‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on HBO: The Success of the Film is a Testament to Lasting Legacy of Queen

When it premiered in late 2018, Bohemian Rhapsody—the Freddie Mercury biopic starring Rami Malek which is airing on HBO tonight—was hardly a surefire win. In fact, the film had many factors working against it: a production plagued by setbacks, a release lead-up rife with controversy, and a lackluster response from critics. Malek, though popular from his critically-acclaimed series Mr. Robot, was hardly an A-lister at the time (though of course, he would go on to take home the Oscar for the role). Yet, somehow, the film raked in $900 million at the world-wide box office and became one of the top films of 2018 and the highest-grossing music biopic of all time (and after inflation adjustment, the second-highest, following 1980’s Coal Miners Daughter about Loretta Lynn). Why?  Because Queen is just that good.

Bohemian Rhapsody was first announced in 2010, with Sacha Baron Cohen set to star, but the comedian exited the project in 2013, citing creative differences with the producers. It was stuck in Hollywood limbo for years—including a brief stint where Ben Whishaw was going to play the lead role—until Rami Malek was cast in 2016. Then came the better-known controversy: Director Bryan Singer was fired in December 2017—after not showing up to set, reportedly behaving poorly and clashing with Malek—Dexter Fletcher was brought in to finish directing. With a production that chaotic, it’s not surprising that many, many critics found Bohemian Rhapsody to be, as Time‘s Stephanie Zacharek put it, “a bit of a mess,” even if most praised Malek for his performance.

And though Singer left the project, per DGA regulations, he retained sole director credit on paper. December 2017 was the height of the #MeToo movement, and the whisperings, lawsuits, and accusations against Singer—which include an accusation that Singer raped a 17-year-old boy in 2003—were growing louder and louder. (Singer has denied all accusations.) Some also accused the film of homophobia via playing down the gay parts of Mercury’s bisexuality and playing up the straight ones. They were controversies that alienated some of the film’s would-be audience, certainly—especially those in the LGBTQ+ community—but they weren’t enough to override our society’s over 40-year-long adoration of Freddie Mercury and his British rock band, Queen.

This is not to say that Malek’s much-buzzed-about performance didn’t contribute to the success of his film, but I’d be willing to bet that at the core of your average Bohemian Rhapsody fan is a deep appreciation of its source material. Everyone knows at least one Queen song. You literally can’t escape a sporting event without hearing a few bars of “We Will Rock You” or “We Are the Champions.” Queen songs lift you up, make you feel good, and make you feel connected to people. (If you’ve never added a Queen song to your karaoke playlist, you’re missing out on one of the purest forms of joy in this world.) I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a happy memory involving a “Bohemian Rhapsody” singalong—for me it was my entire college cafeteria singing it in imperfect unison—or the only one who deflates in disappointment when it turns out those opening notes are “Ice, Ice Baby” and not “Under Pressure.”

Mercury himself is impossible not to love: flamboyant, charismatic and gone far too soon, when he died of AIDs at the age of 45. (A superstar death that shone a light on a crisis that, because of homophobia, was being ignored.) He’s become an icon of the queer community, idolized by millions, including many who weren’t even alive before he died in 1991. And after Malek’s Oscar-winning performance, Mercury’s posthumous fame will only grow. Like the Beatles, Queen has transcended generational barriers, and the $900 million success of Bohemian Rhapsody proves that.

And yet, ironically, the remaining members of Queen had not made any money from the film as of May 2019. Guitarist Brian May BBC Radio 2’s The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show that the band “hasn’t earned a penny” from the blockbuster. Hopefully, that changes soon. Maybe Singer could donate some of the $40 million he made. My overall thoughts on Bohemian Rhapsody as a film may be complicated, but I can safely say this: Long live Queen.

Where to watch Bohemian Rhapsody