Although by no means as historically incorrect as the Elton John biopic Rocketman, Brian May is defending Queen‘s blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody movie. During a chat with Guitar World, May reminded fans that dramatic licenses are allowed in films, explaining, “We weren’t making a documentary. It wasn’t supposed to be ‘This happened, and then this happened.’ This was an attempt to get inside Freddie Mercury and portray his inner-life — his drive, his passion, his fears, and weaknesses. Also, we wanted to portray his relationship with us as a family, which was pretty much a part of what made him tick. . . And I think Freddie would love it, because it’s a good, honest representation of him as a person.”

May went on to admit that the global success of Bohemian Rhapsody took everyone by surprise: “I mean, who could have predicted it? We thought it would do well with the fans, but we didn’t imagine how fully it’s been embraced. People are going to see it five, six times. They’re singing along and crying. I met people in Asia who saw it 30 times. It’s extraordinary. We couldn’t be happier.”