Last month we learned that the Queen biopic was in trouble due to Sacha Baron Cohen, who was set to play Freddie Mercury, leaving the project. In a new interview, guitarist Brian May gave his account of why it wasn't meant to be.

"[I]n the end we felt that his presence in the movie would be very distracting," May told Classic Rock Magazine. "[W]e thought there has to be no distraction in the Freddie movie. You have to really suspend that disbelief – the man who plays Freddie, you have to really believe is Freddie. And we didn’t that could really happen with Sacha."

May, who praises Cohen's talent and credits the actor's enthusiasm with helping to start the process, is being far more diplomatic than bandmate Roger Taylor. Shortly after Cohen parted ways with the band, the drummer said, "We didn’t want it to be a joke. We want people to be moved.” Still, May says that Cohen and the band split on good terms and that they are planning to resume the project once a replacement has been found for the Mercury role, which May says could be named sooner than later.

“I can’t really say who it is, but I think we’re close. We’re in good shape.”