and it seems an old friend will be speaking about the legend. A Hackman relative tells TMZ ... the family has been told that Morgan Freeman will speak about Gene -- which will be an extension of the ...

Freeman, whose friendship with Hackman spans decades, called the late actor a “giant” of the film industry in his homage.

"Gene always said, 'I don't think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work,'" ...