Sacha Baron Cohen exits Freddie Mercury role in Queen movieJuly 23, 2013 - 15:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Sacha Baron Cohen has exited the role of flamboyant singer Freddie Mercury in a long-gestating Queen movie due to creative differences, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap, the entertainment news agency said. Sony and GK Films spent years developing the project, which had been courting Baron Cohen's "Les Miserable" filmmaker Tom Hooper to direct, though insiders say the surviving members of Queen refused to approve the choice. Queen also was hoping for a more reverential depiction of the band and its late frontman rather than the warts-and-all portrayal Baron Cohen and writer Peter Morgan had planned for the iconic gay singer. Graham King and Tim Headington are producing the film with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, as well as Queen Films. King and Headington have overcome obstacles before, as Warner Bros. once put "Jersey Boys" into turnaround in 2012. Now, the movie is back on track with Clint Eastwood directing. The producers will now have to find a new leading man in addition to a suitable director, though the project's loss of momentum has raised doubt as to whether the movie will ever get made under Queen's watchful eye. Baron Cohen continues to focus on developing "The Lesbian" and an untitled spy comedy about James Bond's idiot brother under his Four By Two Films banner. The news was first reported by Deadline. Top stories The creative crew of the Public TV had chosen 13-year-old Malena as a participant of this year's contest. She called on others to also suspend their accounts over the companies’ failure to tackle hate speech. Penderecki was known for his film scores, including for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. The festival made the news public on March 19, saying that “several options are considered in order to preserve its running” Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |