Sacha Baron Cohen drops out of Freddie Mercury biopic

Sacha Baron Cohen has abandoned the long-gestating Freddie Mercury biopic due to creative differences with the surviving members of Queen, Deadline reports.

According to the article, Cohen had hoped to make a gritty, R-rated feature that examined Mercury’s life in accurate detail.

Meanwhile, Mercury’s former bandmates wanted a PG, family-friendly pic with few blemishes. Yeah, that sounds real dramatic.

Directors David Fincher and Tom Hooper were at various times in consideration to helm the pic, but neither received approval from those persnickety bandmembers.

Producers Graham King, Tim Headington, Robert De Niro, and Jane Rosenthal are now on the lookout for a new star, along with someone to direct the thing.

Good luck with that.