Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury

[azsportsfan01]

Interesting casting.

http://www.hitfix.com/articles/sacha-baron-cohen-will-rock-you-as-freddie-mercury-in-upcoming-biopic

 

[MigratingOsprey]

I could see it working .... although the article says he has some theater experience, I'm not sure if he should even try to sing

also I hope they don't skirt around the whole AIDS thing ... they say the movie will close with the LiveAid show

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

The only issue I could see with the casting is that Sacha is close to a full foot taller than Freddie Mercury.

 

[Gaddabout]

He was pretty good in Sweeney Todd. Dude's got some acting chops. I read awhile back that he trained with a famed French clown (something they take as a serious art form in that country).

 

[Pariah]

I think that's pretty brilliant casting, actually.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I think Sasha is one of those actors that is really good and then has that one role that breaks him out of what everyone thinks he is. I really hope this is it. I love Freddie Mercury and look forward to Sasha doing his story justice.

 

[Rivercard]

I read awhile back that he trained with a famed French clown.

One of the best sentences ever.

 

[Gaddabout]

One of the best sentences ever.

If I had said he had studied with Charlie Chaplin, would it be just as funny? I think most of us would consider Chaplin's work to be unbelievably artistic and brilliant. That's right out of French clown school or along the same lines.

 

[Chaplin]

If I had said he had studied with Charlie Chaplin, would it be just as funny? I think most of us would consider Chaplin's work to be unbelievably artistic and brilliant. That's right out of French clown school or along the same lines.

+1

 

[azsportsfan01]

"It's very much authorized and with their cooperation, but I've told them, 'I won't be particularly kind.' I'm only gonna do this if I have editorial independence," Morgan says. "I don't want anyone to feel this is a movie that Queen has commissioned."

Really like reading that. Article said it could be out in two years.

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/awards-...-in-sacha-baron-cohens-freddie-mercury-biopic

 

[Gaddabout]

I'm glad Morgan is standing his ground, I'm just scratching my head why he felt the need to do it. Mercury was a polarizing figure at a time when AIDS was being publicly demonized and assigned to a "lifestyle," but we're 25 years removed from that, and history is pretty fond of Mercury now. I'm trying to figure out why Morgan thinks he needs to avoid the appearance of kindness. Maybe Queen playing Sin City? I dunno. Queen wasn't alone in breaking the boycott. About the only thing in his life that I know of that would be somewhat controversial today would be his bi-sexuality, something that is still far less acceptable than being straight or gay. The politics of sexuality sort of demanded he ... declare a team and stuck with it, but he resisted all sides of that argument. I hope that's not the focus of the movie, though. We're talking about one the truly great singers of rock and roll, and in an era when it wasn't cool to really sing (i.e. singers vs. stylists). Dude had unbelievable range and a great ear you usually don't find in that genre. He's universally recognized now, but back in his prime there was a lot of homophobia in rock and Queen was reviled by some critics and peers as being too over-the-top in their music.

We're not talking about Johnny Cash or a pervert like Little Richard and definitely not a creepy pedophile like Gary Glitter. Mercury is just a great rock star, IMO.