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
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Jim Beach (left to right), Roger Taylor, Brian May, Rami Malek with his Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Graham King and Mike Meyers pose backstage with their Best Motion Picture - Drama for "Bohemian Rhapsody" during the 76th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California on Monday.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- There's a new box office queen in town.
Fox's Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" overperformed with a rocking $50 million when it debuted in 4,000 theaters. That was enough to dominate in North America over fellow newcomers "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" and "Nobody's Fool."
"Bohemian Rhapsody" ranks as the second-best start for a music biopic, following just 2015's "Straight Outta Compton" ($60.2 million).
Rami Malek stars as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the film, which cost around $50 million to produce. "Bohemian Rhapsody" has generated a mixed critical response, though audiences have embraced it with a 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore.
Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" launched at No. 2 on the lower end of expectations with a disappointing $20 million from 3,766 venues, a rare miss for the Magic Kingdom given the movie's $125-million price tag. The family-friendly film with Keira Knightley, Misty Copeland, and Mackenzie Foy was panned by critics, who gave it a 34 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
In third, Paramount's "Nobody's Fool," the first R-rated comedy from Tyler Perry, generated $13.7 million from 2,468 screens.
Rounding out the top five are holdovers "A Star Is Born" and "Halloween." Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's "A Star Is Born" pocketed another $11.1 million in its fifth outing, marking an impressive drop of just 21 percent. That brings its domestic tally to a huge $165 million.
Universal and Blumhouse's R-rated slasher "Halloween" earned $11 million for a North American total of $150 million.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
