Queen Biopic Starring Rami Malek Is Officially Happening

The long-in-the-works Queen biopic is "finally happening," according to a new post on the band's official website. The project has been around in some form or another for over ten years now, and late last year, after first Sacha Baron Cohen and then Ben Whishaw departed the film due to creative differences, Mr. Robot star Rami Malek was cast as Freddie Mercury. According to Queen's Roger Taylor and Brian May, who are serving as executive music producers, "Rami has great presence and he’s utterly dedicated to the project. He's completely living and breathing Freddie already, which is wonderful." Bryan Singer is directing, and the film is "as-close-as-that" to the start of shooting, with pre-production beginning next week to prepare for principal photography in London as soon as mid-September.