It’s official. Queen will be performing at the 91st Academy Awards this Sunday.
The English rockers revealed the news on Monday afternoon in a number of social media posts.
Original members Brian May (lead guitar) and drummer Roger Taylor will take the stage with Adam Lambert for a performance of the fan-favourite, We Will Rock You, according to their short 15-second teaser clip.
The performance coincides with the worldwide success of Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). The box-office hit follows the story of late frontman Freddie Mercury, his legacy and how he came to join the world-renowned band.
The Bryan Singer/Dexter Fletcher-directed film was nominated for five Academy Awards this year including ‘Best Picture.’
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“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” wrote The Academy on Twitter in reference to the 1975 smash hit of the same name, Bohemian Rhapsody.
“We welcome @QueenWillRock and @adamlambert to this year’s #Oscars,” they added.
In response to widespread backlash to the fact that four Oscars would be presented during commercial breaks this year, the Academy recently issued a statement ensuring that all Academy Award winners will still be included in the broadcast this weekend.
Queen’s performance — as well as Lady Gaga‘s — will add on to the already lengthy broadcast, which will feature all 24 award categories this year.
It’s not uncommon for the Oscars to go over the three hours scheduled each year, however, this year, it is being expected by many. Similar to this year’s Grammy Awards broadcast which took place early February — the show ran 45 minutes over its scheduled slot.
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While many social media shared their excitement for the upcoming performance, some weren’t afraid to point out that the Film Academy’s showcase will feature more rock than the Music Academy’s did earlier this month.
While there were a number of rock and metal award categories, none of the winning speeches or nominees were televised.
“That’s funny,” wrote one user. “The Oscars actually rock harder than the Grammys this year.”
The 91st Academy Awards airs this Sunday (Feb. 24) at 8 p.m. ET.
– With files from Katie Scott
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