First-look at Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody film

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind
Anytime

“When you’re able to open your eyes and see a different person staring back at you in the mirror,” Rami Malek told Entertainment Weekly, as the MR. ROBOT actor recalled the first time he sat down for his BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY hair and makeup session, “it’s a very affirming moment.” I'll tell you what's affirming, Mr. Malek, you looking like a dead-ringer for one of the most influential rock gods ever to grace the stage. I'm serious, just look at the below-posted photo and see for yourself how Malek is channeling the daylights out of Queen's late-lead singer, Freddie Mercury.

In my estimation, Malek has got it all: the look, the posture, and a build that only a prolonged and dynamic stage presence can foster and sustain. Oh geez, look at that, I'm so excited about this photo that I forgot to properly introduce the film. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, as directed by Bryan Singer (X-MEN, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER), will chronicle the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. Recently, the remaining band members of the timeless rock outfit had been found for the film in actors Ben Hardy (as Roger Taylor), Gwilym Lee (as Brian May), and Joe Mazzello (as John Deacon). As some of you may know, the Live Aid performance had taken place six years before Mercury had died of complications due to AIDS.

At this point in time, I only have one question left. How will Malek represent Mercury's imitable 4-octave vocal stylings? Will he train with a supremely gifted voice coach? Will he lip-sync to a dubbed track? Will Malek hold a private seance in which he channels the late rocker, asking to borrow his gifts for the duration of the film's production? Whatever the outcome, I am positively climbing the walls to see a trailer for this film.

Question time: What's your favorite Queen song? Let us know in the comments section below! 

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY is set to rock n roll in theaters beginning on December 25, 2018.      

Source: Entertainment Weekly

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.