First image of Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in upcoming Queen biopic released

Mr Robot star Rami Malek (right) is playing Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic. Photos / Getty

The first photograph from the forthcoming Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been released, with Mr Robot actor Rami Malek striking a very convincing pose as the legendary Queen frontman.

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From Bryan Singer, director of The Usual Suspects and various installments of the X-Men franchise, Bohemian Rhapsody also stars Midsomer Murders actor Gwilym Lee as Brian May, former EastEnders actor Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor and original Jurassic Park youngster Joseph Mazello as bassist John Deacon.

As described on the official Queen website, the movie will "recreate the fabulous Queen years, which brought us such unforgettable moments as Live Aid, which we can reveal will be faithfully recreated for a key sequence the film."

The film has already courted controversy, however, with concerns that Mercury's sexuality would be slightly neutered in line with the producer's wishes - the surviving members of Queen being intimately involved in the film's production.

Sacha Baron Cohen, who was long attached to a Freddie Mercury biopic, told radio host Howard Stern last year that he dropped out of the project after clashing with Brian May, claiming that May did not wish to explore the "nitty gritty" of Mercury's life.

May denied Cohen's claims soon after, writing in the Mail on Sunday: "Sacha became an arse. We had some nice times with Sacha kicking around ideas, but he went off and told untruths about what happened.

"Why would he go away and say that we didn't want to make a gritty film? Are we the kind of people who have ever ducked from the truth? I don't think so."

Bohemian Rhapsody, whether "nitty gritty" or not, hits cinemas December 28, 2018.

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