Dexter Fletcher has withdrawn from the FREDDIE MERCURY biopic, reports TV3Xpose.

The 48-year-old actor and director has decided to abandon his role as director after a number of disagreements with GK Films' Graham King - who is making the film with Sony - over the untitled movie which will be based on the life of the QUEEN frontman, according to Deadline.

Ben Whishaw - who has previously appeared in Cloud Atlas and Skyfall - came on board to play Mercury in the R-rated picture after comedian Sacha Baron Cohen dropped out last year, but now that Fletcher has also parted ways, production may have to be pushed back as Whishaw has been booked to reprise his role as Q in the next James Bond film.

Read more at this location.

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT will reign over a North American summer tour starting at the United Center in Chicago on Thursday, June 19th. Brian May, Roger Taylor + Adam Lambert will come together for the first time in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Dallas and more. The 19-date tour wraps Sunday, July 20th in Washington, DC at the Merriweather Post Pavilion, their only outdoor summer concert. The tour is presented by Live Nation.

Check out the complete tour press conference video, streaming below:

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Queen + Adam Lambert talk to Artisan News Services about hitting the road in North America:

Tickets go on sale today, Friday, March 14th, through the Live Nation mobile app and at Livenation.com.

Queen + Adam Lambert received glowing reviews for their performance together at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas last September, triggering a conversation between Adam, Roger and Brian to take the show on the road.

The threesome first shared the stage during American Idol in May 2009 for a performance of 'We Are The Champions'. They teamed up again in 2011 at the MTV European Music Awards in Belfast, Ireland for an electrifying eight-minute finale of 'The Show Must Go On', 'We Will Rock You' and 'We Are The Champions' and in the summer of 2012, Lambert performed a series of shows with Queen across Europe as well as dates in Russia, Ukraine and Poland. They also performed three sold-out gigs at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

"Let's ROCK those beautiful arenas JUST ONE MORE TIME!” said Brian May. “I'm completely in awe of the Queen phenomenon,” added Lambert. “The thought of sharing the stage for a full set in North America is so beautifully surreal. I'm honored to be able to pay my respects to Freddie's memory; he's a personal hero of mine, and I am deeply grateful for the chance to sing such powerful music for fans of this legendary band. I know this tour will be a huge milestone for me, and with the support of Brian, Roger and the rest of the band, I feel like magic will be on display.”

Tour dates:

June

19 - Chicago, IL - United Center
21 - Winnipeg, MN - MTS Centre
23 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
24 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
26 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
28 - Vancouver, BC - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena

July

1 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center
3 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
5 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
6 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
9 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
10 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
12 - Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
13 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
14 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
16 - Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
17 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
19 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
20 - Washington, DC - Merriweather Post Pavilion