After leaving due to creative differences, the 'Les Miserables' actor is confirmed by Queen's manager that he agrees to return to the long-delayed movie.
- Mar 29, 2015
AceShowbiz - Sacha Baron Cohen is back on board of the upcoming Freddie Mercury movie. The "Borat" actor who was initially set to play the late Queen rocker is now expected to not only take on the lead role but also take part in the creative process.
The band's manager Jim Beach said as quoted by The Playlist at the Artist & Management Awards, "An important breakthrough is that we have now managed to persuade Sacha Baron Cohen to write, produce and direct this movie, and he has also agreed to star."
Cohen previously left the untitled Freddie Mercury biopic due to creative differences. The band's member Roger Taylor once said, "We felt Sacha probably wasn't right in the end. We didn't want it to be a joke. We want people to be moved."
Rumor has it, the "Les Miserables" star plotted a gritty R-rated look at the life of the iconic singer but the band's remaining members who serve as producers wanted it to be a PG one. The actor reportedly approached directors like David Fincher and Tom Hooper, but couldn't make a formal offer because his vision was not approved.
After his departure, "Skyfall" actor Ben Whishaw was tapped to take over the lead role and Dexter Fletcher ("Wild Bill") is hired to sit behind the lens. The project, however, put on hold when Fletcher exited due to, again, creative differences. Meanwhile, Whishaw is currently busy filming new James Bond flick "Spectre".
