Rudi Dolezal — the director of dozens of Queen’s most iconic music videos— has confirmed that the band and their management are in the midst of discussing a sequel to the blockbuster hit Bohemian Rhapsody. In an interview with Page Six, Dolezal has confirmed that a follow-up film is “being heavily discussed in the Queen family.”
In the interview, which focused on Queen’s manager Jim Beach, Dolezal shared that if there were to be a follow-up film, it would take place after the band’s iconic Live Aid performance. “I’m sure he [Jim Beach] plans a sequel that starts with Live Aid,” Dolezal shared.
As well as managing Queen, Beach also acted as producer for Bohemian Rhapsody. The film was a box office smash and made over $870 worldwide. It also earned four Oscar nods for Best Actor, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing as well as a nomination for Best Picture.
Despite earning all these accolades, the film attracted swathes of negative criticism. Specifically, the way it depicted Mercury’s life, sexuality and HIV diagnosis.
It seems unlikely that Queen would take part in a film exploring Mercury’s life after live-aid and the distressing six years that lead to his death. After all, the band did distance themselves from Sacha Baron Cohen’s original biopic project. After they believed it to be too “outrageous.”
Dolezal’s relationship with Queen began with their 1985 song ‘One Vision.’ He ended up directed around 30 music videos for the band. Their final collaboration was in 1991, on the video for ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives.’ Mercury would go on to pass away that year.
Dolezal has shared with Page Six, that he is in the midst of writing a book, ‘My Friend, Freddie’ and plans to release prior interviews he did with Mercury in a film, “Freddie Mercury: In His Own Words.”
Watch: Bohemian Rhapsody – Official Trailer
