FIRST LOOK: Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury

Cape Town – After ups and downs the long awaited Freddie Mercury biopic is finally underway.

In 2016 it was confirmed that Emmy award winner Rami Malek will play the Queen front-man. 

Entertainment Weekly exclusively released the first picture of Malek as Freddie Mercury and the resemblance is uncanny. 

With his slicked back hair, moustache and clad in blue jeans and a white vest, the Mr Robot star looks every bit the music icon.

See it here:

#RamiMalek is #FreddieMercury in this exclusive first look at 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'????The Bryan Singer-directed film (out Dec. 25, 2018) chronicles #Queen from 1970, when Mercury teamed with Brian May and Roger Taylor, until the band’s performance at Live Aid in 1985, six years before the singer died of complications from AIDS. Click the link in our bio for more. ??: Nick Delaney/Fox

A post shared by Entertainment Weekly (@entertainmentweekly) on Sep 5, 2017 at 1:45pm PDT

The film Bohemian Rhapsody is being directed by Brian Singer and will chronicle the band from the 1970s when Mercury teamed up with Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Singer told the publication that the film will not be a traditional biopic but a story honouring the music. 

And while Rami might look like Mercury he will have to work to sound like the unique vocalist. 

When it comes to the singing they will be using both Mercury and Malek's voice.

He told Entertainment Weekly: “I’m in Abbey Road [Studios] right now if that should say anything to you. I’m not working on my acting."