Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in upcoming Queen movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Image courtesy 20th Century Fox / Queen Online
The trailer for the new Queen movie has been released, which stars Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek as the charismatic frontman Freddie Mercury. Called Bohemian Rhapsody the film is due for release in UK cinemas this autumn.
It’s no small undertaking, playing the role of one of the most flamboyant performers in rock history. But, going by the trailer, Malek looks the part at least. The film will chart the rise of Queen, from when Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor got together in 1970 up until 15 years later and their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985.
Freddie Mercury performing onstage wearing a harlequin one-piece at Brøndby Hallen, Copenhagen in May 1977. © Jorgen Angel
The official synopsis from producers 20th Century Fox reads:
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Freddie Mercury and Brian May photographed on Queen's first solo British tour on October 30th 1974 at Manchester’s Palace Theatre. © Howard Barlow
For fans of the band, the trailer does a good job of whetting appetites, with lots of vintage fashion (the glam 70s outfits and Mercury’s more butch 80s style) and recording equipment, all set to a mashup of Queen classics.
There’s also some fun lines in there too. When playing the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” to a record executive who says, "It goes on forever; six bloody minutes", Malek’s Mercury shoots back, "I pity your wife if you think six minutes is forever."
Cover artwork for the iconic Queen 2 album released in 1974. © Mick Rock
Still, due to the huge popularity and wide-ranging appeal of the band, expectations are not only going to be high, but varied too. And the film has had its fair share of production troubles, notable not only in the fact that two names share the role of director. Bryan Singer, who was fired in December 2017 for being absent from set, and Dexter Fletcher who took over director duties.
But also, Sacha Baron Cohen was originally going to star as Mercury, which was all the way back in 2010, but left the project citing the enigmatic yet beloved film industry phrase 'creative differences'. In an interview with Howard Stern in 2016, Cohen said that the band originally wanted Mercury’s death from AIDS to happen mid-film, and the rest of the movie to follow the band after he’d passed. But now the film will instead end six years before Mercury’s death, with the Live Aid concert.
The first ever studio shoot with Queen taken at Primrose Hill, London 1974. © Johnny Dewe Mathews
For his part Malek knows it’s likely to be a performance that comes with many caveats. At a preview of footage from the movie at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April 2018, Malek noted to the audience, “I thought when I got the part that this could be a career-defining performance. Then I thought, ‘This could be a career-killer if I don’t get it right.’”.
He also noted Mercury’s appeal.“What always had me was his ability to give people the ability to embrace their imperfections.”
The film’s being released in UK cinemas on 24 October 2018. Check out the trailer below. Find out more on Queen’s official website.
Rockarchive is delighted to be able to offer these iconic Queen images along with many more as limited edition photographic prints which you can buy here.
