THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

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Sacha Baron Cohen: From Borat to Freddie

Romeo reported some months back that Johnny Depp was being courted to portray legendary gay Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic. Now comes news of casting that's stranger, yet more appropriate at the same time. Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen has now been slotted to play Mercury, and he's the perfect choice. Cohen brilliantly played gay in Talladega Nights, and he's about to show his musical chops in the Sweeney Todd movie ( opposite Depp ) . Plus, he can totally rock a mustache; in fact, it's said that Borat's look was partially based on Mercury's famous facial hair. No script is in place yet, so we're probably at least a year from seeing the flick. Getting to see Cohen sing Fat Bottomed Girls, however, will no doubt be worth the wait.

Logan Brings DiCaprio Back to '30s Hollywood

The last time gay screenwriter John Logan and actor Leonardo DiCaprio teamed up on a project was Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, a film bio of Howard Hughes that focused on the legendary eccentric's stint in 1930s Hollywood, where the mogul ran RKO Studios and romanced the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. Now Logan and DiCaprio will return to Tinseltown's golden age with director Michael Mann. The still-untitled project, written by Logan, will feature DiCaprio as a Hollywood private eye who hushes up celebrity scandals and keeps stars out of the tabloid headlines. Characters in the film will include icons of the era, including legendary diva Judy Garland. Studios are apparently lining up to win the rights to the film, which will boast a budget of $120 million and all the Oscar power big names like this can muster.

Gordon-Levitt Is Darren Star's Frog King

Former sitcom star Joseph Gordon-Levitt kickstarted the serious-actor phase of his career with a bravura starring role in Gregg Araki's acclaimed Mysterious Skin. So it's no surprise that the star of Brick and The Lookout is once again looking to a gay filmmaker for a juicy film role. Melrose Place and Sex and the City creator Darren Star will make his big-screen debut behind the camera with The Frog King, a romantic comedy about a man with a predilection for messing up relationships who's trying not to let Ms. Right slip from his grasp. Frog is an original screenplay by queer novelist Bret Easton Ellis, whose work ( American Psycho, Less Than Zero ) usually leans toward darker themes. Look for this project to leap from the lily pad and into theaters in 2009.

Colton Ford Explores The Lair

What's sexier than a show about scantily clad gay hotties? A show about scantily clad gay hottie vampires! Especially when said show features studly adult star and dance music diva Colton Ford in a non-sexual role. That's the idea, anyway, behind The Lair, a new show debuting June 1 on here! TV. This new series takes place in a small island town where there's a rash of unsolved murders. A young journalist comes to town and finds that all clues point to a mysterious gentlemen's club, The Lair, where, the show's website promises, 'the darkest desires are fulfilled.' Here! knows a thing or two about fulfilling the desires of its gay and lesbian viewership, so don't be surprised if this show is chock-full of sexy scares and buff undead dudes.

Romeo San Vicente's lair has been the site of many desires fulfilled. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com .