Milli Vanilli Biopic ‘Girl You Know It’s True’ Acquired By Vertical
Elan Ben Ali and Tijan Njie in 'Girl You Know It's True' Vertical
EXCLUSIVE: Vertical has acquired North American rights to Girl You Know It’s True, a music biopic chronicling pop sensation Milli Vanilli‘s meteoric rise and tabloid-fueled fall in the late ’80s to early ’90s. Written and directed by Simon Verhoeven, and starring Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali, the film will be released day-and-date on August 9.
Girl You Know It’s True centers around the notorious true scandal involving dancers Robert Pilatus’ (Njie) and Fabrice Morvan’s (Ali) rise to fame as Milli Vanilli in the late 1980s. Orchestrated by music producer Frank Farian (Matthias Schweighofer), they became global stars with three No. 1 hits in the U.S. But only a small circle of insiders know that the duo was not actually singing but rather lip-syncing to the voices of two other artists. At the height of their fame, Milli Vanilli won a Grammy Award, but the situation behind the scenes escalated, and the pressure on Rob and Fab grew. When the truth was revealed, they found themselves engulfed in one of the biggest scandals in music history.
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Shot in Munich, Berlin, Capetown, and Los Angeles, pic’s cst also includes Graham Rogers and Bella Dayne. Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann and Kristin Winkler produced the film, with Kevin Liles exec producing alongside Verhoeven, Farian and Stefan Gärtner. Morvan acted as a consultant and co-producer on the project. Associate producers included Jasmin Davis, daughter of the late John Davis; Brad Howell; Carmen Pilatus, sister of the late Rob Pilatus; Milli Vanilli’s former assistant, Todd Headlee; and Ingrid Segieth aka Milli. Voltage Pictures is managing worldwide rights to the film.
Stated Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi, “We are excited to release this film that delves into the true story behind the success and controversy surrounding Milli Vanilli’s legacy. Simon has created a remarkable story with the collaboration of people who lived through the ordeal. It is a rare treat to pull back the curtain and show audiences the real story behind the shocking headlines.”
Partner Peter Jarowey and Piantedosi negotiated the deal on behalf of Vertical, with Voltage Pictures’ Jonathan Deckter repping the production.