Roger Taylor has explained why Sacha Baron Cohen pulled out of the planned Freddie Mercury biopic, Digital Spy said.

Cohen walked away from the role as the late Queen frontman in July, prompting reports that the actor's vision of a gritty approach to Mercury's life was at odds with the band's wish for a more family-friendly film.

"I don't want to talk about the Sacha thing," drummer Taylor told Mojo before offering a reason.

"We felt Sacha probably wasn't right in the end. We didn't want it to be a joke. We want people to be moved."

He added of the movie industry: "I thought the music business was slow, but this has been like swimming in treacle."

Cohen was said to have brought screenwriter Peter Morgan and director Tom Hooper on board the project, though it is now not clear if they will have any role in the film.

The team behind the project have said that the film is "still very much alive" despite Cohen's departure and Morgan's claim that the film was now unlikely to happen.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has denied reports linking him to the role of Mercury.