SACHA BARON COHEN TO PLAY FREDDIE MERCURY

British actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has reportedly signed a deal to play the role of Freddie Mercury in a new film about the band Queen.

Cohen (38) is best known for his outrageous characters in the satirical comedy films Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and Brüno.

The script for the film is being written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Peter Morgan, who wrote the scripts for the acclaimed films The Queen and Frost/Nixon.

Mercury died from AIDS related pneumonia in 1991, but the film will not deal with his last days. It is said to cover the group’s early years up to their performance at ‘Live Aid’ in 1985.

“Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and a music brand all unto itself,” Graham King, one of the producers, told Deadline.com.

“Freddie Mercury was an awe-inspiring performer, so with Sacha in the starring role coupled with Peter’s screenplay and the support of Queen, we have the perfect combination to tell the real story behind their success,” he said.