go forward and backward a la Citizen Kane and so many other biopics. It's a decent idea for sure, as tried and true of a narrative technique as any. The devil, as always, is in the details. I still think this is the most exciting of Queen side-developments, since DOOL documentary, which was awesome IMHO. |
| musicland munich 23.04.2015 23:28 |
Apocalipsis_Darko wrote: Live Aid...mmm, Jim Hutton actor? And Barbara Valentine for the Munich years? I never like biopics. The only good I watched was the Clint Eastwood film's Bird..Dear god...if Barbara appears in that movie they should stick with the facts...she was his coke pusher and a Party-Girl...yep they became good firends over that, but that's it. His main lover in Munich was W.K. and later there was Jim who flew from London to Munich on the weekends. Don't want to go to deep on the subject( his Lovers) here ! |
| Martin Packer 24.04.2015 01:43 |
s/Valentine/Valentin/ BTW. |
| BETA215 24.04.2015 05:01 |
Chief Mouse wrote:That's because they used the film they could afford, and that size was one of the experiments. "It only costs a fraction of a 35mm film." (John Deacon)BETA215 wrote:35mm.musicland munich wrote:Shhh! That's my plan to leak the whole March '74 concert in 32mm quality! Don't mess my plan! Don't you wanna watch Fairy Feller's in video??!! Oh, I think I said it quite loud...BETA215 wrote: Do you have the PDF they are talking about? Could you find it?Wanna start trading with any "leaked" emails ? (?) |
| Apocalipsis_Darko 24.04.2015 13:32 |
Barbara Valentin was a terrible influence, but was very important in the Mercury's life in Munich. Said by Mack or by Roger Taylor. And even she was in the Mercury'sbirthday in 1990. |
| dysan 24.04.2015 14:07 |
The film business is full of people like this Amy Pascal. I've worked with so many over the years and I just don't wont them touching my favourite band, like they are experts. |
| k-m 24.04.2015 14:10 |
I think you might be actually wrong on this. Who on earth knows why Freddie was so drawn to her, despite knowing what she was actually doing for a living. And don't forget, she was invited back to the Garden Lodge, and sat alongside Mary Austin during his birthdays. I think she is an interesting character ;-)
musicland munich wrote:Apocalipsis_Darko wrote: Live Aid...mmm, Jim Hutton actor? And Barbara Valentine for the Munich years? I never like biopics. The only good I watched was the Clint Eastwood film's Bird..Dear god...if Barbara appears in that movie they should stick with the facts...she was his coke pusher and a Party-Girl...yep they became good firends over that, but that's it. His main lover in Munich was W.K. and later there was Jim who flew from London to Munich on the weekends. Don't want to go to deep on the subject( his Lovers) here ! |
| musicland munich 24.04.2015 15:34 |
Yeah, of course there must be something in her... but the reason why I mentioned this is that "Hollywood" and QP/ Jim Beach etc. maybe will come up with the idea to use Barbara to create a more "bisexual" picture of Freddie. And actually MACK blamed her a Coke Dealer and also mentioned somthing like " wonder what Freddie want from this woman..." ( filmed interview 2012/ 13) And if Barbara was waiting for him outside the "Frisco" in Munich, Freddie often choosed the backdoor of the club to be alone with the Boys. |
| Donna13 24.04.2015 19:21 |
"Coming this summer....one man is on a journey.......a journey to find a place to have lunch during a tour of Germany........" I would go to see this movie!!! |
| Apocalipsis_Darko 24.04.2015 20:09 |
I talked with Mack a lot of times (I think I did like five interviews with him, one in person. His son Freddie Mack is a great musician!And Mack's work without Queen is fantastic...Black Sabbath production in Deshumanizer, or being ingenieer with Rolling Stones,Purple, ELO, ) about her, and his feelings about her. Even with Roger in person...and yes, very bad influence. |
| Mr Prime Jive 03.05.2015 21:01 |
Of everything I've read in those emails, Amy Pascals seems to be the most justified and interested protagonist in making this film a creative and narrative success. I mean she's an exec talking the way you do in productions/business companies (being doing that for years....) and you don't care about presentation - her not writing properly the name Freddie doesn't make her less serious. She's absolutely spot on. I'd love to see that movie she's pitching here. |