A forthcoming film about Queen's Freddie Mercury will not focus on his personal life and death from AIDS, its screenwriter has said.

Peter Morgan said he wanted the as-yet-untitled project to look at Mercury's musical endeavours up to Queen's landmark performance at Live Aid in 1985.

“I didn't want to write an AIDS movie, to be honest with you,” he told Cinema Blend.

“And then, I just looked the period-- It's sort of where he rejects [the other members of Queen] and comes back to them. It's sort of like a family movie. It's sort of like I hate my family, I want to be independent, and then I come back.”

Mercury will be played by Ali G star Sacha Baron Cohen, who Morgan said personally invited him to write the script.

The screenwriter also said how much Queen's remaining members Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon will like what writes.

The film is being produced by GK Films and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca production company. It is due to go into production in 2011.

(by Jason Gregory)