Rami Malek is the late Freddie Mercury in the first teaser trailer for Bohemian Rhapsody that was released Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Mr. Robot star portraits the flamboyant singer in the forthcoming Queen biopic, which is due in cinemas Nov. 2. Mercury died in 1991.
The 97-second teaser assures fans that Queen’s biggest hits – including “Killer Queen” and “Another One Bites the Dust” will be part of the soundtrack.
It’s the first glimpse of a film that has been in the works for about eight years – and has hit roadblocks along the way.
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) was originally set to play Mercury but he bailed amidst conflict with surviving Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor. Last year, production was halted when director Bryan Singer took time off to deal with “health concerns.” He was fired and replaced by Dexter Fletcher.
In addition to Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody stars Gwilym Lee as May, Ben Hardy as Taylor and Joseph Mazzello as former bassist John Deacon.
“Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet,” reads the studio’s official description of the movie.
“The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music.”
Watch the teaser trailer below: