Queen to rock Oscars with live performance

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – British rock band Queen will perform live at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, organizers said on Monday, following the blockbuster success of best picture nominee “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? We welcome @QueenWillRock and @adamlambert to this year’s Oscars!,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on its official Twitter feed.

The band, whose late frontman Freddie Mercury is the subject of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” is now made up of original members Brian May and Roger Taylor with former “American Idol” star Adam Lambert taking on vocals.

“Queen and @adamlambert will ROCK YOU,” the band tweeted in response, giving the Feb. 24 date of the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” has five Academy Award nominations, including a best actor nod for Rami Malek, who takes on the role of Mercury in the film. Mercury died of AIDS in London in 1991 at the age of 45.

The movie has taken more than $854 million at the global box office to become the most successful musical biopic ever.

The academy did not say what songs Queen would perform or when they would appear on stage during the telecast, which is going ahead without a host for the first time in 30 years.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is not nominated for its songs or soundtrack, but other musical performances at Sunday’s ceremony will include Lady Gaga and actor-director Bradley Cooper singing their Oscar-nominated song “Shallow” from movie “A Star is Born,” while Bette Midler will sing best original song contender “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from the film “Mary Poppins Returns.”

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)