Ben Whishaw Will Play Freddie Mercury In The Queen Movie

Don't stop him now, he's having such a good time.

Ben Whishaw has been confirmed to play Freddie Mercury in the long-gestating Queen biopic.

Getty / Hulton Archive

Getty / Andreas Rentz

Deadline reports that the Cloud Atlas star has signed on to play the singer in the film. He takes over the role from Sacha Baron Cohen, who departed the project over creative differences with the surviving members of Queen. The movie will tell the band's coming-of-age story, and culminate with their historic performance at Live Aid in 1985.

Dexter Fletcher has signed on to direct.

Getty / Larry Busacca

The former star of Press Gang and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels has made his name as a director in recent years, earning acclaim for Sunshine on Leith, his musical based on the the works of The Proclaimers.

So that is all fairly exciting.

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