Take a good look at Sacha Baron Cohen. Realize that there’s more to him that Ali G. or Borat; the man also had a supporting role in Les Miserables and wrote a ton of his own hilarious material (so good that he was actually nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Borat back in 2007). As my little bio down below states, comedy is the hardest genre to succeed in, and this Renegade Reporter thinks that Cohen has done that in spades.
As you can tell, I’m a fan. That’s why I was excited when I learned Cohen was actively pursuing a project that would have him star as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. When I think of the actor’s talents, combined with his looking eerily like the late Mercury, it seemed like a no brainer. But the remaining members of Queen don’t agree.
Word has broken that Cohen will no longer be attached to the Mercury biopic because of creative differences over the film with the remaining members of the band. Apparently, Cohen was hoping to do a no-holds-barred, gritty and down and dirty look at Freddie and the band’s exploits, while Queen members still with us wanted a softer look at their days with the talented frontman. And since the remaining band members have final approval over the type of film that gets made, it doesn’t matter who Cohen has already brought in to discuss the project with (including directors like Tom Hooper and David Fincher); seems like right now, the project is on indefinite hold with Cohen walking away.