Cool News
Stephen Frears May Direct The QUEEN Biopic!
Nordling here.
No, not that Queen. He's already done something along those lines. No, this will be the biopic for the band formed by Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and the amazing Freddie Mercury (played as of now by Sacha Baron Cohen). This news according to Variety, as GK Films has cast the net far and wide for directors for the project. Stephen Frears appears to be the frontrunner for the project at this point.
Cohen has not yet been cast as Mercury, but the deal is close. He looks quite a bit like Freddie, in my opinion, and I think he could nail the bombastic, over-the-top power of his performances. Stephen Frears would also be a great choice as director - he's made some great movies over the years, including THE GRIFTERS, THE QUEEN, DANGEROUS LIAISONS and HIGH FIDELITY, and I think he can make this work as well. If Frears can capture those performances and the power of that band. Queen sounds just as amazing today as they did in their heyday.
The biopic's current draft is written by Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson (ALI, NIXON) from an original first draft by THE QUEEN's Peter Morgan. This will cover the years up to their performance in 1985's Live Aid - the later years before Mercury's death from AIDS won''t be the focus of the film's timeline. Queen is one of the greatest bands in rock and roll, and I'm happy to see a movie happen about them.
Readers Talkback
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May 9, 2012, 4:06 p.m. CST
And what ever happened to the Mike Myers / Keith Moon biopic?
by obijuanmartinez
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he's waffly versatile
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Barring any miracles, this will just be the latest stain on the band's legacy. Especially if May and Taylor have anything to do with it.
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Bit of a kick in the teeth to the other guys if it's a Queen Biopic called Mercury? Beatles biopic to be called Lennon, Beastie Boys to be called Adrock, Nsync one to be called Lance, I could go on..
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But outside of the potential of Cohen's involvement, is there a compelling reason to tell their story only to '85? The idea of seeing a film about the making of Innuendo seems far more compelling, since everything I've read about it says that Freddie basically willed himself to stay alive long enough to make it.
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The Love Guru happened. Box-office suicide.
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is one of the greatest concert performance of all time. and freddie did that against dr's advice. and five years later he was dead. unreal... queen were one of my fave bands growing up. i really fucking hate brian may for what he did to queen especially in teaming up with Ben elton....grr and then digging up the rocker from the crypt Paul Rodgers.
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Just outright silly as a band.
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I wonder if anything will be mentioned about freddies backstory. The dude was Farsi, middle eastern. No one knew that shit growing up, not sure if people know it now.
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Been waiting for some word on this film for sometime now.
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Christ these movies take forever to get made...
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really dude, Get a life. Queen is one of the greatest bands of all time. Mercury IS the greatest front man who ever lived.
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after my mom died of cancer the song was like a kick in the stomach. I find the end of the video for these are the days of our lives unwatchable. where literally the near death freddie mercury waves goodbye is heartbreaking. and no Sacha looks nothing like freddie.
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is fucking as heart breaking as it is up lifting.
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I think you can argue greatest drummer (Bonham, Peart, Moon) and guitarist (Hendrix, Van Halen, Page, Clapton, +10 or more others), but I think there is nobody close to Freddy Mercury for rock vocalist. Let the games begin!
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May look nothing like Freddie but i think he can pull it off. Hell Phoenix looked nothing like Cash but everyone bought it.
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@fscottnational Yup. That's exactly how the movie should end. The Show Must Go On. In the right hands, paralyzing. In the wrong hands, I shudder. I'll see it regardless, but Queen has to be handled correctly. This is a band that the music press hated for years, yet thrived anyway, as Brian May said in an interview once. There is an amazing movie to be made about Freddy. @axl z Silly. Trolling level. Don't be completely obtuse. Freddy absolutely destroyed every singer in rock history. The story to be made is about him specifically. That's a movie. Especially towards the end as fscott said. Did you really just put the words N'Sync and the fucking BEASTIE BOYS in a thread about FREDDY?? <-- oO Hilarious. I am curious to see what becomes of this. B
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Steve Perry That is all.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOUj_0OLesw He was fucking dying and still wanted to try and do his best.
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especially in devils double...down to the teeth
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Not bad. Maybe I shouldn't have said nobody comes close. I still put Freddy on top (no pun intended).
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Looked like freddie.
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OK, I'm not saying he's a dead ringer or anything, but I swear to God, even back before there had even a RUMOR of a QUEEN movie, I'd seen Cohen and thought he had more than a passing resemblance to Freddie. So it really didn't come as a surprise to me once he dropped the Borat schtick and showed he really could act that word began to circulate about Cohen playing Freddie. You can't look at pics of them side-by-side and tell me you don't see at least some similarity. I think Cohen will do fine and as a long-time Queen fan, I'm really looking forward to this.
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will be playing the entire band?
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Or will they just dub his vocals?
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May 9, 2012, 4:50 p.m. CST
As big as Queen was back in the day they are even more popular now. I always hated Rolling Stone and MTV for giving them shit, then once Freddie died of AIDS they came groveling back. It pissed me off even more.
by Cureguy
Freddie Mercury: One of a kind. Possibly the most influential and powerful singer in rock history. Brian May: Made the homemade "Red Special" I can't think of another homemade instrument that has as much influence on rock as his guitar and amazing tone. Roger Taylor: Amazing drummer. Wrote "Radio Ga-Ga". Number 1 hit. John Deacon: Vastly underrated bassist. Wrote "Another one Bites the Dust" Awesome base line. Another Number 1 hit. Unbelievably talented band.
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@briestro I totally understand how great Freddie was, been buying Queen albums since the early 80's but this article itself says; 'No, this will be the biopic for the BAND formed by Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and the amazing Freddie Mercury' If that's the case then mismarketing this as a Freddie biopic alone with the title 'Mercury' could be as big a mistake as Sweeney Todds advertising canpaign a few years back.. If the story is to be made about him specifically then 'Mercury' is as fine a title as 'Ray' was 10yrs ago. Just saying Freddie Has thousands of amazing story's that could be told in a film focusing on him, from above this drools more like a film on Queen as a whole. Troll out
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i just answered my own question.
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Hell, even his actual speaking voice sounds like Freddie's.
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My guess is they will just dub it over. Even if Cohen is a good singer, he can't be as good as Mercury.
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May 9, 2012, 5:13 p.m. CST
I thought they were FILMING this yet. And Borat as Mercury is WRONG
by Ricardo
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...it was written by Brian May and was about his struggles to keep everything together as he was not only waiting for his best friend to die, but his father was also ill and he was having an affair with Anita Dobson. That's what "Too Much Love Will Kill You" was mainly about too, his affair with Dobson. But people still insist that song was also written by Freddie about the fact he had AIDS.
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...they should consider Steve John Sheppard of EastEnders for Freddie Mercury... http://tvpixie.com/CMS/sites/default/files/EastendersMichaelMoon.jpg
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Just get Gary Mullen to do the singing. If you don't know who he is, look him up. Saw him perform with a Queen tribute band some years ago and the dude has Freddie's voice down pat. The makers of the film would be fools not to get him on board.
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until I read that Sacha Baron Cohen is going to be the lead.<br> <br> NO<br> <br> THANKS<br> <br>
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Great, fearless actor, strong resemblance, AND he can sing.
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May 9, 2012, 5:54 p.m. CST
SBC will make a mockery of Mercury - Adam Lambert would be better
by VAwitch
AND he can actually sing. SBCohen might look like Freddie, and can be over the top, but has none of the charisma or musical ability of Freddie. Would be nice if Adam Lambert - who's performed a few time w/ Queen - would take up the mantle. Either way, keep SBC way the hell away from this.
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i already have the greatest hits albums on mp3, it's easier to stream these tunes why the hell cant all the big studios get together and have the same thing for tv shows and movies I adore 80's tunes. and listening after a while is somewhat of a revelation after having lived a little more of life. There are some lyrics which resonate just that little bit more. Freddie was a genius. A crying shame that bands today that pump out shit, break up and reform a decade later for a payoff are a dime a dozen, and bands like queen are not.
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May 9, 2012, 6 p.m. CST
He was alright in Sweeney Todd (meaning he didn't suck that much)
by Tikidonkeypunch
But does anyone really think he can pull off Freddy Mercury's voice? Those are tough shoes to fill. Perhaps they should get that Tribue Band guy to do the vocals, or how about this. It sounds crazy but, how about we use Freddy Mercury's own voice? You can only catch that lightning in the bottle once which was Jamie Fox channeling Ray Charlse voice. But who knows, I may have no idea what Im talking about. SBC and FM have one thing in common though, they both love the cock.
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Queen are definitely one of the all time best bands. They made music that has stood the test of time not just on how good it still sounds but on how unique it still sounds. They're a one-off in an industry that's happy to churn out cookie cutter acts. God only knows what a movie biopic would be like. As far as I know they were a suprisingly harmonious group, aside from Freddie's premature passing (which this movie wont touch on according to the above) I dont really know how the film will build drama or a traditional narrative arc.
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May 9, 2012, 6:09 p.m. CST
this is all 25 mins of one of the greatest concert performances of all time
by emeraldboy
oh and even though not everyone loves Pink Floyd there reunion at live 8 was historic... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQsM6u0a038&NR=1&feature=endscreen
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May 9, 2012, 6:23 p.m. CST
Please make Brian May's astrophysics studies the main focus
by Von_Trierstein
thank you
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is kinda intriguing actually. I hate most of Cohen's comedies, but I think he is a talented actor, and Freddie Mercury simultaneously had this wild energy and pathos that really needs an actor with a gift for both melodrama and comedy. Cohen could be the right guy. I completely trust Frears...High Fidelity is one of my favorite films (ever), and The Grifters and the Queen are brilliant. I have never seen Dangerous Liaisons...can't stand 80s Malkovich - like him as an actor now more than when he was kind of considered a sex symbol (WTF?) then.
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May 9, 2012, 6:31 p.m. CST
SBC is a one trick pony - and trust me, his "acting" is as wooden as it gets
by marineboy
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I remember that project being talked about a LONG time ago, like maybe close to a decade. If I remember correctly it was a dream project of Meyers. I assume it had some juice when he was making bank with the AP / Shrek franchises, and then just kind of went away as Meyers got older and older. Also I'm sure the "Love Guru" fiasco didn't help the chances of any dream project of Meyers.
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But I swear I saw a Halloween picture of Johnny Depp dressed as Freddy (teeth and all)... and it was Freddy. http://youtu.be/Nt9_IDhQTI8
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Brian May's guitar was nice and all, but NO homemade instrument had more effect and influence on rock music than Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstrat. Period. There is no argument.
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May 9, 2012, 7:06 p.m. CST
Cohen as Freddy has the potential to be the greatest thing ever.
by DoctorWho?
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It isn't a "funny," it isn't Cohen's own character, and it isn't a project he controls. I guarantee he won't do it.
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May 9, 2012, 7:33 p.m. CST
Bennett from Commando sort of had a Freddie Mercury vibe to him
by lv_426
Let off some steam Bennett.
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It's not a question of whether an actor can sing. It's can they sing like Freddie? At the Queen tribute concert a few years ago, you had Axl Rose singing We Will Rock You (terribly I should add), Elton John singing The Show Must Go On, George Michael singing Somebody To Love. Elton and George Michael in particular did pretty well with their songs. But nobody could sing those songs the way Freddie can. If Cohen can sing, great. But if he can't sing like Freddie, he shouldn't sing at all.
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May 9, 2012, 7:59 p.m. CST
I have no desire whatsoever to see and hear Queen's music being butchered and mutilated any longer
by Triple_J_72
ESPECIALLY not with that dick Sacha Baron Cohen playing Freddie.
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He can sing exactly like him, and with a mustache and fake teeth he might even resemble him a bit www.youtube.com/watch?v=dREKkAk628I
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May 9, 2012, 8:19 p.m. CST
please just tell the fucking story. No time jumping dream sequences Just tell the fucking story!
by skiff
directors try to make art with film in biopics when all we want is to see the journey. WE want to see the road traveled.
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I don't have a thing in the world against Cohen but this is not a part he should even be in the discussion for.
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. . . if I could actually come up w/ a top 5 of my favorite bands, I guarantee I still wouldn't give 2 shits about seeing their biopic . . .
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May 9, 2012, 8:59 p.m. CST
Buckethead: 'Queen lifted their best riffs off of others' That's a goddamned LIE. Fuck you.
by tom
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god i hate this band
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May 9, 2012, 9:21 p.m. CST
martinlandaucalrissian : Cohen has indicated in interviews he wants to do this
by Obi Wanna Cannoli
He has been talking to Queen for quite awhile now about this project.
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All others pale
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May 9, 2012, 9:26 p.m. CST
If they can make a movie about a stuttering king then they can make this
by Obi Wanna Cannoli
Queen is IMHO one of the best rock bands ever. I prefer their early stuff like Queen I&II, Sheer Heart Attack, and Night At The Opera but they evolved their music over time and didn't sound the same (no offense Bob Seger). Live Aid 85 Queen performance is electrifying. Watching Freddie on the stage was great. As other performers said that night he had the crowd under his control.
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That is all.
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Let us not forget that Brian May has a PhD in astrophysics and John Deacon is an electrical engineer. Kind of puts most rock band meatheads to shame, doesn't it?
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May 9, 2012, 11:06 p.m. CST
Brody, The Red Special was built from the ground up. The body was carved from his mantlepiece,the tremolo was from a motorcycle,the electronics soddered by hand.
by Cureguy
Frankenstrat's body was from stock carved by Fender not Eddie. In fact Eddie himself said he was blown away by Brian's setup when he was on Brian's StarFleet project album. BM was the first to really harmonize and orchestrate his guitar with multi-layered FX. The Red Special came way before Frankenstrat.
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With the right director and a very focused and harnessed Russel Brand, we could have a more age-appropriate and better matching Freddie mercury. While Cohen is all fine and good, IMHO he is not quite right for the role. If the director could get Brand to stop his stupid hi-jinks and focus on BECOMING Freddie, dedicate his entire being to BEGING the person freddie held within until he hit the stage and exploded in a rapture of greatness... we could see Brand finally do something worth watching by the general public. Of course, I am certain there may exist actors who remain unknown that might play the role, but - unless a major name is attached - this would be a disaster if handled badly.
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May 9, 2012, 11:13 p.m. CST
Nobdy's going to sing like mercury, might as well lip sync.
by mistergreen
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I don't care how campy that Flash Gordon movie is, Queen adds three stars to that film easily, making it damn fine, four star entertainment. And honestly, the music Queen contributed to Highlander is the icing on that movie's cake. What geek doesn't get charged up when they hear that theme, Princes of the Universe? Queen rocks!
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have to dub
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He can ape Freddie's stage bravado, and that's where it matters. Offstage, Freddie was quiet and shy. Can't think of anyone better for the role. Oh, and Michael Sheen for Brian May. Wait and see!
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May 10, 2012, 6:21 a.m. CST
Given Frears' style of mixing footage with actors for realism...
by PreciousRoy
...it would shock me if the actor playing Mercury sang much. Far better to have him lip synch. I have no problem with SBC in the role. He can act, and has artistic sensibilities. I just wouldn't want him to do it as a paycheck job. If he doesn't love Mercury/Queen passionately, I'd rather see him skip this.
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I cannot stand Russel Brand but always felt that if he could pull his head out of his arse that he could do the role some serious justice. I saw Queen in 1979, I was fortunate enough to be at Live Aid in 1985 and saw one of their last ever concerts at Wembley Stadium in 1986......if you never got to see them live you really missed out on something special.
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May 10, 2012, 6:49 a.m. CST
Mika would be a great Freedie, if he could get acting lessons, he even sounds like him!
by cameron
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May 10, 2012, 7:29 a.m. CST
Want to bring in the "Twilight" crowd? Give Lady Gaga a role! Here's why:
by iamatroll
Freddie Mercury was one of Lady Gaga's idols growing up. Early in her career, she was dubbed with the "Gaga" moniker as a reference to "Radio Gaga", one of Queens last songs, as a way of honoring one of her influences. Many of your mallkids may not know this today, but putting Lady Gaga, such as she is, in the film might actually EDUCATE some of these whippersnappers about music history. Wow, a teachable moment for younger moviegoers? What a concept!
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That's a fucking brilliant shout. Obviously any singing would have to be dubbed, but it would for anyone else. Hardy's got the chops and the fearlessness to pull it off though.
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you can't build a movie around Blitzkrieg Bop. its catchy, but cornier than crow poop.
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May 10, 2012, 8:39 a.m. CST
I'm guessing this is probably why Cohen dropped out of Django Unchained
by OSAMP1
Kurt Russell also left.
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Since when did Kurt Russell leave Django? Wasn't he playing the role Costner turned down? Who's taking it now? Please tell me Tom Berrenger . . .
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May 10, 2012, 10:07 a.m. CST
Russell Brand?! He'd probably make a great Keith Moon, but...
by Roman Troy Moronie
Freddie Mercury? I cannot see that at all... Actually, I don't see anyone but Tom Hardy in this role ... if they're going to present it seriously. SBC ...yeah ... hmm ... no. Charlie Hunnam for Roger Taylor!
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May 10, 2012, 10:12 a.m. CST
Brand is way too tall for Freddie. Facially he does look like a cross between 70's Freddie Mercury and 70's Cat Stevens. But cannot stand the guy.
by Cureguy
Don't see why some people think he is funny.
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Brian May ... still working that one out.
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But keep him away from the Queen bio.
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May 10, 2012, 10:42 a.m. CST
Ed Norton would have made a good Brian May a few years back ..
by Roman Troy Moronie
in spite of being American. Hey, if Renee Zellweger can pull that British thing off ... I imagine Ed would have been able to as well. I think he would have to work harder on the 'not being an asshole while on the set' thing than he would at mastering an English persona. Still working on who could do it now however... Ed's a bit too... um .. mature .... now to pull off a young Brian May.
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...mainly for the reason that most of them just fall flat. I've always felt the problem is that you can never find someone dynamic enough to pull off playing the main character. Now, I haven't seen Stone's "The Doors," nor have I seen "Backbeat." But I know that "Backbeat" wasn't about The Beatles, nor really about John Lennon. Also, I know that the Hendrix movie was a Showtime only movie, not a theatrical release. I think the only ones that I've seen that have worked are the ones about individuals rather than bands. "La Bamba," "Ray," and "Walk the Line" were all decent for the most part. But does anyone really want to see lackluster movies about The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, etc.?
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Oh, and Another one Bites the dust was a catchy tune as well. The Queen is dead, long live Queen!
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both hardy and freddie are/were engllish, a bit eccentric as well as being pillow biters. Hah!
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That guy from THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Jessie Eisenberg?) with a big permed wig on could probably play Brian May. They need someone pretty tall and lanky (after all May was taller than Mercury and he's already being played by tall guy Baron Cohen). Just keep Luke Wilson away from the Roger Taylor role tho!
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Oh btw, for fans of Queen who've heard Greatest Hits but not heard many of the more obscure album tracks have a listen to... Spread Your Wings... Lap Of The Gods Revisited... Jealousy... Sail Away Sweet Sister... Tear It Up... Anyone of those could have been a hit single.
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May 10, 2012, 12:27 p.m. CST
Might as well watch a documentary about Queen. Same fucking thing.
by Mr. Pricklepants
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May 10, 2012, 12:51 p.m. CST
Orlando Bloom might be able to pull off Brian May ...
by Roman Troy Moronie
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Depends on if May has come out of the closet LMAO What I want to know is who'll play the great Kenny Everett?
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May 10, 2012, 2:27 p.m. CST
Scrap the actor chat-CGI the band, add in some Alien turtles and give the directing gig to Brian Robbins.
by jellypop
I have never like Queen.
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May 10, 2012, 6:23 p.m. CST
haha, a quote for the ages " I think he could nail the bombastic, over-the-top power of his performances"
by in6087
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-rkJmRiFug still standing by that contention?
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May 10, 2012, 6:28 p.m. CST
I respect the objections, but STILL think Cohen is the guy...
by DoctorWho?
Mostly because of resemblance and unabashed flamboyance. But regarding some of these posts the question that pops into my head..."can the guy REALLY act?" Not just be silly with his crazy characters within his own comfort zone and context. This would be real acting.<p> And don't worry...There's no way any producer/director let's ANY actor take a crack at singing Queen in a biopic. This isn't Johnny Cash here. This is lip sync Freddy all the way, end of story.
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You can't have a British biopic without Sheen in there somewhere
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Let's see...they got totally screwed by their manager and almost broke up when "Rhapsody" hit. Then in the early 80's had lost America and were close to disbanding again when they completely took over Live Aid. In between, tons of sex, drugs and rock n roll. Quite simply, next to the Beatles, the best and most influential band ever.
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Once again, I respect May's setup, his guitar and what he did with it. But you said it was the most influential, not the best guitar ever made with a motorcycle tremolo or the guitar made the earliest or any pap about multi-layered effects. When it comes to influence of a homemade guitar (regardless of where the pieces came from), Frankenstrat owns. You need only look at the generations of would-be EVH clones who came after Eddie recorded Eruption to measure that influence. Want more? EVH via Frankenstrat put Floyd Rose on the map. With all due respect to May, nothing he ever did with his axe can compare to the influence of the Floyd Rose tremolo system...a system EVH helped develop for use in the Frankenstrat, btw. I'm not debating skill or recordings or music or anything else other than influence of the homemade guitar. Frankenstrat wins, hands down.
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