Queen manager Jim Beach made a fake casting announcement last week at the London’s Artists & Management awards, suggesting the Borat star would feature in the film.
“You have probably followed the saga of the famous Queen-Freddie Mercury biopic which has been developing in Hollywood for the last seven years,” Beach told the audience.
“An important breakthrough is that we have now managed to persuade Sacha Baron Cohen to write, produce and direct this movie, and he has also agreed to star.”
Media outlets were quick to report the news, but Queen guitarist May clarified on his blog that Jim's comments were in fact a joke.
“I'm afraid some folks might have taken it seriously,” May wrote.
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Cohen left the production in 2013 over artistic differences with band members, who reportedly wanted to make a family-friendly film about Mercury that did not "sex-up" his past.
At various points Dominic Cooper and Daniel Radcliffe have been suggested as potential leads, while Stephen Frears, Tom Hooper and David Fincher have been mentioned as possible directors.
“It has to have truth, it has to have humour, because Freddie had those qualities, and it has to be entertaining as a film. Now those three variables are not that easy to reconcile,” he said.
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