"Mr. Robot" star cast as Freddie Mercury in Queen bio

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Mr. Robot" star Rami Malek has been cast as Freddie Mercury, the frontman of British rock band Queen, in a biopic titled "Bohemian Rhapsody". As AceShowbiz reports citing Deadline, the Golden Globe nominee will team up with Bryan Singer, who is attached to direct the-long-in-development movie.

Singer shared on Instagram on Friday, October 4 a picture of the band to confirm his and Malek's involvement in the upcoming biopic. "Looking forward to @ramimalek @whoismrrobot playing #Freddie," he wrote in the caption.

The project is on a fast track at Fox and New Regency, with Graham King producing via his GK Films. Jim Beach also serves as a producer, with Denis O'Sullivan exec producing. Original bandmembers Brian May and Roger Taylor will serve as music producers.

The production is expected to begin early next year. Academy Award-nominated scribe Anthony McCarten ("The Theory of Everything") provides the most recent script, which focuses on the rock band and its iconic lead singer, Mercury.

The Freddie Mercury biopic has actually been in the works for years, with Sacha Baron Cohen having previously been tapped to play the lead vocalist. Directors that were connected to the project included Dexter Fletcher and Academy Award nominee Stephen Frears ("The Queen", "The Grifters").