The Freddie Mercury Biopic Was Sacha Baron Cohen's Idea, Plus More Details

I'm always a bit disappointed that documentary makers tend to define Fred as 'that gay guy who died of aids,' rather than the tremendous musician and songwriter he was, so I'm glad this film will end at Live Aid. However, it will probably still be naff, as most music bios are.

While I AM a fan of Brian May, it does seem as if he is the least enthusiastic about sharing memories of Freddie in a positive light. I have always found the difference in Roger's recollection of events compared with Brian's recollection of events to be interesting, though it seems we hear far more from Brian.

It will be interesting, then, if it IS true that all three remaining Queen members are going to contribute. John Deacon? Really?  From what I've read(which is very little, truthfully) Deacon was the most saddened by the death of Mercury. It is hard to believe he is actually gong to be involved in this.

Read a quick Peter Morgan interview piece yesterday that contained one question about this film.  Not much new, but a slightly more nuanced answer about the Sacha connection:

Interviewer: And now you’re writing the Freddie Mercury movie for Sacha Baron Cohen, which seems like a very strange marriage of talents.

Peter Morgan:  He’s been trying to persuade me for two years. He said, “Would you write Freddie Mercury for me?” And I said, “I don’t really know why. I don’t really like Queen – no, not interested. Don’t want to write anything to do with AIDS. I don’t find a way in here.” Silence. Six months later: “Will you write Freddie Mercury for me?” “Uhhh, I don’t think so, I can’t find a way in.” “Well, will you write something else for me?” And his other ideas were so bad, I thought, I’ll figure out the Freddie Mercury one. And then finally I found a way in, and we set it up.

Interviewer: Is there a director attached?

PM: No, not yet. I’ve got to write the script first. I’m on page 56.

"I don't really like Queen". I wonder if that gives a scriptwriter objectivity, or threatens to diminish a sense of their greatness which finally could have been wrested from the critics of the past in a long, historical look like this.

Sir GH wrote:

11-24-91 - FM dies

12-3-91 - Bri/Rog TV interview, little more than a week after FM dies

Feb-Mar 92 - FM tribute rehearsals

4-20-92 - FM tribute concert

No band squabble before 1990 can remotely compare to the difficulty of these few months.
=======================================

It's completely possible that you're absolutely right, and that the band would identify this period as it's most painful.  I'm still not sure because while they were grieving their friend and bandmate, there was still clarity and positive purpose in those months. They interview and the benefit event were things they very much wanted to do, and do well.  It's analagous on a longer timeline to the busy days following the death of a friend or a loved one.  Those days are painful, but also serve to focus the grief through the plans and rituals of goodbye.  It's the reality that descends after that in which pain really lives.  By that period for Queen the difficulty would have been largely personal and not a function of the band. 

'Squabbles' probably understates it some through the period in question.  The tension and resentment and uncertainty really seemed to have peaked then. The way forward as a band certainly couldn't have been clear.  It's somewhat like a couple contemplating divorce.  Is the most painful part the unhappiness and the inertia and the guilt and the pressure and the confusion that comes with not knowing the way forward, or is it the grief and rebuilding that comes after?   You wouldn't get the same answer from everybody, so I think your casting of nothing being able to remotely compare to the period after Fred's death might be too strongly stated. Or not. :)

See? This makes me even more suspicious that the film'll wind up being a vehicle for one of Cohen's over the top caricatures.

GratefulFan wrote: Read a quick Peter Morgan interview piece yesterday that contained one question about this film.  Not much new, but a slightly more nuanced answer about the Sacha connection:

Interviewer: And now you’re writing the Freddie Mercury movie for Sacha Baron Cohen, which seems like a very strange marriage of talents.

Peter Morgan:  He’s been trying to persuade me for two years. He said, “Would you write Freddie Mercury for me?” And I said, “I don’t really know why. I don’t really like Queen – no, not interested. Don’t want to write anything to do with AIDS. I don’t find a way in here.” Silence. Six months later: “Will you write Freddie Mercury for me?” “Uhhh, I don’t think so, I can’t find a way in.” “Well, will you write something else for me?” And his other ideas were so bad, I thought, I’ll figure out the Freddie Mercury one. And then finally I found a way in, and we set it up.

Interviewer: Is there a director attached?

PM: No, not yet. I’ve got to write the script first. I’m on page 56.

"I don't really like Queen". I wonder if that gives a scriptwriter objectivity, or threatens to diminish a sense of their greatness which finally could have been wrested from the critics of the past in a long, historical look like this.

Some interesting and head scratching comments here.  As to Freddie's solo adventure, if 'Let's Turn It On', 'MMP', '...More To Life', 'SBH&C' aren't 'Queenish......and MIH as well as LOMO (UP anyone?).  A quarter century ago, I thought Brian did the fade out guitar on 'Dangerous'. 

As to Brian working with Fred on his solo project:  hope this is not rehashing the topic, but perhaps he heard some of the other tracks besides the two or three he had already worked on, and was either afraid the solo LP would sell well, or was p*ssed that Freddie had not offered some of these to the band, since the basic 'germs' of many were superior to the Hot Space and Works offerings.

Or, Brian went, "WTF?  What are you doing with the drum and bass machines?  You're ruining some really good stuff!"

As to the movie ending in 1985:  unless Mr. Cohen can lose 20-50 pounds in two months (ala Tom Hanks in two movies), the filming time and costs are shot all to hell, or another actor would have to be called in to play the final years.

From a production standpoint, it makes sense.  From a biographical standpoint, it suxx.  Let's just hope no phony 'medicine men' appear as in The Doors movie.