Gene Hackman will be honored during The Oscars on Sunday night ... 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 in memoriam segment.

Gene and Morgan of course starred together in the Clint Eastwood classic "Unforgiven" ... for which Gene scored his second Oscar. Morgan wasn't nominated for the flick, but took home his own Academy Award in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby."

Morgan and Gene later worked together in the 2000 thriller "Under Suspicion" ... one of Gene's last credits before he retired from acting in 2004.

We're told Gene's family will not be in attendance for the show.

As TMZ previously reported ... Gene and his wife Betsy were found dead in their home Wednesday, along with 1 of their 3 dogs -- and an investigation into just what happened is ongoing.

Santa Fe authorities said on Friday Gene's pacemaker showed its last event was on February 17 ... making investigators believe that's when he died.

Toxicology reports are pending, but both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide, according to the medical examiner.

We've reached out to the Academy for comment ... so far, no word back.