Freddie Mercury project

While doing interviews for his screenplay adaptation on "Evening" with Clare Danes, Vanessa Redgrave, and Natasha Richardson, screenwriter Michael Cunningham talked about one of his upcoming projects, which includes the Freddie Mercury story. Mercury was the lead singer of the British rock band, Queen, and died of AIDS in 1991.

Michael Cunningham: I just finished the Freddie Mercury story, which I'm really thrilled about.

Who will be the film?

MC: It's out to a couple of actors and I can't talk about it right now. I don't want to put the jinx on it. The people who are thinking about playing Freddie are just astonishingly great.

What time period will you focus on?

MC: You know, I don't really like traditional biopics so I'm just taking a week in his life and let that speak as a whole. I'm never really satisfied with the he was born, he lived, he died routine. I always feel that a life doesn't always produce the right dramatic art, so I'm sort of a Mrs. Dalloway version on Freddie Mercury, which is to take a little bit of his life.

Will there be any singing in the film?

MC: Oh, tons of singing. There will be singing. It's so preliminary. I just turned in the screenplay. I can't imagine...I'm sure we will have to dub Freddie's voice. It's one thing for Sissy Spacek to play Loretta Lynn and do her own vocals, but who could do Freddie Mercury?

photo © Rossano B. Maniscalchi

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