Blake Lively to play Freddie Mercury's girlfriend in new movie

'Gossip Girl' actress Blake Lively is reportedly lined up to play Freddie Mercury's former girlfriend Mary Austin in the upcoming biopic.
Actor Sacha Baron Cohen will portray Mercury in the film about the rock star's life and career, while Tom Hooper is rumoured to be helming the project, reported Digital Spy.
Mercury had a long-term relationship with Austin in the early 1970s after being introduced by Queen's Brian May. The couple lived together for several years until Mercury had an affair with a male American record executive at Elektra Records.
However, the pair remained very close friends until the singer's death in 1991.

Mercury said of Austin in 1985, "All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary Austin, but it's simply impossible. The only friend I've got is Mary and I don't want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that's enough for me."
Cohen is said to be taking singing lessons in order to perform as Mercury in the currently-untitled film.