Freddie Mercury Biopic Production Shut Down - Noise11.com
Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury Biopic Production Shut Down

by Roger Wink, VVN Music on December 4, 2017

in News

The Freddie Mercury biopic, Under Pressure, has been fraught with problems for a very long time including changes to the lead actor and director.

Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor have been closely overseeing the film, trying to ensure that it tells the proper story of their late bandmate Mercury, including getting rid of original lead Sacha Baron Cohen when he tried to exert too much creative control over the project. They couldn’t, however, have predicted the disappearance of the films director, Bryan Singer.

Singer, whose resume includes directing The Usual Suspects, X-Men (and its sequels), Superman Returns and Valkyrie, left the production, which had already begun shooting, at Thanksgiving and is yet to return. Twentieth Century Fox has shut the production down, saying “Twentieth Century Fox Film has temporarily halted production on Bohemian Rhapsody due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer.”

Singer’s people followed with a statement, saying “This is a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family. Bryan hopes to get back to work on the film soon after the holidays.”

According to Deadline’s sources, the film is about two weeks away from ending principle photography and, of course, a lengthy break, especially one that could stretch to over a month, could lead to scheduling conflicts with the film’s cast and other people. The film includes performances by Rami Malek as Mercury, Joseph Mazzello, Gwilym Lee and Ben Hardy as the rest of the band.

That leaves the studio with the decision to wait things out until Singer’s return or to replace him with a different director to finish the production.

Noise11.com

Related Posts

Shirley Strachan Skyhooks (photo from skyhooks-music.com)
Shirley Strachan of Skyhooks Left Us 24 Years Ago Today 29 August

It’s hard to believe it’s been 24 years since Australia lost one of its most iconic musical sons—Graeme “Shirley” Strachan, the charismatic lead singer of Skyhooks. Today, on 29 August 2025, fans, friends, and fellow musicians remember the voice that defined a generation, the performer whose presence lit up stages, and the personality who made Australian rock both fun and unforgettable.

August 29, 2025
Russell Morris at Hamer Hall Melbourne 27 August 2025 photo by Winston Robinson
Russell Morris The Farewell Tour Is A Treasure Trove Of Hits and Rarities

Russell Morris was almost apologetic when he stepped onto the Hamer Hall stage in Melbourne for the first night of The Farewell Tour on Wednesday (27 August 2025). He admitted to his fans that a 60-year career can look confusing from the outside. The truth is, Morris was never one to sit still.

August 28, 2025
Steve Martin and Alison Browne photo from Compass Records
Steve Martin and Alison Brown Unite for Safe, Sensible and Sane Out October 17

Steve Martin has spent decades balancing comedy, acting, writing and music, but his love for the banjo has always been more than a hobby. On October 17, Martin will join forces with banjo trailblazer Alison Brown for their new collaborative album Safe, Sensible and Sane, a star-studded roots music project set to be one of the year’s most intriguing releases.

August 26, 2025
Tom Waits supplied by Anti
Tom Waits To Reissue 1975 Classic Nighthawks at the Diner For 50th Anniversary

Tom Waits’ Nighthawks at the Diner is being reissued for its 50th anniversary on October 24, with ANTI- Records pressing the landmark album onto three limited-edition yellow vinyl variants. More than just a re-release, this marks a celebration of one of the most unusual and defining recordings of Waits’ early career.

August 26, 2025
Queen autographed A Night At The Opera
Why Queen’s Quietest Member John Deacon Chose to Become a Recluse Until This Rare Return

For fans of Queen, John Deacon has long been the enigma of the band, a brilliant musician, masterful songwriter, and humble presence behind the scenes. Since the early 1990s, Deacon has shunned the spotlight, retiring quietly after Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991. But now, years later, he has quietly resurfaced, lending his signature alongside bandmates Roger Taylor and Brian May on a charity auction item, signalling, perhaps, that even the most private of souls can still make their mark in unexpected ways.

August 25, 2025
Patti Smith Horses 50th Anniversary
Patti Smith ‘Horses’ Gets 50th Anniversary Reissue With Unearthed Demos and Live Cuts

In 1975, Patti Smith entered Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York City with a vision: to fuse the jagged energy of punk with the fluid imagery of poetry. That vision became Horses, one of the most groundbreaking debut albums in rock history. Now, half a century later, Sony has announced the 50th Anniversary Expanded Edition of Horses, a release that both celebrates the legacy of the record and offers fans newly unearthed material from Smith’s early years.

August 25, 2025
Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run Album Turns 50

On 25 August 1975, Bruce Springsteen released Born To Run, the album that transformed him from a New Jersey barroom songwriter into one of the most important voices in rock history. Fifty years later, the record still stands as a landmark, both for its ambitious sound and for the way it defined Springsteen’s career.

August 25, 2025