In recent years, the likes of Hank Williams, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, the Notorious B.I.G., and the Beatles (well, sort of) have gotten the biopic treatment. The next music icon on that list: Queen frontman and occasional Darth Vader jockey Freddie Mercury, who, in Bohemian Rhapsody, is played by Mr. Robot star Rami Malek. He even has the mustache to prove it.
The film, written by Anthony McCarten and directed by Dexter Fletcher (he replaced original director Bryan Singer), takes place between 1970, when Queen formed, and 1985, the year of the band’s iconic Live Aid performance.
Here’s the official plot synopsis.
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Bohemian Rhapsody — which also stars Gwilym Lee as guitarist Brian May, Joseph Mazzello as bassist John Deacon, and Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor — opens on November 2.
