‘Bohemian Rhapsody’: New Trailer Shows Queen’s Early Days, Origins of ‘We Will Rock You’

Queen”˜s roots are the focus of the new trailer for the long-awaited biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which stars Mr. Robot”˜s Rami Malek as the late singer Freddie Mercury.

In the trailer, Mercury attends Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor’s (Ben Hardy) show while they were performing as Smile. “I enjoyed the show,” Mercury says. “I also, I write songs.” Turns out their lead singer had just departed, Mercury becomes their singer and so begins their transformation into Queen. Mercury joined the band in 1970, and the movie traverses Queen’s rise in the 1970s through their triumphant set at 1985’s Live Aid, six years before Mercury died of complications from AIDS.

Beyond tracing the band’s beginnings, which tips to Mercury’s immediate charisma and the band’s chemistry, the trailer also explores the genesis of classic songs “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You.” The former showcases Taylor’s frustration while tracking the operatic “Galileo” parts of the song. “Roger, there’s only room for one hysterical queen,” Mercury jokingly quips. Desiring to “give the audience a song that they can perform,” May pens “We Will Rock You.”

The new clip also highlights the group lamenting their initial lack of radio play, which leads to more musical experimentation. It also hints at rising tensions in the band and on Mercury’s personal life.

“Here’s a man that would sing ”˜We Are The Champions’ in an arena to thousands of people and they’re all singing it back to him,” Malek told Rolling Stone of Mercury. “His ability to unify people, no matter who they are, was so far ahead of it’s time. I can’t think of anyone else that was capable of that.”

Produced by Graham King, Bohemian Rhapsody arrives in theaters on November 2nd. The biopic also stars Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee (as Brian May), Ben Hardy (as Roger Taylor), Joseph Mazzello (as John Deacon), Aiden Gillen, Tom Hollander and Mike Meyers.