A biopic of the late Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury has been in development for many years, with a variety of filmmakers and actors attached to the project. X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer is latest filmmaker reported to be talks for the project, with Mr. Robot star Rami Malek attached to the lead role.

According to Deadline, Singer is in discussions to direct the movie, which is titled Bohemian Rhapsody. Singer himself teased his involvement on Instagram, although he stopped short of stating that he was definitely going to direct. He posted a picture of the iconic band, writing "Looking forward to @ramimalek @whoismrrobot playing #Freddie."

Bohemian Rhapsody has now been in development for eight years. Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Whishaw, best known for playing Q in the latest Bond movies, had previously been in line to play Mercury, while Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan was also attached at an earlier stage. In February, Baron Cohen stated that David Fincher and Tom Hooper were among the directors that he tried to bring into the project during his time on it.

Singer directed this year’s X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as three previous films in the franchise. In February, he announced that he was working on an remake of the classic adventure movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. "It’s a story I’ve wanted to retell since childhood," he said. "I promise this will be an epic and emotional adventure for all ages! An adventure very dear to my heart. Not abandoning the #xmen universe."