Since Sacha Baron Cohen pulled out of the film in July there have been several big names linked to the new Freddie Mercury biopic, but last night sources close to the movie confirmed that Ben Whishaw has landed the part as the flamboyant member of Queen.
The SKYFALL star’s casting has ended months of speculation about who would replace Baron Cohen as Mercury, with actors such as Dominic Cooper (SUMMER IN FEBRUARY) and Daniel Radcliffe (THE WOMAN IN BLACK) both being linked with the role. Baron Cohen pulled out of the film in July due to creative differences with the surviving members of Queen, who are said to have disagreed with him on the film’s direction and thought his association with his controversial characters Ali G and Borat may distract from Mercury’s achievements.
Interestingly, this won’t be the first time Whishaw has portrayed a rock star, having played Keith Richards in STONED, the 2005 film about Richards’ Rolling Stone band mate Brian Jones.
The film will be produced by the surviving members of Queen and it remains to be seen whether Whishaw will stick around for longer than Baron Cohen did. Do you think Whishaw will capture Mercury’s unique style? Let us know!
Source: DailyMail
bfg666
Oct 21, 2013 at 5:11 am
Ben Whishaw, seriously? The guy doesn’t even remotely look the part! Cohen would’ve needed serious iron-pumping and eating to get some meat on his bones but at least he would’ve made a great Freddie Mercury lookalike. Whishaw could perhaps make a decent version of puny Roger Taylor but that’s it. How on Earth could he possibly look like a Parsi? This is one of the most preposterous casting choices I’ve ever read and I hope this is just an unfounded rumor.