It’s hard to believe that it has been 27 years since the death of Freddy Mercury, the iconic lead singer of the band Queen. Even harder to fathom is that the band’s extraordinary performance at the Live Aid charity concert in 1985 was 33 years ago!
The Live Aid performance re-galvanised the band, while Mercury’s death a few years after that not only cemented him as a pop rock legend but also ensured that the band’s music lives on, undoubtedly ensuring the success of Bohemian Rhapsody, a film bookended by that illustrious performance and a story that celebrates Mercury’s life and the music he created with band members Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
Producer Graham King, the man behind acclaimed Hollywood hits such as The Aviator, Hugo and Argo, was approached by award-winning writer Peter Morgan while he was working on Hugo.
“Peter asked me if I liked Queen,’ recalls King. “I said, yes, I love Queen! And he told me he was writing this script (about the band) and that no one had the rights to their story and that I should think about getting involved.”
After speaking to Jim Beach, Queen’s lawyer, King was introduced to the band’s founders, May and Taylor. At first the latter were apprehensive about the film project, but King soon persuaded them to come on board. The film he had in mind would carry on the legacy of Queen and Freddie and show a whole new generation who he was.
“His background in Zanzibar, his coming to London as an immigrant, the prejudice he dealt with growing up, his shyness and insecurities about his looks, how he battled on so many different fronts” were among the aspects of Mercury’s life he wanted to explore, explains King.
The film also examines Mercury’s brilliance as a songwriter and musician, how he found another family in the band, his reinvention as a larger-than-life performer, while always remaining someone everyone loved who could get away with some very outrageous behaviour.
May and Taylor’s involvement ensured the film remained true to history. “The film is telling their life stories, and no one knows it better than them,” continues King. “You can read as many books and magazine articles and watch as many videos and interviews, but when you can actually sit with the guys who can take you through the history, who can tell you anecdotes about Freddie that you’d never find out today, that meant the world to me.”
The project went through several incarnations until it finally reached the screen, and May and Taylor were impressed by King’s tenacity and commitment.
“Graham King is a wonderful producer who has been with us all along the way,” says May. “There were moments when Roger and I thought it was never going to happen. So the fact that Graham has managed to pull it together with such a great team and cast is very exciting.”
It’s not surprising that Freddie Mercury still holds a special place in Brian May’s heart. “There’s too many memories of Freddie,” he recalls fondly. “I remember that wicked smile and sparkle in his eye. And he would say something totally inappropriate and wicked.
“But he was just funny and nice, and he didn’t have a bad bone in his body. He did have quite a quick temper, though, and he would react, but underneath that he was very shy, and if there was a confrontation, he would deal with it, and then he didn’t want to know.”
King is also proud that the film succeeds in showing how the music came together. “How does a band create their music? That’s a really difficult thing to show on screen,” he says. “The audience is going to really enjoy seeing that. It’s not just Freddie’s story, it’s also the story of how they created the sound. How did they invent Bohemian Rhapsody, which was completely panned when it came out?”
Panned it may have been at the time, but the song has since gone on to remain one of Queen’s most popular songs and is frequently considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It now gets a film of its own, telling its story and that of the man and the band who bequeathed it to the world.
Bohemian Rhapsody stars Rami Malek who steps into Mercury’s skin-tight catsuits; with Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Gwilym Lee as Brian May; Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor; and Joe Mazzello as John Deacon. The film also stars Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, Aaron McCusker.
The screenplay is by Anthony McCarten from a story he wrote with Peter Morgan. The film is directed by Bryan Singer.
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