First image of Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic

From Planet Rock.

See the first photo of Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

The first official photo of actor Rami Malek portraying Freddie Mercury in the upcoming Queen biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has been released.

In the image shared by Brian May, the 36-year-old American actor can be seen throwing an iconic Freddie pose in a recreation of Queen’s legendary performance at Live Aid at London’s Wembley Stadium on 13th July 1985.

Rami said of his transformation to EW.com: “When you’re able to open your eyes and see a different person staring back at you in the mirror, it’s a very affirming moment.”

Directed by X-Men director Bryan Singer, filming on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ began in London this month.

The long-gestating film tells the story from Queen’s embryonic days in 1970 through to arguably their defining set at Live Aid, six years before Freddie’s untimely death. Roger and Brian serve as executive producers on the movie.

Following Rami’s unveiling earlier this year, actors Ben Hardy (as Roger Taylor), Joe Mazzello (John Deacon) and Gwilym Lee (Brian May) were recently cast as Queen’s other members.

In the early hours of this morning, Brian May took to Instagram to share an image of all four actors, writing: “These great guys are already living and breathing their roles as us in our youthful prime.”

Heaping praise on Rami Malek, the band wrote: “Rami has great presence and he’s utterly dedicated to the project. He’s completely living and breathing Freddie already, which is wonderful.”

They added of Bryan Singer: “(Bryan is) a perfect choice to recreate the fabulous Queen years which brought us such unforgettable moments as Live Aid, which we can reveal will be faithfully recreated for a key sequence the film.”

Way back in September 2010, Sacha Baron Cohen was originally confirmed to play Freddie Mercury in the film but he dropped out in July 2013 citing “creative differences” between himself and the band. Dominic Cooper was later rumoured to play Freddie, however this never materialised.

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is set for release in December 2018 and is being produced by 20th Century Fox.

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