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Brian May Says Queen “Haven’t Earned A Penny” From Bohemian Rhapsody

In a recent interview on BBC Radio 2, Brian May said that Queen hasn’t made any money from Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar-winning film based on the life of the band’s late frontman Freddie Mercury. Said May: “I had to laugh the other day, because there’s a thing in the paper saying that we were getting rich off this movie. If they only knew. We had an accountant in the other day, and we still haven’t earned a penny from it. Isn’t that funny? How successful does a movie have to be before you make money?”

Regardless of who is seeing the profits, Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed $903.2 million internationally, surpassing 2015’s Straight Outta Compton to become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time. Rami Malek‘s performance as Freddie Mercury earned him the Oscar for Best Actor, with the film also picking up awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Editing.

Though Brian May seems marginally annoyed about not having made any money off the film, he’s sure to express his gratitude for the final product, remarking that “the feeling of it is so great.” Plus, you might as well ask him after their upcoming American arena tour. Hear his full interview with the BBC’s Zoë Ball below, and skip to 9:00 for the discussion of Bohemian Rhapsody.