Though surrounded by heavyweights, Sacha Baron Cohen's dazzling performance as Italian barber Adolfo Pirelli in Tim Burton's 2007 film adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a joyous example of the cliché-for-a-reason "no small parts, only small actors." Certainly no small actor, Cohen has left an indelible mark on American comedy that runs deep enough to still likely be quoted (see: Borat) by your former high school best friend who keeps inviting you to keggers even though he's 29.
Sacha Baron Cohen will now get the chance to quite possibly redefine his entire image, thanks to a forthcoming Freddie Mercury biopic. Though originally announced more than five years ago, the project suffered a detrimental series of setbacks — including disagreements between Cohen and the remaining members of Queen regarding Cohen's desire to deliver a raw, intimate portrait of the late singer. Such disagreements likely inspired Cohen's seemingly permanent exit from the project back in 2013, leaving little doubt as to the project's fate.
However, Queen manager Jim Beach casually made a gigantic announcement during his acceptance speech at the Artist and Manager Awards earlier this week. According to Beach, Sacha Baron Cohen is not only back onboard to star as Mercury in the film, but will also serve as writer and director. It's worth mentioning that David Fincher was once attached to the project during its rocky development process, but was ultimately rejected by the band. No other details have been announced, but consider our interests piqued.
