Bohemian Rhapsody: Brian May speaks out on SEQUEL – Could another movie fix backlash?

The film is the most successful music biopic of all time – and it’s even seen some surprise awards success; scooping the prestigious Best Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes. Rami Malek, who plays Freddie Mercury, has also been doing well on the awards circuit and is expected to land a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars next week. So could all this lead to another movie?

Bohemian Rhapsody does not cover all of Queen’s success, nor does it go up to the end of Freddie Mercury’s life.

As many will already know, it all culminates at the Live Aid moment in 1985 – six years before Mercury ultimately passed away – although it does honour the surviving members setting up the Mercury Phoenix Trust in 1992.

In an interview with Louder Sound, May spoke about whether there was any “temptation” to continue the story beyond Live Aid, before bringing up the possibility of a second film.

“I think there’s a natural culmination there [at Live Aid],” he said.

“And that has pretty much always been the case, from the earliest scripts.

“We felt that was the pinnacle – despite what some people have said in the press, who know f**k-all about it.

“Somebody who shall be nameless said: ‘Oh, they’re going to portray Freddie dying in the middle of the movie, and then the rest of it is gonna be about life without Freddie.’ Well, complete bulls***.

“This is all about Freddie, and I think Live Aid is a good point to leave it. Who knows, there might be a sequel!”

Although the interviewer notes that May laughed at the sequel idea – and was therefore likely joking – a sequel, however unlikely, could go some way to correcting some of the backlash aimed at the first movie.

Bohemian Rhapsody has been criticised for downplaying Mercury’s sexuality, and also – as Joy Behar of The View put it to Malek – “glossed over” his fight with AIDS.

Behar said: “Freddie Mercury was a larger than life gay icon, I would say. He was everything to everyone but he was a gay icon.

“The movie touches on his homosexuality a bit but not that much. Was there a decision made to not go there? He did die of AIDS in 1991 – it was kind of glossed over a little bit. What do you say to that?”

“I don’t think it was glossed over. I think there’s some poignant moments,” Malek answered. “He talks about not wanting to be a poster boy for the disease, he wants to make music.”

He added: “I think that he’s a revolutionary because he lived his most authentic life.

“Little do people know that he did have a six-year relationship with a woman, who he called the love of his life – who’s the only person who knows where his ashes are.

“He was engaged to [her], he put a ring on that finger. Then she discovered he was bisexual, was gay. He is definitely a gay icon and a hero for everyone.”

source: express.co.uk