Sacha Baron Cohen signs up play Freddie Mercury in Queen flick

Sacha Baron Cohen, who is married to Australian actress Isla Fisher, has signed up to play Queen front man Freddie Mercury in a new film about the band.

“We have Sacha Baron Cohen, which will probably be a shock to a lot of people, but he’s been talking with us for a long time,” said Queen guitarist Brian May.

Peter Morgan – who wrote Frost/Nixon and The Last King of Scotland, is reportedly working on the screenplay.

The flick — which will be co-produced by Tribeca, Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s company — will reportedly span from Queen’s formation to their performance at 1985’s Live Aid. It will reportedly include renditions of the band’s classic hits Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, and Another One Bites the Dust, but it is unconfirmed if Cohen will do the singing.

The film does not have a title, director or release date, but has a distributor – GK Film.

“Queen is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and a music brand all unto itself,” GK Films executive Graham King said in a statement.

“Freddie Mercury was an awe-inspiring performer, so with Sacha in the starring role coupled with Peter’s screenplay and the support of Queen, we have the perfect combination to tell the real story behind their success.”

Cohen and Fisher recently welcomed their second child together.

Mercury died of AIDS-related causes in 1991.

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