Freddie Mercury biopic "fully under way"

Brian May has revealed that the Freddie Mercury film starring Sacha Baron Cohen is due to begin filming later this year.

In a statement to Queen Online, the rocker explained that a first draft of the biopic's script has been completed by writer Peter Morgan and is now "fully under way".

"Work is now fully under way for the much-vaunted feature film on the life of Freddie," he explained.

"Peter Morgan has delivered a first draft of the movie, which everyone is very excited about, and Sacha Baron Cohen is chomping at the bit to get into the role, in a way which certainly would delight Freddie!"

May added: "The whole team [are] now working on preparing for a shoot later this year, and a release in the late autumn of 2012."

Morgan previously insisted that the film would not deal with Mercury's struggle with AIDS.