Chinese release for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' confirmed

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With Oscar Best Picture winner "Green Book" expected to make its Chinese debut on Friday, another big winner, "Bohemian Rhapsody" - which took four statuettes, including Best Actor - has also been confirmed for a Chinese release.

Production company 20th Century Fox announced the news on Wednesday and China's Douban.com, a review website along the lines of Rotten Tomatoes, has also added the film to its list of films to be released, though it does not have an exact release date as of yet.

According to Variety, the entertainment business news portal, the film will be released by China's National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas.

Rami Malek plays Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody". /Photo via Douban.com

The film, directed by Bryan Singer, is a biopic of British rock bank Queen and its lead singer Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991. The film follows the biopic format and charts the band's formation and their meteoric rise with a focus on Mercury himself, as portrayed by Rami Malek.

Malek's portrayal of the singer has been much lauded since the film was released in November last year. Variety's critic Owen Gleiberman described the performance as the band's frontman as being "a studded leather peacock, swoony and liberated, letting the life force pour out of him in a glorious tremolo, most extraordinarily during the film's climactic sequence."

A report published by BBC said that "watching the film's breathtaking recreation of Queen's Live Aid set, it's easy to forget you're not watching the real thing."

Rami Malek thanked his family, the film's cast and crew and his girlfriend Lucy Boynton, who is also a co-star in the film portraying Freddie Mercury's confidant and, at one point, wife Mary Austin.

Rami Malek makes acceptance speech for Best Actor at the 91st Academy Awards. /VCG Photo

"You're beyond immensely talented. You have captured my heart," Malek spoke out love loudly to Boynton. The two met and began dating on the set of the film.

Malek also mentioned his experience as son of the Egyptian immigrants in his acceptance speech.

"This is a monumental moment. I'm so appreciative to all of you, to everyone who had a hand in getting me here," Malek said.

"We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant, who lived his life just unapologetically himself," the actor said. "The fact that I'm celebrating him and this story with you tonight is proof that we're longing for stories like this."

A scene of the Live Aid concert from the film. /Photo via Douban.com

Chinese movie-goers have also cheered on the film's release, with many taking to social media platform Sina Weibo to express their expectations.

"This is wonderful. My eyes were full of tears even watching the last Live Aid concert scene on my cellphone. I cannot imagine what a marvelous audio and visual feast it would be on big screens," said one blogger. "Even if you are not a fan of the Queen, you will be won over by the great band's charm."

"Though I have already watched it, I'll still be there when it hits the big screen," said another.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" has become a huge box office success, grossing over 798 million U.S. dollars - almost 600 million of which came from outside North America.