Behind The Scenes Of The Movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

One lighter behind-the-scenes story focuses on Mike Myers. A famous scene in Wayne's World shows Myers's character and his friends rocking out to "Bohemian Rhapsody," which some at the time doubted was popular enough to use in a movie. Myers pushed hard to include the Queen song, and as a result, "Bohemian Rhapsody" hit #2 on the Billboard charts nearly 20 years after its release.

As a tribute to the actor and famous Wayne's World scene, Myers has a cameo in Bohemian Rhapsody. He plays a British record exec who criticizes the titular song and says, "No one is going to be head-banging in the car to 'Bohemian Rhapsody'!"

Queen's 1985 performance at Live Aid was the stuff of legend, so the cast and crew felt it essential to get the scene right. The challenge was especially tough as it was the first scene shot for the entire movie. The camera crew studied the lighting of both the sun and stage from actual concert footage, while the cast had to replicate the bond of Queen after only three days of rehearsal.

A perfect replica of Wembley Stadium completed the illusion. According to cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel:

It’s kind of a crazy thing to start the shoot with one of the hardest and most pivotal moments. But it allowed the cast to come together early and create their chemistry. I remember watching them rehearse three days before the shoot. They didn’t know each other, and those four guys really jelled, just like a rock’n’roll band would.”​​​​​​

When the first trailers for Bohemian Rhapsody released to the public, the reception was mixed. Many people were angry that there appeared to be no mention of Freddie Mercury's struggles with his sexual identity or AIDS. Some shots showed Mercury flirting with women, meanwhile, but not men.

Rami Malek tried to explain: "First, let me say that I don’t think the film shies away from his sexuality or his all-consuming disease, which is obviously AIDS. It’s a bit absurd that anyone’s judging this from a minute trailer.”

Later trailers showcased more of Mercury's complexity.

The story of Bohemian Rhapsody began with producer Graham King's desire to make a movie about Freddie Mercury, which he allegedly brought to the surviving members of Queen around 2008. While King needed their approval to get started, it was personally important to him that the band stay involved as the project got underway.

According to Film Journal, at first, the musicians were too focused on the historical accuracy of the movie, prompting King to say, "We're making a film, not a documentary."

When Rami Malek got the part of Freddie Mercury, the actor was so excited he flew to London and spent weeks in the city - all on his own dime. Malek spoke with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor to get their insight on Mercury, read biographies, and watched old concerts and videos.

To better resemble Mercury, with his famous overbite, Malek had to get special fake teeth molded. He wore them so often during production that he said, "When I took them out by the end of the film, I felt quite naked."

As things moved along, Sacha Baron Cohen and Peter Morgan continued to butt heads with Queen over the script. Cohen's idea of an explicit R-rated movie didn't sit well with the band, who apparently wanted a family-friendly film that would keep their legacy untarnished.

At one point, Cohen told Howard Stern, a member of Queen thought Freddie Mercury's death should serve as the midpoint of the movie, with the second half focusing on what the band did in the years after. The conflict only grew, prompting Cohen to quit and Morgan to quickly follow suit.