London —The Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” premieres in London in grand style on Tuesday, reflecting the enduring appeal of Queen and their legendary frontman 27 years on from his death.

Fans are set to watch the film in the 12,500-capacity Wembley Arena -- opposite the stadium where the iconic British rock band staged a famous performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert.

Appreciation of the group’s legacy and Mercury’s unique talent has only grown since his death in 1991 of bronchial pneumonia, brought on by AIDS.

Among the world’s best-selling artist’s ever, most of the band’s sales have come since the singer’s passing at the age of 45.

And Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, now 71 and 69, are still rocking arenas worldwide, resurgent as a live act propelled by the flamboyant US vocalist Adam Lambert.

Now hits including “We Will Rock You”, “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” are set for a further lease of life through the movie.

In the pipeline for eight years, the film could deliver another smash hit, with Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek winning rave reviews for his performance as Mercury.

In interviews, Malek has talked about tackling a complex character -- a publicly bombastic yet privately shy individual with a highly unusual path to stardom.

Born Farrokh Bulsara in 1946 to a Parsi Indian family living on the East African spice island of Zanzibar and educated at an English-style boarding school in India, he arrived in London when his family fled the 1964 Zanzibar revolution.

The movie follows Mercury’s rise to fame and complicated love life, from Queen’s formation in 1970 to the band’s stellar performance at the Live Aid concert.

Their 20-minute set at Wembley Stadium -- opposite Wembley Arena -- was the band’s finest hour, often cited as one of the greatest live performances ever.

Mercury’s demise seemed like the end for Queen -- a band of four equal partners who each wrote chart-topping hits.

Bassist John Deacon retired in 1997 and has vanished from the public eye.

Assuming Queen was a chapter closed, May and Taylor tried to move on with solo careers.

However, they gradually came to embrace rather than resist the gravitational pull of their band’s legacy. — AFP