Updated with U.S. Trailer and poster.
Vertical Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to ‘Girl You Know It’s True’, a music biopic that chronicles the rise and fall of pop sensation Milli Vanilli. Written and directed by Simon Verhoeven, the film stars Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali, and will be released on August 9.
‘Girl You Know It’s True’ tells the true story of Robert Pilatus (Njie) and Fabrice Morvan (Ali), who rose to fame as Milli Vanilli in the late 1980s. Under the guidance of music producer Frank Farian (Matthias Schweighofer), they became global stars with three No. 1 hits in the U.S. However, it was later revealed that they had been lip-syncing to the voices of other artists. The truth emerged at the height of their fame, leading to one of the biggest scandals in music history and the loss of their Grammy Award.
The film was shot in Munich, Berlin, Cape Town, and Los Angeles. It features a cast that includes Graham Rogers and Bella Dayne. Producers include Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, and Kristin Winkler, with Kevin Liles, Simon Verhoeven, Frank Farian, and Stefan Gärtner serving as executive producers. Fabrice Morvan acted as a consultant and co-producer. Associate producers include 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, also known as Milli. Voltage Pictures is handling worldwide rights.
Tony Piantedosi, Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions, stated, “We are excited to release this film that explores the true story behind Milli Vanilli’s success and controversy. Simon has crafted a remarkable story with the help of those who experienced it firsthand. It’s a rare opportunity to reveal the real story behind the headlines.”
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Vertical’s Peter Jarowey and Tony Piantedosi, with Voltage Pictures’ Jonathan Deckter representing the production. The German trailer for the film is available to watch below.