Bohemian Rhapsody (film)

2018 biographical musical drama filmTemplate:SHORTDESC:2018 biographical musical drama film

* Anthony McCarten
* Peter Morgan
* Graham King
* Jim Beach
* Rami Malek
* Lucy Boynton
* Gwilym Lee
* Ben Hardy
* Joe Mazzello
* Aidan Gillen
* Tom Hollander
* Mike Myers
* 20th Century Fox
* Regency Enterprises
* GK Films
* Queen Films
* 23 October 2018 (2018-10-23) (Wembley Arena)
* 24 October 2018 (2018-10-24) (United Kingdom)
* 2 November 2018 (2018-11-02) (United States)
* United States
* United Kingdom

***Bohemian Rhapsody*** is a 2018 biographical musical drama film that focuses on the life of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the British rock band Queen, from the formation of the band in 1970 to their 1985 Live Aid performance at the original Wembley Stadium. It was directed by Bryan Singer from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, and produced by Graham King and Queen manager Jim Beach. It stars Rami Malek as Mercury, with Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers in supporting roles. Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor also served as consultants. A British-American venture, it was produced by Regency Enterprises, GK Films and Queen Films, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox.

*Bohemian Rhapsody* was announced in 2010, with Sacha Baron Cohen set to play Mercury. After he left the project in 2013 following creative differences with producers, the project languished for several years before Malek was cast in November 2016. Singer served as director through most of principal photography, which began in London in September 2017, but was fired in December 2017 due to frequent absences and clashes with the cast and crew. Dexter Fletcher, who was originally set to direct when the project was early in development, was hired to complete the film; Singer retained sole director credit as per Directors Guild of America guidelines, while Fletcher received an executive producer credit. Filming concluded in January 2018.

The film was released in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2018 and in the United States on 2 November 2018, to mixed reviews. While the musical sequences and Malek's performance were particularly praised, Singer's direction, the film's portrayal of Mercury and other personnel, its use of creative licence and editing were criticized. It was well received by audiences and became a major box office success, grossing over $910 million worldwide on a production budget of about $50 million, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2018 worldwide and setting the all-time box office records for the biographical and drama genres. *Bohemian Rhapsody* received numerous accolades, including a leading four wins at the 91st Academy Awards for Best Actor (Malek), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing; it was also nominated for Best Picture. The film also won Best Motion Picture – Drama at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated for the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture and BAFTA Award for Best British Film, while Malek won the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA for Best Actor.

## Plot

In 1985, Queen waits to perform at Live Aid. Fifteen years earlier, in 1970, Farrokh Bulsara works as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport and lives with his parents and sister. He goes to a pub to see the band Smile perform. Seeking them out after the show, he meets and is attracted to Mary Austin, who works at the boutique Biba. He finds drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May and learns that their lead singer and bassist, Tim Staffell, has just quit to join Humpy Bong. Farrokh offers himself as a replacement singer and impresses them with his vocal ability. Farrokh seeks out Mary at Biba and they start dating. The band plays gigs across Britain with Farrokh as the lead singer and new bassist John Deacon. Farrokh pushes them to think bigger and sells their van to finance a record album. An A&R rep from EMI asks engineer Roy Thomas Baker for demos.

Farrokh changes his name to Freddie Mercury and renames the band Queen. They sign with John Reid, who books an American tour. Paul Prenter, who is attracted to Freddie, manages their daily schedule. An appearance on *Top of the Pops* gives Queen their first hit, "Killer Queen". Freddie proposes to Mary but begins questioning his sexuality. In 1975, Queen record their fourth studio album, *A Night at the Opera,* placing extensive effort into recording Freddie's magnum opus, "Bohemian Rhapsody". However, they quit EMI when executive Ray Foster refuses to release it as the album's lead single. Freddie conspires with radio DJ Kenny Everett to debut the song on his program. Despite critical pans, "Bohemian Rhapsody" becomes a global hit, launching Queen to international superstardom. Following a world tour, Freddie begins an affair with Paul and comes out to Mary as bisexual. She counters that he is gay and they call off the engagement but remain close friends.

The band's success continues into the 1980s with the songs "We Will Rock You" and "Another One Bites the Dust", but tensions arise over Paul's influence on Freddie. At a lavish party at his home, Freddie is attracted to a waiter, Jim Hutton, who tells Freddie to find him when he learns self-acceptance. Paul encourages Reid to persuade Freddie to go solo, but when the idea offends Freddie, Paul feigns ignorance and Freddie fires Reid without consulting the band. Freddie's relationship with the band further deteriorates after the campy music video for "I Want to Break Free", where the band appears in drag, backfires and he signs a $4-million solo deal with CBS Records, effectively breaking up the band. He records his 1984 solo album *Mr. Bad Guy* in Munich and engages in drugs and gay orgies with Paul. Mary, now married and pregnant, visits unexpectedly and urges him to return to Queen and participate in the benefit concert Live Aid. Realizing that Paul withheld news of Live Aid from him and has been a corrosive influence, Freddie fires him. In retaliation, Paul goes public about Freddie's sexual escapades.

Freddie returns to London to reconcile with the band and persuade them to play at Live Aid as a last-minute addition. Freddie learns that he has AIDS. He reveals his condition to the band, but brushes off their sympathy, wishing to focus on performing and making music for however long he has left. The band embraces in solidarity. On the day of Live Aid, Freddie reconnects with Jim Hutton, Mary, and his family, and heeds his father's Zoroastrian maxim, "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds". Freddie and the band are in top form at Live Aid, performing several hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Radio Ga Ga", and "We Are the Champions", and helping to increase donations.

A series of intertitles recount Freddie's final years, his death in 1991, and the establishment of the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

## Cast

 File:Bohemian Rhapsody cast on MTV Movies.jpg

* Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara), British musician, songwriter and lead vocalist of Queen
* Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Mercury's former fiancée, close friend and muse
* Gwilym Lee as Brian May, Queen's lead guitarist.
* Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor, Queen's drummer.
* Joe Mazzello as John Deacon, Queen's bassist.
* Aidan Gillen as John Reid, Queen's first manager
* Allen Leech as Paul Prenter, Mercury's personal manager and lover
* Tom Hollander as Jim "Miami" Beach, Queen's lawyer turned manager
* Mike Myers as Ray Foster, a fictional EMI executive
* Aaron McCusker as Jim Hutton, Mercury's boyfriend
* Meneka Das as Jer Bulsara, Mercury's mother
* Ace Bhatti as Bomi Bulsara, Mercury's father
* Priya Blackburn as Kashmira Bulsara, Mercury's sister
* Tim Plester as Roy Thomas Baker, Queen's co-producer
* Dermot Murphy as Bob Geldof, Live Aid organiser
* Dickie Beau as Kenny Everett, radio broadcaster from Capital London, BBC Radio 1, and BBC Radio 2
* Jack Roth as Tim Staffell, vocalist & bassist of the band Smile
* Max Bennett as David, Mary's new boyfriend (later husband)
* Neil Fox-Roberts as Mary's father
* Michelle Duncan as Shelley Stern, a reporter
* Adam Lambert as trucker (uncredited)
* Luke Deacon (John Deacon's son) as concert attendee (uncredited)
* Emily May (Brian May's daughter) as concert attendee (uncredited)

## Production

### Development

Plans for a film about Queen were revealed in September 2010 by the band's guitarist Brian May. Covering the period up to Live Aid in 1985, the film was to feature Sacha Baron Cohen as Freddie Mercury, with Graham King to co-produce, and Peter Morgan to write the screenplay. May confirmed in April 2011 that the production was moving forward. He approved of Baron Cohen as Mercury but had reservations about the project's possible direction. The band's concerns focused on avoiding any harm to Mercury's legacy.

In July 2013, Baron Cohen left the project due to creative differences. Allegedly, he had wanted a "gritty R-rated tell-all" focused on Mercury, while the band hoped for a PG-rated film about the band. May said later in 2013 that Baron Cohen had left the project on good terms. Comments by May and Roger Taylor suggested that Baron Cohen was too well known as a comedian and prankster (due largely to his fictional personae Ali G and Borat), and that his presence in the film would be distracting. In March 2016, Baron Cohen spoke about misunderstandings with Queen about the subject and events of the film, in particular, whether the story ought to continue past Mercury's 1991 death. He also mentioned artistic disagreements with the band over the composition of the production team, referring specifically to Cohen recruiting Morgan, David Fincher, and Tom Hooper.

Following Baron Cohen's departure, in December 2013, Ben Whishaw was mentioned as a possible replacement to play Mercury. Also at this time, Dexter Fletcher was selected as the film's director. Fletcher removed himself from the project early the following year, amid reports of creative disagreements with King. In August 2014, Whishaw suggested that the film was not progressing well and that there had been scripting problems. Whishaw left the project seven months later. Rumours followed in 2015 that Baron Cohen had rejoined the project, or that Whishaw might return.

In November 2015, screenwriter Anthony McCarten became attached to the project, which now had the working title of *Bohemian Rhapsody* after Queen's song of the same name. Developing a fresh take on the story from his interviews with May and Taylor, he delivered his first draft in February 2016. A year later, Bryan Singer was in talks to take over as director, Rami Malek was cast as Mercury, and the film was fast-tracked by 20th Century Fox and New Regency. It was reported in 2015 that Johnny Flynn was due to play Roger Taylor and that Gemma Arterton would play Mercury's partner Mary Austin.

In May 2017, Malek confirmed that he had conducted recordings at Abbey Road Studios and had consulted Taylor and May. The same month, *Entertainment Weekly* reported that Taylor and May were serving as music producers. In August 2017, Justin Haythe was revealed to have penned another draft of the script.

### Casting

On 4 November 2016, it was announced that Rami Malek would star as Freddie Mercury, after the producers saw his work in *Mr. Robot*. He had to make a pre-recording at Abbey Road Studios, which was sent to Queen members for approval. On 21 August 2017, additional cast members were announced: Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor, Gwilym Lee as lead guitarist Brian May, and Joseph Mazzello as bass guitarist John Deacon. On 30 August 2017, it was reported that Allen Leech had been cast in the film to play Mercury's personal manager, Paul Prenter, who worked for him from 1977 to 1987, when he was fired for betraying Mercury by selling his personal information to UK newspapers.

On 6 September 2017, Lucy Boynton was cast to play Mercury's long-term girlfriend, Mary Austin. Lindsey Stirling, Bryce Dallas Howard, Maria Bello and Ashley Johnson were also considered. On 11 September 2017, Mike Myers joined the cast to play EMI executive Ray Foster, and on 22 September 2017, Aaron McCusker was added to play Mercury's long-term boyfriend Jim Hutton. On 26 September 2017, it was announced that Aidan Gillen had been cast as John Reid, Queen's second manager, from 1975 to 1978, who took over from Norman Sheffield of Trident Studios; while Tom Hollander was set to play Jim Beach, Queen's third manager, who took over from John Reid in 1978. The film includes cameos by current Queen vocalist Adam Lambert as a truck driver and the film's editor John Ottman as a live TV director. Luke Deacon, son of John Deacon, also makes a cameo appearance as a college student, attending the pub where Smile plays.

### Filming

Pre-production began in July 2017 in the United Kingdom, with principal photography commencing in London in September 2017. Queen archivist Greg Brooks was instrumental in helping recreate each scene to make it as true to life as possible. He worked daily with Fox for months from the beginning, providing answers to questions. There were about a hundred extras, who were all individually scanned 360° and digitally replicated to imitate a larger crowd. The entire Live Aid performance was filmed on a giant set at the former airfield RAF Bovingdon, but in the final cut "We Will Rock You" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" were cut out.

When Malek was contacted about playing Mercury, he had only a casual knowledge of Queen. To embody Mercury, Malek had to work many intense sessions with a movement coach (as well as learn to talk with prosthetic teeth). Malek's protruding teeth were crafted by artist Chris Lyons. Besides examining Mercury's movements, they also watched footage of Liza Minnelli, who was an inspiration to Mercury's stage moves. Malek took singing and piano lessons and had an accent coach. He said, "I had to re-create things he did on the fly, onstage. There were many days I said to myself, 'This is a lost cause.'" After finishing the film, Malek said that he became a "Queen super-fan", specifying, "I see Freddie as the best performer of all time... I never ceased to be astonished by this man." While Malek sang some parts in the film, producers inserted vocal stems from Queen songs as well as filling in parts with Canadian vocalist Marc Martel, a winner of the Queen Extravaganza Live Tour auditions.

#### Firing of Singer and his replacement

 File:Dexter Fletcher at the 58th BFI London Film Festival Awards.jpg
On 1 December 2017, *The Hollywood Reporter* reported that 20th Century Fox had temporarily halted production due to the "unexpected unavailability" of director Bryan Singer. Sources said that Singer had not returned to the set after the Thanksgiving week (20–26 November). Discussions began about replacing him. Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel stepped in to direct during Singer's non-showings. Singer's absence was reportedly due to "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family". With under three weeks left on the shoot, Singer requested a filming hiatus as his mother was extremely ill. Other sources claimed that Malek and the crew had grown tired of Singer's behaviour, who was reportedly arriving late to set and clashing with Malek. Tom Hollander briefly quit the film over issues with Singer but was convinced to return. On 4 December 2017, Singer was fired as director, with about two weeks of scheduled principal photography remaining.

On 6 December 2017, Dexter Fletcher was announced as Singer's replacement and on 15 December, filming resumed with Fletcher directing. Fletcher later estimated that two-thirds of the principal photography had been completed when he joined the production, saying, "I came into the last few weeks of principal photography and editing and the bits and pieces like that... I was looking at two complete [acts] in a good film, and [I had to] not let it down."

On 30 January 2018, Gwilym Lee posted to social media that filming had finished. Visual effects were provided by DNEG and supervised by Paul Norris.

#### Directing credit

According to the Directors Guild of America, only one director can be named for a film, and the DGA has sole control over who that will be. Although Fletcher replaced Singer on the set before filming was completed, with two weeks left (Singer hired the cast, crew and filmed most of the film), producer Graham King announced in June 2018 that Singer would receive the directing credit on the finished film. Fletcher received an executive producer credit.

### Music

John Ottman, a frequent collaborator of Singer, edited the film's soundtrack. The film lacks an original underscore, deviating from previous Singer-Ottman collaborations on which the latter has also served as composer. An official soundtrack album was released by Hollywood Records and Virgin EMI Records on CD, cassette and digital formats on 19 October 2018. The album contains several Queen hits and 11 previously unreleased recordings, including five tracks from their 21-minute Live Aid performance in July 1985, which have never before been released in audio form. Vinyl releases (including a picture disc bundle) followed in February and April 2019. The soundtrack became the sixth-best-selling album of 2019.

## Release

The world premiere of *Bohemian Rhapsody* took place in London at Wembley Arena, on 23 October 2018. It was released in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2018 in IMAX, and in the United States on 2 November 2018, by 20th Century Fox. The film had previously been scheduled for release on 25 December 2018.
In November 2018, John Ottman announced in an interview that an extended version of the film with cut-out scenes may be released, in a yet unknown format.
On 1 January 2019, it was announced that there would be special sing-along screenings simultaneously in cinemas across the United Kingdom with the first screening at Leicester Square's Prince Charles Cinema with others on 11 January 2019. There were also many sing-along screenings in South Korea and Japan.

In China, the film had a limited release on 22 March 2019. Three minutes of the film was censored, including scenes depicting drugs and homosexuality. Part of Rami Malek's Oscar speech, where he referred to Freddie Mercury as "a gay man, an immigrant," was also censored in China.

In Egypt, the film was subjected to several cuts before it was permitted to be screened. As Rami Malek is of Egyptian descent, his Oscar win for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury drew congratulations from Egyptian media and government figures. However, Neela Ghoshal of Human Rights Watch stated that the country deserved "an Oscar for hypocrisy" given its prohibition on homosexuals appearing in the media. Member of Parliament Mohamed Ismail criticised Malek's win, stating: "He is trying to [spread] homosexuality among the youth... The award has a specific goal, which is to corrupt morality in the Arab world. Rami Malek is a bad example. If he was in Egypt, he would have been hanged."

### Home media

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film in the United States on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray on 19 February 2019; with a digital version released 22 January. The UK digital release was scheduled for 23 February 2019, with DVD and Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD on 18 March 2019. The home release includes an extended version of the Live Aid sequence, a 16-minute featurette, a 22-minute documentary, and trailers.

In the United Kingdom, it surpassed *Avengers: Infinity War* to become the fastest-selling digital download film of all time, selling 265,000 downloads in eight days. It also set the record for the biggest debut on physical disc formats, selling 465,000 discs in its first week. It went on to sell 853,000 units in four weeks, including 388,600 digital sales.

In the United States, 73% of unit sales in the first week were on Blu-ray Disc, with 13% from the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version. Home video sales in the United States and Canada are estimated to have generated over $49.6 million as of 6 December 2019[update], including $19,333,115 in DVD sales and $41,562,971 in Blu-ray sales.

### Marketing

 File:University of West London Bohemian Rhapsody Poster.jpg
The first trailer for the film was released on 15 May 2018 and with more than 5 million views in the first 24 hours, it was the top trending video on YouTube. Television writer and producer Bryan Fuller argued that the trailer favours Mercury's relationship with women as opposed to men, and also highlighted the absence of the singer's AIDS diagnosis from the synopsis. Instead, it is simply referred to as "a life-threatening illness". Executives stated that the film would acknowledge Mercury's gay relationships. With the release of the trailer, Queen reached three of the top 20 positions on the *Billboard* Hot Rock Songs chart: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "We Are the Champions". In total, the studio spent $121 million promoting the film.

On 11 June 2018, at CineEurope in Barcelona, an early showing of the film closed the show, with appearances by Rami Malek and producer Graham King and special appearances by Brian May and Roger Taylor, who were playing a concert of Queen + Adam Lambert in Barcelona.

## Reception

### Box office

*Bohemian Rhapsody* grossed $216.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $694.1 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $910.8 million, against a production budget of about $52 million.

On 11 November, it surpassed *Straight Outta Compton* ($201.6 million) to become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all-time worldwide. *Bohemian Rhapsody* went on to set box office records for the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, and the highest-grossing LGBT film. It also set the record for the highest-grossing conventional drama film (it was surpassed by *Joker* one year later). It is Fox's fourth highest-grossing film, and their fifth highest outside of North America.

*Deadline Hollywood* calculated the net profit of the film to be $350.8 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenue, making it the fourth most profitable release of 2018. However, in November 2021, after McCarten sued producer Graham King over lack of payments, it was revealed 20th Century Fox wrote down the film as a $51 million loss, an act attributed to Hollywood accounting.

#### United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the film had preview screenings on its opening night of 24 October 2018, grossing £1.62 million ($Template:To USD million) from 575 venues, with a per-screen average of £2,817 ($Template:To USD). It went on to gross $12.5 million from 1,250 screens in its opening weekend, finishing first at the box office. It grossed another $7.4 million in its second weekend, remaining at number-one and grossing £20.4 million ($Template:To USD million) through 12 days.

#### United States and Canada

In the United States and Canada, *Bohemian Rhapsody* was released alongside *The Nutcracker and the Four Realms* and *Nobody's Fool*, and was originally projected to gross $26–30 million in its opening weekend. By the week of its release, weekend estimates had reached $35–40 million. It made $18.4 million on its first day, including $3.9 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $51.1 million, topping the box office and marking the second-best opening for a musical biographical picture, behind *Straight Outta Compton* ($60.2 million in August 2015). The film made $31.2 million in its second weekend, finishing second, behind newcomer *The Grinch*, and $15.7 million in its third, finishing behind *Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald* and *The Grinch*.

In its fourth weekend the film made $13.8 million, and $19.3 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame, finishing fifth. On 1 December, it passed $162 million at the domestic box office, surpassing *Straight Outta Compton* as the highest grossing musical biopic in the United States. In its 10th weekend of release the film was added to 199 theatres over the previous week for a total of 1,080, and made $2.4 million. In its 12th weekend of release the film made $2.3 million from 1,117 theatres, crossing the $200 million mark. In the film's 13th week of release, following the announcement of its five Oscar nominations, it was added back to an additional 246 theatres (for a total of 1,423) and made $2.6 million.

#### Other territories

In its second weekend of international release, the film topped the worldwide box office, grossing $72.5 million in international markets. New markets included France ($7.7 million), Mexico ($5.8 million), Germany ($5.7 million) and Australia ($5.7 million). By its fourth weekend the film was still holding strong, adding an additional $45.5 million from 78 markets, for a running total of $256.4 million. Through four weekends of international release, the film's largest markets were the UK ($45.3 million, passing *La La Land*), followed by South Korea ($24.5 million), France ($18.38 million), Australia ($16.8 million) and Mexico ($15.5 million). On 12 December, the film surpassed $433 million at the international box office, becoming the highest-grossing musical biopic ever overseas.

The film became the biggest 2018 release in 13 international markets, including Japan ($88.6 million), Italy ($30.5 million) and the Netherlands ($19.3 million), as of 20 January 2019[update]. The film's largest overseas markets were in East Asia, with the largest-grossing market being Japan, where it became the highest-grossing film of 2018. The film crossed 7 million tickets sold and Template:JPY grossed at the Japanese box office, with the IMAX version crossing Template:JPY, becoming the highest-grossing IMAX release ever in Japan. It also crossed $115 million there, and is the highest-grossing live-action musical film in Japan, passing *Beauty and the Beast* (2017). As of 31 March 2019, *Bohemian Rhapsody* has sold 9,220,250 tickets and grossed Template:JPY in Japan.

In South Korea, the film debuted at number two at the box office and by the fourth week took over the number one spot. After a short drop for two weeks, the film reclaimed the number one spot in its seventh week, which is a first for a Hollywood film. As the second-largest grossing market outside of North America, the film has amassed $77 million, as of 1 February 2019, and has become the sixth highest-grossing foreign film ever in South Korea, with nearly 10 million tickets sold. It is the most successful musical film ever released in South Korea.

The film grossed $29.4 million in Spain, $16.4 million in Russia and $14.4 million in Brazil, as of 3 February 2019[update]. In China, where the film received an art house release after having its content edited, it debuted to $11.6 million, setting the all-time record for a National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas release.

### Critical response

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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of Template:RT data based on Template:RT data reviews, and an average rating of Template:RT data. The website's critical consensus reads: "*Bohemian Rhapsody* hits a handful of high notes, but as an in-depth look at a beloved band, it offers more of a medley than a true greatest hits collection." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 88% positive score and a 75% "definite recommend". The critical response to *Bohemian Rhapsody* made it one of the worst-reviewed films to win a Best Picture award at the Golden Globe Awards (lowest Rotten Tomatoes score since *Out of Africa* in 1986—60% compared to *Bohemian Rhapsody*'s 62% at the time of the awards), or to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (lowest Rotten Tomatoes score since *Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close* in 2012—46% at the time of the awards).

Owen Gleiberman of *Variety* wrote: "Rami Malek does a commanding job of channeling Freddie Mercury's flamboyant rock-god bravura, but Bryan Singer's middle-of-the-road Queen biopic rarely lives up to the authenticity of its lead performance." Paul Whitington, writing for the *Irish Independent*, gave the film 3/5 stars, saying: "*Bohemian Rhapsody* is not big on subtlety: it tells Freddie's story loudly, taking dramatic shortcuts, over-neatly conflating events and reducing most of the surrounding characters to single dimensions. Some of the dialogue's a bit heavy-handed too, but I must say I was thoroughly entertained."

For the *Evening Standard*, Craig McLean wrote: "*Bohemian Rhapsody* is triumphant entertainment. The post-production special effects have done their job: the Live Aid scenes are convincingly epic. The actors have done their job, too, notably Malek, who oozes pure Mercury." For *Time*, Stephanie Zacharek wrote: "In strict filmmaking terms, *Bohemian Rhapsody* is a bit of a mess. Some of its scenes connect awkwardly, and it hits every beat of disaster and triumphs squarely, like a gong. Yet if it has many of the problems we associate with 'bad' movies, it has more ragged energy than so many good ones, largely because of Rami Malek's performance as Mercury, all glitter and muscle and nerve endings." She described it as "a movie for sensualists, not quality-control experts".

Chief *Guardian* pop critic Alexis Petridis described the portrayal of Mercury as "sanitized", writing: "*Bohemian Rhapsody* is a film that plays so fast and loose with the truth, it ends up seeming faintly ridiculous: you start out nitpicking about minor chronological errors... and end up with your jaw on the floor." *Guardian* film critic Steve Rose described it as a "rock slog with a troubling moralistic subtext". Although he praised Malek's performance, David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a grade of "D+", criticising Singer's direction and calling the film "royally embarrassing". He wrote: "Queen's music may have been unclassifiable, but their movie is as trite and textbook as it gets." He described the film as a "terrible and self-indulgent piece of revisionist history, where the legend is always prioritized over the truth, even when the truth was surely far more interesting."

For *The Spectator*, Jasper Rees described *Bohemian Rhapsody* as "a succession of predigested clichés", writing "you are overcome by the sapping impression that almost nothing happened the way it's being presented." He concluded: "The costumes and wigs are splendid, and the songs are still up to snuff. But this homage to a showman is more famine than feast." Olly Richards wrote for *Empire* that the film was "a safe, competent, decidedly non-scandalous biopic. It treats the life of Freddie Mercury with cautious affection, happy to play within the rules when depicting a man who did anything but." However, he described Malek as "spectacular", concluding: "If the script hits a lot of bum notes, Malek is always perfectly in key." Peter Travers of *Rolling Stone* wrote: "In struggling to make a salable PG-13 movie out of an R-rated rock life, *Bohemian Rhapsody* leaves you feeling that something essential and elemental is missing", but said to put Malek "high on the list for best film performances of 2018," as the actor "digs so deep into the role that we can't believe we're not watching the real thing."

Dave Calhoun wrote for *Time Out*: "It boasts a film-stealing, possessed performance by Rami Malek, who pouts, struts and quips as Mercury, turning the rest of the cast into bit-part players... The movie, though catchy and often seductive, is an act of brazen myth-making. Facts and chronology are tossed aside in favor of a messianic storyline... Much is left out, or fiddled with." He added, "don't expect anything more than a safe gloss over the Queen tale... its attitude toward sex and drugs is coy and uncomfortably close to the small-world thinking it claims to dismiss." Despite calling the film "uneven," *Chicago Tribune* film critic Katie Walsh stated: "Malek keeps it going with his sheer will and talent." In a negative review, Soumya Srivastava of the *Hindustan Times* still asserted that the character was "played to a toothy perfection by Rami Malek." Johnny Oleksinski of the *New York Post* was less impressed with Malek's performance, writing: "It's a surface-level performance — physically galvanizing, but with no substance."

The film received criticism for its portrayal of Mercury's gay relationships. Aja Romano wrote for *Vox*: "*Bohemian Rhapsody* is a movie that consciously tries to position a gay man at its center while strategically disengaging with the 'gay' part as much as it can, flitting briefly over his emotional and sexual experiences and fixating on his platonic relationship with an ex-girlfriend instead." Likewise, Olly Richards wrote: "There are some poor, strange choices when deciding where to focus, not least committing so much time to his relationship with Mary Austin and virtually none to any happy gay relationship, romantic or otherwise." Owen Gleiberman wrote that the film "treats Freddie's life – his sexual-romantic identity, his loneliness, his reckless adventures in gay leather clubs – with kid-gloves reticence, so that even if the film isn't telling major lies, you don't feel you're fully touching the real story either."

Brian May responded to the critical reviews by stating that the "mistake that critics made was reviewing the trailer instead of reviewing the film. They jumped to conclusions. Once people stake their claim, it's hard for them to withdraw." Fraser Nelson, editor of *The Spectator*, wrote: "Don't believe the critics. If you like Queen's music, see the Queen film," and he likened the critics' negative reaction to the film to the original reaction to the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the popular musical *We Will Rock You*. Also writing for *The Spectator*, Toby Young described the film's success at the Academy Awards as "a triumph over snobby film critics".

### Accolades

The film, which has received multiple awards and nominations, won four awards at the 91st Academy Awards for Best Actor (Rami Malek), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, making it the film with the most wins at the ceremony; it was also nominated for Best Picture, which it lost to *Green Book*. At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, the film was nominated for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and Best Motion Picture – Drama, winning both. At the 72nd British Academy Film Awards, the film received seven nominations, winning for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Sound. The film was also nominated for Best Theatrical Motion Picture at the 30th annual Producers Guild of America Awards, and received an award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In the wake of the renewed sexual abuse allegations against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD withdrew *Bohemian Rhapsody*'s nomination for the year's GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Film – Wide Release category. On 6 February 2019, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts removed Singer's name from *Bohemian Rhapsody*'s nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best British Film.

When the film was nominated and won awards for Best Editing, several sequences were criticised online for poor editing and continuity errors. Editor John Ottman, aware of these lapses, explained that they were the result of mixing scenes that had been shot by Singer and Fletcher, as well as in response to the producers' notes and test audience feedback. He wished he could have handled them differently.

## Possible sequel

In August 2021, guitarist Brian May revealed that there were ideas being thrown around for a sequel to *Bohemian Rhapsody*, though it would be a matter of topping the original and could possibly take years to get the screenplay right.

## Historical accuracy

The film has been criticized for fictionalizing, exaggerating or rearranging events in the band's career and Mercury's personal life. The visual blog *Information Is Beautiful* deduced that, while taking creative licence into account, the film was 79.9% accurate when compared to real-life events, calling it "a fairly truthful account represented in a massively compressed [and] edited timeline."

### Regarding the band

* The formation of Queen was not as simple as portrayed in the film. Mercury had known Staffell from art college, and had expressed interest in joining Smile prior to Staffell's departure. Additionally, Smile had more than three members. Mercury also shared a flat with Roger Taylor prior to joining the band, and had run a stall at the Kensington Market with him.
* Deacon was not the original bassist, but the fourth.
* The character of Foster is fictional, and is loosely based on EMI chief Roy Featherstone. While Featherstone and others did think that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was too long to be released as a single, Featherstone was a fan of the band. *A Night at the Opera* was in fact released by EMI, with "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the lead single, and Queen would remain with EMI for the remainder of their career.
* Some songs are shown out of chronological order. For example, "We Will Rock You" was written in 1977, not in 1980 as depicted in the film. "Fat Bottomed Girls" was not written until 1978, although the film shows the band performing it during their first US tour in 1974.
* Reid was not fired as Queen's manager after an argument with Mercury over his solo career as portrayed in the film. The band and Reid parted amicably in 1978 by mutual agreement and for different reasons.
* The Rio de Janeiro concert did not take place in 1979, but during the first Rock in Rio festival in January 1985 (thus approximately six months before Live Aid); the live version for "Love of My Life" used in the film is taken from the 1985 Rio concert, and labelled as such in the accompanying official soundtrack for the film.
* The film portrays the band breaking up when Mercury goes solo, but in reality they never split and their Live Aid performance was not a reunion. Mercury's solo debut, *Mr. Bad Guy*, released in April 1985, was not the first solo project by a Queen member. Prior to this, Taylor had released the single "(I Wanna) Testify" in August 1977, and the albums *Fun in Space* and *Strange Frontier* in April 1981 and June 1984, respectively. May had released the EP *Star Fleet Project* in October 1983.
* Queen did not start sharing songwriting credits in 1985 before Live Aid. Their 1986 album *A Kind of Magic* still had individual writing credits. The only Queen albums which credit the band as a whole are their last, *The Miracle* (1989) and *Innuendo* (1991).
* Queen were not apprehensive about performing at Live Aid and were not a last-minute addition. They had completed a worldwide tour in support of the album *The Works* two months before Live Aid. They were "extremely well-rehearsed" for the show and did not have to get back into shape as a band.
* Queen performed "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "We Will Rock You" at Live Aid, after "Hammer to Fall" and before "We Are the Champions", but this is not shown in the theatrical release of the film. "Radio Ga Ga" and "Hammer to Fall" were also shorter in the film than in the real concert.
* In a scene that did not appear in the film but was briefly shown in a trailer, Gwilym Lee as May and Joseph Mazzello as Deacon are seen playing their guitars with a bow, which May himself claims to have never done.

### Regarding Mercury's personal life

* The backstory of Mercury's family was not as dramatic as portrayed in the film. The family were not forced to flee their hometown in Zanzibar but had a six-month window move to Middlesex. The film also suggests that Mercury was sent to boarding school because of his behaviour, and portrays his indifference to his Parsi background and decision to change his name as a source of tension with his family. Mercury's mother Jer claimed in a 2012 interview with *The Daily Telegraph* that Mercury was sent to boarding school in India in hope for a better education; Mercury "kept a strict division between his work and his home all his life", and throughout his upbringing and adulthood was known to be respectful towards his family. May also stated that Mercury's parents were ultimately supportive of the band and would attend Queen's concerts if they were performing nearby. Both Jer and Mercury's sister Kashmira also claimed that while Mercury was not devoutly religious and preferred not to disclose his beliefs with the media, he was proud of his ancestry in private. Although not shown in the film, Mercury's funeral service was conducted in accordance with Zoroastrian customs.
* According to *Vanity Fair*, the film leaves out many details about Mercury's relationships with Austin and Hutton, "tweaking and glossing over precious facts".
* Mercury did not meet Austin on the same night he joined the band. Austin had briefly dated May, but did not meet Mercury until he was already a band member.
* Hutton was not a server at one of Mercury's parties; he was a hairdresser at the Savoy Hotel who met Mercury at a nightclub. They first met in 1983 and not in 1981, as portrayed in the film.
* The film's treatment of Mercury's HIV diagnosis received particular criticism, with Jasper Rees describing it in *The Spectator* as "the most callous rearrangement of the facts". Mercury was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, two years after Live Aid. Taylor said that the other band members were not made aware of his condition until early 1989.
* The portrayal of Paul Prenter was also met with some debate. Both May and Taylor have said that Prenter's partnership with Mercury was a source of friction within Queen. In his book *Queen 3-D*, May wrote, "He [Prenter] was certainly responsible for leading Freddie off on a different path, and it would be fair to say that we parted on terms that were less than good." Taylor said in the Queen documentary *Days of our Lives* that "He [Prenter] was a very, very bad influence upon Freddie, hence on the band." However, Prenter's family have said that he and Mercury were never in a relationship; that he was not disowned by his family for his sexuality; and that he did not withhold details concerning *Live Aid* from Mercury. In real life, Prenter did not work for Reid; he was a former radio DJ who became Mercury's PA in 1977, two years after the release of *A Night at the Opera*. He also did not disclose details of Mercury's sex life on a German talk show, but in a 1987 interview for *The Sun* newspaper after he no longer worked for the band. According to Mark Blake's book *Is This the Real Life?*, Queen roadie Peter Hince claimed that Prenter was fired for holding a party in Mercury's home without permission.

## Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Film releases. *Variety Insight*.
2. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody (12A). British Board of Film Classification (19 October 2018).
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). *AllMovie*.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rubin, Rebecca (31 October 2018). Will 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Rock the Box Office?. *Variety*.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (4 November 2018). 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Sends Thunderbolts And Lightning Through B.O. As Freddie Mercury Biopic Hits $50M Opening.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bryan Singer to Get Directing Credit on Queen Biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (12 June 2018).
8. ↑ Yang, Rachel (23 October 2018). 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Sees Mixed Reviews as Critics Praise Rami Malek.
9. ↑ Sblendorio, Peter (7 November 2018). How 'Rhapsody' addresses Freddie Mercury's sexuality.
10. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Family of Belfast man Prenter who was Freddie Mercury's PA claim movie's portrayal destroys his name". *Belfast Telegraph*. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
11. ↑ Sharf, Zack (7 November 2018). "Bohemian Rhapsody" called out for inaccuracies, including handling of Mercury's HIV diagnosis.
12. ↑ Bamberger, Cayla (5 November 2018). Bohemian Rhapsody Draws Harsh Critiques for Factual Inaccuracies.
13. ↑ Sharf, Zack (15 March 2019). 'Bohemian Rhapsody': How to Fix a 'Masterclass In Bad Editing' — Watch (en).
14. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen biopic surpasses $900m at box office". BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
15. ↑ Mr Robot star Rami Malek to play Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic. *The Guardian* (4 November 2016).
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Pedersen, Erik (6 September 2017). "'Bohemian Rhapsody': Lucy Boynton Joins Queen Pic As Mary Austin". *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Busch, Anita (21 August 2017). "Queen Pic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Finds Bandmates in Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee & Joe Mazzello". *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Galuppo, Mia (26 September 2017). "Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander Join Cast of Queen Biopic 'Bohemian Rhapsody'". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Busch, Anita (30 August 2017). "Allen Leech Joins 'Bohemian Rhapsody' As Paul Prenter, Freddie Mercury's Judas". *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Fleming, Mike Jr. (11 September 2017). Mike Myers Comes Full Circle With 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. *Deadline Hollywood*.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Busch, Anita (22 September 2017). 'Bohemian Rhapsody': Aaron McCusker Cast As Freddie Mercury Boyfriend Jim Hutton. *Deadline Hollywood*.
22. ↑ Adam Lambert Confirms Disguised 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Cameo (11 January 2019).
23. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody movie cameos (... and other weird bits) ReplyNew TopicNew PollSearch.
24. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury". *BBC News*. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
25. ↑ Sacha Baron Cohen is perfect to play Freddie Mercury but we can't mess up his legacy, says Brian May. *Daily Record* (27 April 2011).
26. ↑ Finke, Nikki (22 July 2013). Sacha Baron Baron Cohen Exits Freddie Mercury Biopic Over Creative Differences With Queen.
27. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Brian May Speaks on Queen Biopic Problems". *Ultimate Classic Rock*. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
28. ↑ Sacha Baron Cohen Says David Fincher Eyed Queen Biopic, Producers Wanted Freddie Mercury To Die Mid-Movie. *IndieWire* (8 March 2016).
29. ↑ Sacha Baron Cohen: I quit Freddie Mercury biopic after a dispute with Queen. *The Guardian* (9 March 2016).
30. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Ben Whishaw joins Freddie Mercury biopic". *BBC News*. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
31. ↑ Dexter Fletcher Drops Out of Freddie Mercury Biopic (14 March 2014).
32. ↑ Ben Whishaw says Freddie Mercury film is on hold. *The Daily Telegraph* (6 August 2014).
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Sacha Baron Cohen rejoins troubled Freddie Mercury biopic. *The Daily Telegraph* (28 March 2015).
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Fleming, Mike Jr. (18 November 2015). 'Theory of Everything's Anthony McCarten Scripting Freddie Mercury Pic For GK Films; Ben Whishaw in the Wings?.
35. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (4 November 2016). Queen Movie Amping Up With Bryan Singer & Rami Malek As Freddie Mercury.
36. ↑ Freddie Mercury biopic starring Ben Whishaw 'will start shooting in June 2016'. *NME* (19 November 2015).
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50. ↑ Beck, Lia (30 October 2018). Does Rami Malek Really Sing In 'Bohemian Rhapsody'? Here's How Freddie Mercury's Legendary Voice Was Recreated. *Bustle.com*.
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54. ↑ Freeman, Molly (1 December 2017). Fox Halts Production on Bryan Singer's Queen Biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
55. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Masters, Kim (4 December 2017). "Bryan Singer Fired From Directing Queen Biopic After On-Set Chaos (Exclusive)". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
56. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Fleming, Mike Jr. (6 December 2017). "Dexter Fletcher Replaces Bryan Singer On 'Bohemian Rhapsody'". *Deadline Hollywood*. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
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60. ↑ BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – The Art of VFXThe Art of VFX (3 October 2018).
61. ↑ Fox Fired Bryan Singer, but It Won't Be Able to Remove Him as the Director of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (4 December 2017).
62. ↑ Bryan Singer Will Get Directing Credit on 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (12 June 2018).
63. ↑ ART OF THE CUT with "Bohemian Rhapsody" editor, John Ottman by Steve Hullfish (en-US) (3 November 2018).
64. ↑ John Ottman: Music and Montage in Bohemian Rhapsody by Paula Parisi (en-US).
65. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Reed, Ryan (5 September 2018). "Queen Unearth Live Aid Recordings for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Soundtrack". *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
66. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Queen To Release Bohemian Rhapsody Original Film Soundtrack on October 19" (Press release). Burbank, California: Hollywood Records. PR Newswire. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
67. ↑ Queen to release Bohemian Rhapsody film soundtrack (5 September 2018).
68. ↑ Deacon, Queen, official, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John. QueenOnline.com.
69. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (26 March 2018). 20th Century Fox Shuffles Release Dates For 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Dark Phoenix' & More. *Deadline Hollywood*.
70. ↑ BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY : SING ALONG | Prince Charles Cinema
71. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody singalong screenings are coming to UK cinemas | 2 January 2019
72. ↑ 72.0 72.1 72.2 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Spanos, Brittany (10 January 2019). "Korean, Japanese Fans Can't Stop Watching 'Bohemian Rhapsody'". *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
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77. ↑ Egypt Should Win an Oscar for Hypocrisy Over Praise for Rami Malek. Human Rights Watch (4 March 2019).
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79. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody: We Will Rock You Exclusive. Bohemian Rhapsody Official Facebook Page.
80. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' 4K Blu-ray Review – A Star Is Reborn – Forbes
81. ↑ Press Release: Bohemian Rhapsody Digital, DVD and Blu-ray Release Details – 2 January 2019
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84. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Sings to No. 1 Debut on Home Video Charts | – week ended 16 Feb.
85. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) the-Numbers.com
86. ↑ Official Irish Video Chart Top 50 | 8 March 2019 – 14 March 2019
87. ↑ Official Film Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company – 27 February 2019 – 5 March 2019
88. ↑ Official Film On Disc Chart Top 50 | 10 March 2019 – 16 March 2019
89. ↑ Top 20 Sellers for Week Ended 2–16–19
90. ↑ Top 20 Selling Blu-ray Discs for Week Ended 2–16–19
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127. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Queen Biopic Draws 6 Million Viewers in About a Month". *The Chosun Ilbo*. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
128. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bohemian Rhapsody". *Box Office Mojo*. 3 February 2019.
129. ↑ Nancy Tartaglione (31 March 2019). 'Dumbo' Flies in Low With $71M Overseas; 'Captain Marvel' Nears $1B WW – International Box Office.
130. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). Fandango.
131. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody reviews.
132. ↑ Earls, John (10 January 2019). 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is the worst-reviewed Golden Globes winner in 33 years. *NME*.
133. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Fallon, Kevin (22 January 2019). "Oscars: Are 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Vice' the Worst Best Picture Nominees Ever?". *The Daily Beast*. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
134. ↑ 134.0 134.1 Gleiberman, Owen (23 October 2018). Film Review: 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. *Variety*.
135. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Whitington, Paul (26 October 2018). "Bohemian Rhapsody review: 'Malek's energy and conviction overcome the dramatic dips of a film that's far from perfect'". *Irish Independent*. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
136. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody: The real story behind the Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic (25 October 2018).
137. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
138. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Petridis, Alexis (24 October 2018). "Guaranteed to blow your mind: the real Freddie Mercury". *The Guardian*. London. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
139. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Rose, Steve (23 October 2018). "Bohemian Rhapsody review: Freddie Mercury biopic bites the dust". *The Guardian*. London. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
140. ↑ Ehrlich, David (23 October 2018). 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Review: A Spirited Rami Malek Can't Save Bryan Singer's Royally Embarrassing Queen Biopic. *IndieWire*.
141. ↑ 141.0 141.1 Rees, Jasper. A succession of predigested clichés: Bohemian Rhapsody reviewed. *The Spectator*.
142. ↑ 142.0 142.1 Richards, Olly (23 October 2018). Bohemian Rhapsody Review. *Empire*.
143. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
144. ↑ Calhoun, Dave (23 October 2018). Bohemian Rhapsody. *Time Out*.
145. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' review: Rami Malek puts on a great show as Freddie Mercury, but the film is, unfortunately, basic (30 October 2018).
146. ↑ Bohemian Rhapsody movie review: Rami Malek's film makes a little silhouette of a big man, Freddie Mercury (16 November 2018).
147. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is not the Freddie Mercury biopic we deserve (23 October 2018).
148. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Romano, Aja. "Bohemian Rhapsody loves Freddie Mercury's voice. It fears his queerness". *Vox*. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
149. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Crowned Queen of Golden Globes With Best Picture Drama Win, Sets Stage For Oscars. *Deadline Hollywood* (6 January 2019).
150. ↑ Nelson, Fraser (27 October 2018). Don't believe the critics. If you like Queen's music, see the Queen film. *The Spectator*.
151. ↑ Young, Toby (26 February 2019). Bohemian Rhapsody's Oscars win is a triumph over snobby film critics. *The Spectator*.
152. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Leads Oscars By Winning Four Awards (24 February 2019).
153. ↑ Oscar Winners 2019: The Complete List. *Variety* (24 February 2019).
154. ↑ Golden Globes 2019: Bohemian Rhapsody and Rami Malek are surprise winners. BBC (7 January 2019).
155. ↑ Pond, Steve (10 February 2019). BAFTA Awards 2019: 'The Favourite' Dominates, But 'Roma' Wins the Big One. *The Wrap*.
156. ↑ All Motion Picture and TV Nominations for 30th Annual Producers Guild Awards presented by Cadillac. Producers Guild of America (4 January 2019).
157. ↑ Template:Cite press release
158. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Loses GLAAD Award Nomination Over Bryan Singer Accusations (EXCLUSIVE) (24 January 2019).
159. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bohemian Rhapsody excluded by award show". BBC. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
160. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bafta removes Bryan Singer from nomination". BBC. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
161. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"BAFTA drops Bryan Singer from 'Bohemian Rhapsody' nomination over sexual misconduct allegations". *The Washington Post*. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
162. ↑ 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Editor is as Embarrassed About that One Scene as You Are. */Film* (20 March 2019).
163. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bohemian Rhapsody film editor responds to criticism". *BBC News*. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
164. ↑ Queen's Brian May is Looking at Ideas for 'Bohemian Rhapsody 2' (11 August 2021).
165. ↑ How Kiwi Anthony McCarten wrote the Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody. BAUER MEDIA PTY LTD (14 November 2018).
166. ↑ Based on a True True Story? Scene-by-scene Breakdown of Hollywood Films. Information Is Beautiful.
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168. ↑ 168.0 168.1 168.2 Chiu, David (5 November 2018). The History of Smile: The Band That Set the Stage for Queen. Ultimate Classic Rock.
169. ↑ Mr.Scully. Queen places in London. Queen Concerts.
170. ↑ 170.0 170.1 170.2 Smith, Greg (27 July 2019). Bohemian Rhapsody: The Untold Stories Behind the Freddie Mercury Biopic (en-US).
171. ↑ 171.0 171.1 171.2 171.3 Movie mistakes in Bohemian Rhapsody: 17 facts the Queen biopic got totally wrong (14 November 2018).
172. ↑ Why Queen & Elton John's Manager Is So Different In Bohemian Rhapsody & Rocketman (en-US) (3 June 2019).
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174. ↑ Levin, Angela (9 November 2018). Freddie Mercury's mother on losing her 'dear boy': 'He didn't have to say anything. I knew he was very ill.'. *The Telegraph*.
175. ↑ Who were Freddie Mercury's parents? Queen singer's family explained (20 August 2021).
176. ↑ Smee, Taryn (13 September 2018). Freddie Mercury's Zoroastrian Faith Inspired him to Follow his Dreams. *The Vintage News*.
177. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
178. ↑ Sharf, Zack (7 November 2018). "Bohemian Rhapsody" called out for inaccuracies, including handling of Mercury's HIV diagnosis.
179. ↑ Bamberger, Cayla (5 November 2018). Bohemian Rhapsody Draws Harsh Critiques for Factual Inaccuracies.
180. ↑ Nilles, Billy (5 November 2018). Everything Bohemian Rhapsody Got Wrong About Freddie Mercury's Life. E!.
181. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Family of Belfast man Prenter who was Freddie Mercury's PA claim movie's portrayal destroys his name". *Belfast Telegraph*. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
182. ↑ What Happened To Paul Prenter? The 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Villain Had A More Complex Relationship With The Band IRL. *Bustle* (1 November 2018).
183. ↑ How Paul Prenter betrayed Freddie Mercury before his death and became Bohemian Rhapsody's villain. *The Mirror* (7 January 2019).

## External links

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* Official website
* *Bohemian Rhapsody* at IMDb
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