The biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was a huge hit at the box office, grossing $900 million. Queen musicians Brian May and Roger Taylor have now announced that they hesitated a long time beforehand to implement it.
It is not easy to represent the icon authentically
In a video, which was released on the band’s official YouTube channel, the rockers look back on the biographical drama film: “We were a bit reluctant at first because it’s difficult to make a film that does Freddie justice. And what has happened over the years, because it’s been suggested to us a lot, is that we realized that if we didn’t commit, someone else would and then you wouldn’t be able to protect Freddie’s legacy.” .
In particular, Taylor pointed to a skewed reception and memory of the late singer: “I think a lot of people think of Freddie, and the media tends to be like, ‘Oh, extravagant,’ whatever, you know? And they remember him for other things, forgetting that he was a brilliant musician. I think the film pays a lot of attention to the fact that Freddie was a really great musician.”
“Freddie would say number one: it has to be entertaining”
Queen guitarist May speculated what Mercury would have wanted for the four-time Oscar-winning film: “We all felt like we wanted to portray Freddie’s humanity, portray him as a human being, as Roger says, as a musician. And it had to be truthful, and it couldn’t be overindulgent, and it had to be graphic, and, I think Freddie would say, number one, it has to be entertaining. And I think you have to laugh, you have to cry, and I think people will do that in this film. Casting Rami (Malek, he played Mercury in the biopic) as Freddie absolutely blew us away when we first met him. We saw Freddie in him and felt his passion and it all grew around him I think.”
“Live Aid” as a near-perfect imitation
When the drummer and guitarist first saw actor Rami Malek and his fictional band members recreate the legendary Live Aid charity concert, they would have been very impressed: “We didn’t meet him until the first moment when the cameras were on ‘Live Aid’ ran, seen throughout his ‘show’. We both went to see it and it was, I don’t know what to call it, it sent chills down my spine because the recreation of the venue and everything around it was so perfect, including the backstage area. And then these guys came along and they were us. And they plunged into the cold water. That was kind of the high point they had to deliver right from the start of the shoot, which is very difficult, but they pulled it off,” May said.
Taylor added that there was also something confusing about the faithful recreation: “They got very close to us, I mean, visually and as an actor, and that made it extra scary for us to watch. After a few views you start to think, ‘Ah, that was us…oh no, that’s not us. It’s other people.’ But, phenomenal.”