Ben Whishaw is officially cast to portray Queen’s late frontman Freddie Mercury in upcoming biopic. Whishaw got his big break in the adaptation of the serial killer novel “Perfume”. He portrays Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, an olfactory genius, and his homicidal quest for the perfect scent. British actor-turned-director, Dexter Fletcher (“Wild Bill”) will helm the movie on rock supergroup Queen and their famous frontman, with a script penned by Peter Morgan (“Rush”) . Deadline.com reports that Fletcher has been meeting the band and “getting a feel for the Queen story, and that the intention is for the movie to get up and running next year regardless of whether Sony steps up.” Graham King’s producing with Tim Headington and Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions, and Queen Films.

Ben Whishaw

Ben Whishaw

Mercury passed away on November 24, 1991, of complications from AIDS. The film will however not be focused on Mercury’s last days. Sacha Baron Cohen was initially tapped to take on the lead role, but decided to leave the project.