We’re not sure about this one, as while the story has been picked up by the usually reputable The Guardian, it appears the first report came from the, uh, not always trustworthy Daily Star, but they say Daniel Radcliffe may play Freddie Mercury in a planned biopic.
Sacha Baron Cohen had been due to play the gay icon, but he recently dropped out citing creative differences. He wanted a gritty warts-and-all look at Freddie’s life, while the surviving members of Queen apparently wanted a PG rated film.
The Daily Star’s source says, “Daniel has been told the part is his if he wants it.” That’s a long way from him agreeing (or indeed even knowing the offer has been made in anything other than the Daily Star’s head), and he’d certainly be a very different choice to Cohen, who seemed like a perfect fit.
Radcliffe could be interesting though, but the real question is whether he’ll want to play gay again so soon after Kill Your Darlings. The source also says, “Plus, he’s closer in height to Freddie than Sacha, who’s much taller. Daniel can really sing, too.”
We’ll have to wait and see if Daniel does end up in the role.
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