Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury almost made a cameo in 'Rocketman'

Image
ANI Hollywood
Last Updated : Jun 12 2019 | 1:15 PM IST

Filmmaker Dexter Fletcher came very close to giving Rami Malek's Freddie Mercury a cameo in Elton John's biopic 'Rocketman'.

'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Rocketman' have many overlapping common elements, connecting the two films. Fletcher, who directed the former film after the original director Bryan Singer was fired halfway through the process, helmed 'Rocketman' in its entirety.

Another point of commonality is that both films used their subjects' music as the soul of the stories and feature LGBTQ protagonists.

But most significantly, the two films feature John Reid, a real-life character who managed both Queen and Elton John at the peak of their careers.

Flirting with this very common string, Fletcher thought of adding Freddie Mercury's special appearance in John's biopic.

"There was an idea I had (at) one point, where Elton's in a restaurant with his mother. I thought John Reid and Freddie could be at another table and they wave at each other!" Entertainment weekly quoted Fletcher's interview with Gay Star News.

However, he finally decided against it. "That would have been amazing, (but) it didn't come to pass. It would've been a little too knowing. I'm not looking to set out to make a cinematic universe," the filmmaker asserted.

'Bohemian Rhapsody', which hit the theatres last year, is a biopic based on the life of Freddie Mercury, who in the film is played by Rami Malek. The film, after a massive success on box office, successfully ended collecting a couple of Oscars.

On the other hand, the Taron Egerton starrer film, which is scheduled to release on May 31, follows John's journey starting from a young piano prodigy named Reginald Dwight to a rockstar struggling with addiction who finally finds his way to sobriety.

The biopic will release on May 31.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 12 2019 | 1:08 PM IST

Next Story