While receiving mixed reviews, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. It's not a surprise that a film about Queen would be a huge hit, as the group boasts such a large catalog of enduring songs.“No matter what the song is whether it's "Another One Bites the Dust," “Somebody to Love," or their "Under Pressure" duet with David Bowie, Queen's music still lives on.”
Flickering Myth reported that while "Bohemian Rhapsody" has become a massive success, the hit film came with its own controversy. Prior to its release, director Bryan Singer was fired by Fox and was replaced by Dexter Fletcher.
Fletcher is also directing the upcoming film about British star Elton John. After the release, many Queen fans were angered over several alterations made to the band and Freddie Mercury's history.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" hit film despite scandals
Fletcher ended up portraying Mercury as gay rather than bisexual and even pushed Mercury's AIDS diagnosis up several years to coincide with Live Aid. Despite all that, moviegoers embraced the film. "Bohemian Rhapsody" earned the top spot domestically in its opening weekend and has now earned $539 million globally on a budget of only $52 million. Box Office Mojo reports that these numbers have put them in the top spot both domestically and globally when it comes to music biopics, such as "Straight Outta Compton."
Screen Rant reported that domestically, "Straight Outta Compton," held the top spot in 2015.
Globally though, "Bohemian Rhapsody" trounced "Straight Outta Compton" $201 gross total. Other music biopics that failed to even reach the $200 million mark include "Ray" and "Walk the Line."
Queen's music drawing in young listeners
While "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been drawing in the crowds, Queen's music is also getting shot back up to the top of the charts.
Those who grew up with Queen's music are rediscovering their music, while those who are young and only knew of Queen for their songs "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions" have begun digging into more of the group's music.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" featured an all-star cast that includes Rami Malek (Mr. Robot), Ben Hardy (X-Men: Apocalypse), Gwilym Lee (Midsomer Murders), Joseph Mazzello (Jurrasic Park), Lucy Boynton (Gypsy), Aaron McCusker (Dexter), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones), Tom Hollander (Pride & Prejudice), Allen Leech (Downtown Abbey) and Mike Myers (Wayne's World).