Robert 'Rob' Pilatus - a mixed-race child adopted by a German couple in an all-white neighbourhood - finds solace listening to Boney M, the pop group created by established music producer Frank Farian. Years later, Rob leaves home following an argument with his father who disapproves of an entertainment career and meets Fabrice 'Fab' Morvan, a choreographer from France. After revamping their image, they perform as go-go boys at a nightclub where they are scouted by music journalist Milli Segeith. She introduces them to her partner Frank, who reveals his future hit Girl You Know It's True is already recorded, and the duo are only required to mime, to which they unwillingly agree. Rob and Fab later discover the recording is a cover version but Frank and Milli assure them that this is a common industry practice, and Girl You Know It's True climbs the German charts.
Rob and Fab - now known as Milli Vanilli - are signed to Arista Records in America where they accumulate a vast fan base after moving there but their lavish lifestyle, drugs, and reckless behaviour earn them a bad reputation. Numarx, the original band behind Girl You Know It's True, are furious to discover their record company sold their song without permission, but are unable to sue as they owned no publishing rights. Meanwhile, in Germany, Frank grows increasingly worried that his secret would be exposed and orders Milli Vanilli to return home, which they refuse. Apart from a technical glitch causing their backing record to skip as they lipsynced, their Club MTV tour appearances are a big hit. Blame It On The Rain and Girl I'm Gonna Miss You become bigger Milli Vanilli singles, but the original session singers are upset that the duo are receiving all the recognition and accolades, especially after Milli Vanilli are nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy, which they unexpectedly win.
Frank, realising he is now powerless against Milli Vanilli, bans them from using their stage name for an upcoming tour after Rob and Fab threaten to reveal the truth unless they use their own voices on the next album. Determined to take matters into his own hands, Frank arranges a press conference in New York and confirms that Milli Vanilli never sung on their album, creating a huge scandal. Overnight, the fans turn against them, Arista deletes their music catalogue, and Milli Vanilli's Grammy is revoked. Rob spirals deeper into drugs and Fab, unable to cope with his friend's situation, moves out of their shared apartment. After Rob is released from prison he returns to Germany where Frank offers to send him to rehab, but he dies, devastating his former bandmate Fab.[5][6][7]
Previous attempts to produce the film had failed. In 2007, it was announced that Universal Pictures was developing a motion picture based on Milli Vanilli's rise and fall. Jeff Nathanson, a screenwriter known for Catch Me If You Can, was to write and direct the film, with Morvan serving as a consultant, providing his and Pilatus's point of view.[8]However, the project was never completed. In 2011, German director Florian Gallenberger announced that he was reviving the project and rewriting the script,[9] but the project never materialised.
In August 2022, it was revealed that Leonine Studios were filming a biopic about the troubled musical duo Milli Vanilli. The project's writer and director, Simon Verhoeven, was named producer alongside Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, as well as Laura Mihajlovic of Wiedemann & Berg Film.
One of the executive producers of the biopic is R&B music producer and performer Kevin Liles, who composed the original version of "Girl You Know It's True" with Baltimore DJ crew Numarx in 1986. Kirstin Winkler and Frank Farian are also among several other producers. Associate producers are Jasmin Davis, daughter of John Davis, and Brad Howell. Carmen Pilatus, sister of Rob Pilatus, Milli Vanilli's former assistant Todd Headlee, and Ingrid Segieth a.k.a. Milli, are also attached as associate producers.[10][11]
Since Morvan had previously sold his film rights to director and producer Brett Ratner, he initially couldn't be involved in Verhoeven's film.[12] After Ratner was called out and sidelined during the #MeToo movement in Hollywood,[13] which led to the cancellation of Ratner's competing Milli Vanilli biopic, Morvan eventually could join the team behind the camera as another co-producer.
Additional production was done by Sentana Film, SevenPictures and Mediawan.[14] The film was picked up by Voltage Pictures.[15]
Filming took place in Munich, Berlin, Cape Town,[17] and Los Angeles in 2022, with filming continuing until the end of the year.[18] Filming was confirmed to have wrapped in December 2022, and in February 2023 Voltage Pictures were announced to have acquired worldwide sales (excluding Germany) and were taking the film to the European Film Market.[19]
Release
The film was released in Germany on December 21, 2023, and in the United States on August 9, 2024.[20] Its North American premiere took place at the 2024 Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in San Francisco with Morvan in attendance. In June 2024, Vertical acquired North American distribution rights to the film, planning a day-and-date release on August 9, 2024.[21]
Awards
At the Bavarian Film Awards Bayerischer Filmpreis on 19 January 2024 Girl You Know It's True won for Best Film, as well as Best Newcomers for the main actor duo Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali.[22]
