Is this the real life? Is this the real life?

Borat to play Freddie Mercury

Sacha Baron Cohen will write, direct and star as Queen's late frontman, in long-awaited biopic

By Jessica Steinberg
  • Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
 29 March 2015, 12:37 pm
Sacha Baron Cohen (Photo credit: Joella Marano /CC-BY-SA-2.0)

This is a Sacha Baron Cohen project that couldn’t be more different than “Borat.”

It’s being reported that Baron Cohen, the Jewish, Hebrew-speaking comedian known for poking fun at everyone and everything, including Kazakh reporters (in “Borat”) and global politicians (through his Ali G character), will finally star as Freddie Mercury, the glitzy Queen frontman who died in 1991 of complications from AIDS.

The movie has been in the works for nearly seven years, but Cohen reportedly had disagreements with the remaining members of the famed rock band over issues regarding the movie’s script and director.

Singer Freddie Mercury, of the rock group Queen, performs at a concert in Sydney, Australia, in 1985 (AP Photo/Gill Allen)

Last year, in fact, it seemed that the Cohen was backing out of the project entirely.

According to Time magazine, the band was apparently interested in a PG-version of the rock star’s life, while Cohen had hopes for a “gritty R-rated tell-all.”

Though all of Cohen’s previous suggestions regarding screenwriter and director were rejected by the band, it was announced by Queen manager Jim Beach that Cohen will depict the singer, as well as write, direct, and produce the film himself.

read more: