This past summer, Sacha Baron Cohen pulled out of the much-discussed Freddie Mercury bio-pic. Sacha seemed like a perfect choice for Freddie – Sacha simply looks so much like him, Sacha can do strange and magical things with his voice, and Sacha would have no problem mimicing Freddie’s stage bravado. It seemed like Sacha pulled out of the project after “creative differences” which made it sound like Sacha wanted to have a lot of input into the film and producers were all “NO.” So they went looking for another Freddie. And apparently they just found him in British actor Ben Whishaw. Can I just say? OMG. I LOVE THIS.
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 the BAFTA-nominated 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.”
Whishaw, who got his breakthrough in the adaptation of the serial killer novel Perfume, is playing Herman Melville in the Ron Howard-directed The Heart Of The Sea, the Warner Bros film that stars Chris Hemsworth about the actual whale attack that spawned Melville’s Moby Dick. He starred in Cloud Atlas and played Q in the 007 film Skyfall and will reprise that role in the next installment. He’s repped by CAA and Hamilton Hodell.
For the most part, Whishaw has been a character actor, typecast as quiet, fey, nerdy, intellectual or tragic (or combinations therein). I loved Whishaw as soon as he saw his wonderful performance in the remake of Brideshead Revisited years ago. While he isn’t Freddie’s physical type – Freddie was an average-sized man who made himself look HUGE – I think Ben Whishaw is a talented enough actor to do something really, really interesting with this role. Here’s a question though – will Ben have to sing? Or will all of the music be the real Queen music?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
HELL YES!!!!! to the wonderful, talented, adorable Ben Whishaw.
I like the choice, he’ll do a good job.
I’m so pleased for Ben! He’s remarkably talented, I’m sure he’ll do Mercury justice, even if Sacha was the obvious choice. Fantastic pick. It’ll be interesting to see him play someone so vivacious and full of life like Freddie Mercury – or the stage version of Freddie at least.
I will however tag-on to this post, as I do for most Ben Whishaw posts, that I’m still slightly traumatised that we don’t get to find out what happened to Ben’s other Freddie in The Hour. Get it together, BBC.
Amelia, I share your pain! Freddie finally got Bell and then “the ending” happened *sobs*
Only ever seen him in “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” (which he was amazing in). I’d be interested to watch this bio-pic.
i hope you also read the Book because its one of the best books ever!!! The movie is ok but nothing compared to the book.
Yes I did in fact read the book, and yes it is great 🙂
I love Whishaw, but I don’t know about this casting. He’s a superb actor but seems a little slight to play the robust Mercury (plus if he has to wear dental prosthetics he’ll look weird). I wish they’d considered more suitable actors, such as Rob James-Collier or Ben Barnes or even the ubiquitous Aaron Taylor-Johnson. All of these actors seem much closer physically to Mercury than the lovely but weedy Whishaw.
I think BW is the better choice if the film is about the band, not Freddie’s mad days. Also, can confirm that Fletcher did a great job with Wild Bill (it’s a western type of thing) – as did my little favourite, Charlie Creed-Miles.
I really, really wanted Sacha Baron Cohen to play this part. I think he would have been amazing!
He’ll do I guess. But damn, I wanted to see Sacha Baron Cohen as Freddie.
Me too actually. I could really see him as Freddie.
Ben is an amazing actor that really disappears into his parts. I get that people liked Sacha for this because Sacha has that larger than life persona. But Sacha isn’t really a proven actor. Sacha could have been like when Russel Brand tried to take on a part that wasn’t tailored to his comic persona ( Arthur).
Me too! Sasha would have bee perfect 🙂
He’s an interesting choice. Freddie had so much presence, which SBC also has. BW I don’t know… but he’s a really good actor so I hope he pulls it off.
I like SBC as Freddie, but I think b/c he already has so much presence that it may be hard not to see FM as a caricature. I think BW can pull it off. I hope so since FM is such an icon.
Love you Freddie, so much!
an iranian genius played by a white blueeyed brit? no. not a good choise. i think if you do a movie like this, you MUST find a good actor who actually also looks a little bit like freddy. but ben is a WAY to notheuropeanlooking guy.
THIS. I like Ben Whishaw but was it really impossible to find a guy who has some persian heritage and who, you know, actually look the part?
Thank you. And I also disagree with everyone who thinks SBC would have done a caricature of Freddie. I think he’d have paid him homage; after all he wanted the part for years.
Yup yup. Sacha is a HUGE fan of Queen, and from what I’ve seen he was one of the biggest catalysts for this project in the first place. The man would’ve been superb, I’m sure. I think the only reason why Queen claims he was turning the film into a joke is because that would be the most feasible excuse to feed to the public, and then they could try to coax the fanbase to their side in regards to letting SBC walk off, since SBC was easily a fan favourite. I don’t think they were being fair with Sacha at all and I don’t blame him for choosing to withdraw… I feel sorry for him, it’s gotta be disappointing as hell.
I actually just squealed audibly at work and got some strange looks. OMG. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ben! SO excited!!! 😀
Well if can’t get/keep SBC, this is a good option. I couldn’t stand Perfume, but thought he was amazing in Bright Star.
I hope the film will be good, and not something too cheesy, Freddie was a very complex artist, and one of the greatest performer who has ever walked on a stage. And an amazing singer, have you heard the track of “under pressure” duet with David Bowie without music?
God I miss him so much.
Freddie is my all time favorite. There will never be another like him. My feelings on this is, do it right or don’t do it at all. He was such a complex man and had such complicated life. I’m super protective on his legacy and really want them to show the extremes of his life in a fair and truthful way. He deserves it.
I don’t care SBC, but he would have been amazing as Freddie Mercury who I do adore. Ben Crenshaw is a great actor, and if he can pull it off it would be awesome. I am not one of the fans of actors physically changing themselves for a role ( cough Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, DeNero) preferring they act instead, but this kid needs to put down a few more sandwiches.
You see–Celebitchy let’s me learn new things every day. That last post, about Sacha not doing the film, was the first time I’d ever heard of Freddie Mercury (hangs head in shame). I know, I know. I don’t really listen to a lot of music–the first artist whose entire CD I’ve ever listened to is Adele. But anyway, I went on youtube, listened to their songs–I’m in love. I swear to you all, the first time I listened to Bohemian Rhapsody (live, the Montreal version in ’86), I listened to it 20 times…that man was beautiful, and he could SING. My favorite part is when he sings “But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away…” and my favorite line is from the chorus “Beelzbub has a devil put aside for me”.
I read that he wrote the song and that it was something very personal that happened to him, that he didn’t want to talk about–which is probably why the song is so amazing. But I really want to know what happened.
Freddie is on my deceased hit list–I love that he had absolutely no shame. Who else would wear a leotard like bodysuit, covering almost his entire body (in black and white), but it’s cut down in the chest, almost to the waist–with a gold chain.
Well I’m glad you’ve discovered Queen now! Such an amazing band 🙂
+1! 😀
Ohhhh interesting, so unlike most of his performances. Hope he has fun with it.
I think he would be wonderful! I think there is a story to tell and I’ve seen him before and he is reallyh a wonderful actor. So yep, go for it!!!
Like many others I was hugely disappointed when SBC left the project. I haven’t seen anything Ben Whishaw has been in, but… I’m hopeful. As per others, well, I’m 46 and Freddie was my creative idol since age 10. I loved Queen when it was really unfashionable! I even majored in Illustration, like Freddie. Though I picked the area I was naturally most talented in, not out of some foolish urge to mimic.
I hope the script and direction are excellent… I really do. I will watch the film either way, but I hope they do it well. I follow the guitarist, Brian May, on Twitter. He’s a smart man. Astro physicist! Built his first guitar! He’s excited, so I’m hopeful.
Freddie was India’s first and really only rock star. It would be great to see a person of Indian/Persian heritage in the role.
I really hate that this is another example of Hollywood white-washing roles.
Was he Indian or Persian? Sorry I’m being ignorant but I thought they were 2 totally separate ethicities. I only recently realized that Persian and Arab were not the same. Was he mixed or is there a relation between Persians and Indians because I always thought Persian people resembled Arab people. Sorry I’m being ignorant but I just really wanted to know.
You are right Persians, Arabs and Indian are different groups. Persians are from Iran and speak Farsi, Arabs are from a range of countries in the Middle East and Africa and speak Arabic, whereas Indians are from India, but speak different languages based on their state (ie Punjabis like me speak Punjabi, and are from Punjab). However, Hindi is a language spoken commonly in North India.
it is complicated. He was Parsi, a group of Zoroastrians who escaped Iran to avoid persecution by Muslim groups and settled in India.
His parents were Indian, and while he himself was born in Tanzania (a lot of Indians lived there as it too was a British colony), he grew up in Bombay. His performance style is often attributed to his fondness for Bollywood.
I hope that answers your questions.
Thank you very much harpreet. You answered all my questions. 🙂
Excellent choice. SBC looks the part, true, but I fear lacks the acting chops to do Freddie justice. Ben is far better equipped to handle his depth and complexity. Freddie was not your average rock star, God rest his soul. Now who to play Mary …
Honestly, I can at least try to keep an open mind about Freddie’s casting, until the film is complete. Because I do like Ben. But if they do end up getting Blake Lively to play Mary after all, then I will really feel cheated. Like I will be so effing pissed. That woman ruins almost every film for me.
I haven’t seen anything of Ben Whishaw’s, and to be frank, hadn’t even heard of him before this post! I am a HUGE Queen fan, so I’m excited about this bio-pic, and hope that whoever fills the roll of Freddie does an amazing job of it. Thinking about it, I’m not really sure Sasha Baron Cohen would have been a great choice. He’s too big (Freddie was smaller), and in every roll he’s played, I know that it’s SBC. His characters are hilarious, but in the back of my head I think “this is SBC playing an over the top character”. I don’t think he’d be able to lose himself in the roll of playing someone who was an actual person, and not a character he’s created for the part. Just my opinion.
OMG NO.
Admittedly, I am generally opposed to the current influx of pseudo-romantic, skinny, fey Gelfling boys in Hollywood. I have seen Ben Wishaw act, and while he is talented in the roles he takes he simply does not have the presence, charisma, or sex appeal to play Freddie Mercury. Ugh.
i disagree. he’s currently on stage in london playing baby in “mojo” – a piece set in the 50s in soho’s rock’n’roll and gangster scene. his stage presence, his voice, his dancing – it’s marvellous. his movie roles are often quiet ones, but he definitely has all the things you think he lacks.
Excellent – just what I wanted: someone who’s seen Mojo to weight in. I love Whishaw (_Bright Star_ makes me cry buckets, and I loved him in _The Hour_).
I’m sure this guy is a great actor but his voice bugs the ever-loving shite out of me. He does that whistle-y thing that they make fun of Dan Rather for on Family Guy.
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!!! God, this movie has been on a hopeless decline ever since Queen started insisting on making it a PG affair. What the hell?! Why sugarcoat a story about a man who epitomized sex, drugs, and rock n roll! They aren’t doing anybody any favors. If Queen really cared about the fans instead of what they can milk the most money off of, they would’ve agreed to compromise on the PG rating. And now that SBC backed out… As much as I like Ben and think he’s a quietly endearing performer, I just can’t see him doing Freddie justice. Plus he’s WHITE!
THIS x infinity
Agree disgruntled fan with everything you said, and I would add Queen was one of the top five bands period, and Freddie was maybe the greatest front man ever in an era of frontman Jim Morrison, Roger Daltry Robert Plant,etc. – and came of age in an era when especially rock bands had a stature and aura, as well as talent, that is completely lacking today – our saturation social media doesn’t help. Music was presented differently back then, much less overt corporate involvement than today, and the excesses were kept private as they should be – it would be hard to capture all this on film without lapsing into caricature
NONONONONO!!!! I haven’t a clue who this British guy is, but there’s no way that he’s going to do any justice to playing Freddie, the greatest frontman to ever grace a stage. They’re not even the same ethnicity FFS.
SBC might have had a shot, but this guy? NONONONONONONO.
I think its an amazing choice. Dont know much about his singing but Ben is a fantastic actor. Absolutely loved him in Cloud Atlas.
I don’t know. I’ll see the biopic because I was/ am a big fan of Queen and of Freddie. I was so sad when he died. I was in high school and had discovered Queen (thank you Wayne’s World) and fell in love with the unique music and styles of the band. Freddie made all of us nerdy artsy types feel like we had a comrade in arms – a future that would take our uniqueness and be the future we could embrace. That waving your freak flag was fun and inspiring.
Who on earth had the ludicrous idea to cast this weedy English actor as one of our greatest ever rock stars? Ben Whishaw may be a talented young actor but he is completely wrong to play Freddie Mercury. At least “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe has the good sense to deny the rumour that HE was to play this part and agreed that he was totally unsuitable for the role.
For a start, as many have people have pointed out he is the wrong ethnicity and secondly he doesn’t look the slightest bit like him. He is too scrawny, has the wrong colouring, and his bone structure is nothing like Freddie’s at all. Even if the make up artist is a real genius there is no way he or she will be able to transform into a convincing Mercury at all.
If Whishaw had been cast to play an obscure historical figure then it would’t matter so much. However, Queen (and Freddie in particular) were and still are so world famous that everyone knows what they looked like so you really need to cast good, experienced actors who actually share a good physical resemblance to their real life counterparts.
For instance, one of the reasons that actor Jamie Foxx was so convincing as Ray Charles in “Ray” was not just his brilliant acting (which he deservedly won Best Actor oscar for) but that he also looked the spitting image of him too. So you completely forgot that is was an actor playing him and really felt that you were watching the real thing.
“Queen” guitarist Brian May was himself recently quoted as saying ” We really need to suspend people’s disbelief and that the man who plays him really is Freddie!” How on earth can this happen when the actor Ben Whishaw looks NOTHING like at all and isn’t even the right ethnicity? Whoever thinks that Ben Whishaw can be made to look like Freddie Mercury doesn’t just need an optician but should really get themselves a guide dog.
My own preferred choices would have been former “Eastenders” star Marc Elliot who played Syed or up and coming Brit actor James Floyd. Both of them are real good actors,the right age, are Anglo- Indian (like Freddie was) and they both happen to bare uncanny physical likenesses to Mercury even without any make up applied at all. I’m sure either one of them would have done a great job playing Mercury’s personality, getting his speaking voice and mannerisms, miming the songs, etc.
This biopic has been eagerly anticipated by everyone (especially by long time “Queen” fans like myself) and been the subject of endless speculation and rumours since it was first announced in 2006 but with the totall miscasting of the lead role and the apparant sanitisation of the real story it will turn out to be a huge dissapointment and one of the biggest box office flops ever. If Ben Whishaw really is going to be playing this much coveted role then I feel many “Queen fans like myself will no doubt boycott it completely. A wasted opportunity.