Today, Wondery announced the new podcast series, Blame it on the Fame: Milli Vanilli, which explores the rise to fame and swift downfall of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, the infamous R&b duo known as Milli Vanilli. Hosted by comedian and actress Amanda Seales, Blame it on the Fame: Milli Vanilli is available now on Wondery+, and will debut on Amazon Music and everywhere you get your podcasts on Monday, May 13.
When Frank Farian first laid eyes on Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, he saw everything he wasn’t. They were handsome, young, and Black. But Frank had something they didn’t. He had power. So, Frank offered them a devil’s bargain. Almost overnight, Milli Vanilli’s debut album went five times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination. But when the lie at the center of their success started to unravel, Rob and Fab would discover the hard...
When Frank Farian first laid eyes on Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, he saw everything he wasn’t. They were handsome, young, and Black. But Frank had something they didn’t. He had power. So, Frank offered them a devil’s bargain. Almost overnight, Milli Vanilli’s debut album went five times platinum and scored a Grammy nomination. But when the lie at the center of their success started to unravel, Rob and Fab would discover the hard...
- 5/13/2024
- Podnews.net
Frank Farian, the mastermind producer responsible for the groups Milli Vanilli, Boney M., La Bouche, and more, has died. He was 82 years old.
Over the course of his six-decade career, Farian saw considerable success as a songwriter and producer, but his time as the mastermind behind Milli Vanilli — and their infamous lip-syncing controversy — is likely what most remember him for. Farian first met the group’s frontmen, Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, in Frankfurt, and signed a contract with them in January 1988, locking them into a deal.
Then, dissatisfied with the quality of the group’s vocal performances, Farian employed session vocalists — including Charles Shaw, John Davis, Brad Howell, and others — to provide the lead vocal parts for the duo’s recordings, leading to an arrangement where Pilatus and Morvan, against their desires, lip-synced the parts that they claimed to be singing themselves.
Upon the release of Milli Vanilli’s biggest hit,...
Over the course of his six-decade career, Farian saw considerable success as a songwriter and producer, but his time as the mastermind behind Milli Vanilli — and their infamous lip-syncing controversy — is likely what most remember him for. Farian first met the group’s frontmen, Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, in Frankfurt, and signed a contract with them in January 1988, locking them into a deal.
Then, dissatisfied with the quality of the group’s vocal performances, Farian employed session vocalists — including Charles Shaw, John Davis, Brad Howell, and others — to provide the lead vocal parts for the duo’s recordings, leading to an arrangement where Pilatus and Morvan, against their desires, lip-synced the parts that they claimed to be singing themselves.
Upon the release of Milli Vanilli’s biggest hit,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
Frank Farian — the founder of groups Boney M. and Milli Vanilli — has died at the age of 82. The German producer’s agency released a statement Tuesday confirming that Farian had died peacefully at his home in Miami.
Although his cause of death was not immediately revealed, Farian said that he had gone through heart valve replacement surgery in 2022. He told the magazine Bild at the time that the surgery saved his life.
Farian founded R&b pop duo Milli Vanilli — comprised of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus — in the late 1980s.
Although his cause of death was not immediately revealed, Farian said that he had gone through heart valve replacement surgery in 2022. He told the magazine Bild at the time that the surgery saved his life.
Farian founded R&b pop duo Milli Vanilli — comprised of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus — in the late 1980s.
- 1/23/2024
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
If you’re going to make a music biopic — and with new dramatic takes on the lives of Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Bob Marley and Michael Jackson on the way, it appears everyone is — you’d better secure the music rights. Making a movie purporting to tell the story of a pop music legend without first clearing rights to use the pop music that made them legendary is a recipe for box office disaster.
Remember Stardust, Gabriel Range’s 2020 David Bowie biopic starring Johnny Flynn, shot without any music from Bowie? Or Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013) directed by John Ridley with André 3000 as Jimi Hendrix playing none of his original songs? How about England Is Mine, Mark Gill’s unauthorized Morrissey biopic with Jack Lowden and Jodie Comer? Probably not. Without the sing-alone tunes, those films sank without a trace.
The blockbuster pop biopics — Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman,...
Remember Stardust, Gabriel Range’s 2020 David Bowie biopic starring Johnny Flynn, shot without any music from Bowie? Or Jimi: All Is By My Side (2013) directed by John Ridley with André 3000 as Jimi Hendrix playing none of his original songs? How about England Is Mine, Mark Gill’s unauthorized Morrissey biopic with Jack Lowden and Jodie Comer? Probably not. Without the sing-alone tunes, those films sank without a trace.
The blockbuster pop biopics — Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This week, Paramount+ debuts its new feature-length documentary Milli Vanilli, about the early '90s pop act who hit big with songs like "Girl You Know It's True," won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and then were mired in scandal when it was revealed that band members Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus hadn't sung the vocals on their album and had been lip-syncing in all of their live performances.
- 10/24/2023
- by Joe Reid
- Primetimer
Girl you know it’s – girl you know it’s – girl you know it’s –. Milli Vanilli’s lip-syncing scandal was one of the biggest pop culture controversies of the 1990s, which is really saying something. That it happened so early in the duo’s career made them both a blip and a punchline in the music world. Now, surviving member Fab Morvan is reflecting on the most trying time of his career ahead of the release of the aptly titled documentary Milli Vanilli this month.
Speaking with The Messenger, Morvan said the public perception turned incredibly fast on Milli Vanilli. “We were not what people thought we were, which is the puppet master of everybody and everything. We were the front people, but behind, there was so much more. Unfortunately, the journalists didn’t investigate properly.” As it turns out, the decision to have both Morvan and Rob Pilatus...
Speaking with The Messenger, Morvan said the public perception turned incredibly fast on Milli Vanilli. “We were not what people thought we were, which is the puppet master of everybody and everything. We were the front people, but behind, there was so much more. Unfortunately, the journalists didn’t investigate properly.” As it turns out, the decision to have both Morvan and Rob Pilatus...
- 10/19/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
True Story: back in 1989-1990, when I was eight years old, I was a major Milli Vanilli fan. I had a cassette copy of their debut album, “Girl You Know It’s True”, and my cheap Walkman almost wore it out. But, when the two were exposed as frauds in April of 1990, like many fans, I was brokenhearted. I remember chucking my cassette tape into the garbage, something pretty much all the kids at my elementary school did. As soon as it came out that they were fakes, they became pariahs and the uncoolest thing you could possibly listen to in the schoolyard.
Of course, the truth behind the Milli Vanilli phenomenon is more complicated. Now Paramount Plus is set to debut an explosive documentary on the duo, which drops October 24th and has just released a new trailer (embedded above). Milli Vanilli was Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, two dancer-models...
Of course, the truth behind the Milli Vanilli phenomenon is more complicated. Now Paramount Plus is set to debut an explosive documentary on the duo, which drops October 24th and has just released a new trailer (embedded above). Milli Vanilli was Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, two dancer-models...
- 9/18/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
"We're not saying 'no' to this powerful producer." Paramount+ has revealed the trailer for a documentary film titled Milli Vanilli, an honest look back at "music's biggest scandal." This initially premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival this year, and it's also playing at the Mill Valley Film Festival before streaming in October. "For over 30 years, the story of Milli Vanilli – in particular Rob and Fab – has been reduced to sensational headlines," explains director Luke Korem. "With this documentary, we pull back the curtain on pop music. Featuring interviews with the real singers, record executives, the producer mastermind behind the deception, and exclusive interviews with Rob and Fab, we unveil the truth of this complex, exciting, and dramatic story." Milli Vanilli was a German-French R&b duo from Munich. The group was founded by Frank Farian in 1988 and consisted of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. Moran comments on the doc saying,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A new feature-length documentary digging into the true story of the infamous R&b duo Milli Vanilli has been acquired by Paramount+. The film, simply titled Milli Vanilli, will premiere on Tuesday, October 24th in the U.S. and Canada, and on Wednesday, October 25th in the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Milli Vanilli goes directly behind the scenes through exclusive interviews with the group’s members Fab Morvan and the late Rob Pilatus, as well as the real singers, record executives, and the producer behind the duo, who became one of the most popular groups of the late ’80s and early ’90s until it was discovered that they had been lip-synching the entire time. Pilatus died of an accidental alcohol and prescription drug overdose in 1998.
“Finally — the true story of Milli Vanilli has been told!” Morvan said in a statement. “I’m thankful...
Milli Vanilli goes directly behind the scenes through exclusive interviews with the group’s members Fab Morvan and the late Rob Pilatus, as well as the real singers, record executives, and the producer behind the duo, who became one of the most popular groups of the late ’80s and early ’90s until it was discovered that they had been lip-synching the entire time. Pilatus died of an accidental alcohol and prescription drug overdose in 1998.
“Finally — the true story of Milli Vanilli has been told!” Morvan said in a statement. “I’m thankful...
- 9/13/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
A new feature-length documentary digging into the true story of the infamous R&b duo Milli Vanilli has been acquired by Paramount+. The film, simply titled Milli Vanilli, will premiere on Tuesday, October 24th in the U.S. and Canada, and on Wednesday, October 25th in the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Milli Vanilli goes directly behind the scenes through exclusive interviews with the group’s members Fab Morvan and the late Rob Pilatus, as well as the real singers, record executives, and the producer behind the duo, who became one of the most popular groups of the late ’80s and early ’90s until it was discovered that they had been lip-synching the entire time. Pilatus died of an accidental alcohol and prescription drug overdose in 1998.
“Finally — the true story of Milli Vanilli has been told!” Morvan said in a statement. “I’m thankful...
Milli Vanilli goes directly behind the scenes through exclusive interviews with the group’s members Fab Morvan and the late Rob Pilatus, as well as the real singers, record executives, and the producer behind the duo, who became one of the most popular groups of the late ’80s and early ’90s until it was discovered that they had been lip-synching the entire time. Pilatus died of an accidental alcohol and prescription drug overdose in 1998.
“Finally — the true story of Milli Vanilli has been told!” Morvan said in a statement. “I’m thankful...
- 9/13/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Rapper Cardi B has been mocked online after the microphone attack incident as viewers noticed her voice kept singing in the background.
The ‘I Like It’ rapper threw her microphone at a fan on Saturday evening, after being splashed with water by an audience member, which in turn revealed she was lip-syncing.
The incident occurred at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas, Nevada when the entertainer was in the middle of a performance of her song ‘Bodak Yellow’.
Viewers noticed that even as she was throwing the mike in irritation at the audience — her 2018 hit track ‘Bodak Yellow’ continued to play with her vocals.
Social media users started comparing her to Milli Vanilli, an 80s pop duo that was caught lip-syncing songs on stage though they weren’t the actual singers on the track.
Milli Vanilli was a German-French duo made up of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The band...
The ‘I Like It’ rapper threw her microphone at a fan on Saturday evening, after being splashed with water by an audience member, which in turn revealed she was lip-syncing.
The incident occurred at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas, Nevada when the entertainer was in the middle of a performance of her song ‘Bodak Yellow’.
Viewers noticed that even as she was throwing the mike in irritation at the audience — her 2018 hit track ‘Bodak Yellow’ continued to play with her vocals.
Social media users started comparing her to Milli Vanilli, an 80s pop duo that was caught lip-syncing songs on stage though they weren’t the actual singers on the track.
Milli Vanilli was a German-French duo made up of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The band...
- 8/1/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
A revealing new documentary takes an inside look at the most infamous lip-syncing scandal in pop music history
You could argue that, at least in the realm of pop music, the year 1989 belonged to Milli Vanilli.
The German-French pop duo, formed barely a year earlier by the German producer Frank Farian, had already barnstormed through European charts with their first single Girl You Know It’s True. The song hit the US airwaves in March with stratospheric impact. Their debut album sold over 8m copies and spawned three No 1 singles; it stayed in the top 10 for the rest of the year. Young fans, predominantly women, screamed along to Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan’s tight choreography and blatant eye candy – long braided hair extensions that swung freely when they danced, come-hither stares, chiseled abs, shoulder pads and spandex shorts, incredible energy and incredibly 80s dance moves.
You could argue that, at least in the realm of pop music, the year 1989 belonged to Milli Vanilli.
The German-French pop duo, formed barely a year earlier by the German producer Frank Farian, had already barnstormed through European charts with their first single Girl You Know It’s True. The song hit the US airwaves in March with stratospheric impact. Their debut album sold over 8m copies and spawned three No 1 singles; it stayed in the top 10 for the rest of the year. Young fans, predominantly women, screamed along to Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan’s tight choreography and blatant eye candy – long braided hair extensions that swung freely when they danced, come-hither stares, chiseled abs, shoulder pads and spandex shorts, incredible energy and incredibly 80s dance moves.
- 6/15/2023
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
Back in 1990, the downfall of European pop duo Milli Vanilli seemed like an open-and-shut case of disgrace.
They — Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus — were the lip-synching scofflaws, convicted in the court of public opinion of fraud against a generation of FM Top 40 radio listeners robbed of our precious sense that music and its artistic authorship were directly linked. The punishment? Permanent professional ostracism and punchline status — though when Pilatus died of an accidental drug overdose in 1998, the reality became even more punitive.
Luke Korem’s new documentary Milli Vanilli attempts to give the “Blame It on the Rain” non-singers 106 minutes of re-evaluation. Were they perpetrators or victims? If they were some gradation of the latter, who were the actual villains? If they were some gradation of the former, did the punishment fit the crime? What did Rob and Fab actually do, what was their actual sin and why did audiences respond the way they did?...
They — Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus — were the lip-synching scofflaws, convicted in the court of public opinion of fraud against a generation of FM Top 40 radio listeners robbed of our precious sense that music and its artistic authorship were directly linked. The punishment? Permanent professional ostracism and punchline status — though when Pilatus died of an accidental drug overdose in 1998, the reality became even more punitive.
Luke Korem’s new documentary Milli Vanilli attempts to give the “Blame It on the Rain” non-singers 106 minutes of re-evaluation. Were they perpetrators or victims? If they were some gradation of the latter, who were the actual villains? If they were some gradation of the former, did the punishment fit the crime? What did Rob and Fab actually do, what was their actual sin and why did audiences respond the way they did?...
- 6/13/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s one of the inside-out realities of our era that scandal, if you give it enough time, turns into myth. So it is with the story of Milli Vanilli, the German-French R&b pop duo of the late ’80s and early ’90s who, having sold close to 50 million records, were revealed to be a fake: a pair of lip-syncing Euro pretty boys who hadn’t sung a note on any of their hits or at any of their concerts.
Once they’d been unmasked, the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli played out on two levels. The first was the spectacular embarrassing bad joke of it all — though it was never just a joke, since Milli Vanilli’s fans felt a tremendous sense of anger and betrayal at having been fooled. (The joke was on them.) The second level recognized a crucial and obvious truth: that the scandal wasn...
Once they’d been unmasked, the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli played out on two levels. The first was the spectacular embarrassing bad joke of it all — though it was never just a joke, since Milli Vanilli’s fans felt a tremendous sense of anger and betrayal at having been fooled. (The joke was on them.) The second level recognized a crucial and obvious truth: that the scandal wasn...
- 6/12/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Some three decades after one of the biggest scandals in the history of pop music, Milli Vanilli still commands a certain fascination for those who lived through the 1980s. Their debut album went six times platinum and they won the Best New Artist Grammy in 1990, but later that year Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, the faces of the group, had to do a mea culpa because they had not actually sung on the album.
Luke Korem’s documentary, “Milli Vanilli,” which receives its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival and will stream on Paramount+ in the fall, is well-researched and polished, even if it’s essentially a feature-length episode of “Behind the Music.”
The movie traces the story as far back as their humble beginnings. Pilatus, born in Germany to an American soldier and a strip dancer, lived in an orphanage until age 4. Morvan, from a broken family, moved at 18 from Paris to Munich,...
Luke Korem’s documentary, “Milli Vanilli,” which receives its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival and will stream on Paramount+ in the fall, is well-researched and polished, even if it’s essentially a feature-length episode of “Behind the Music.”
The movie traces the story as far back as their humble beginnings. Pilatus, born in Germany to an American soldier and a strip dancer, lived in an orphanage until age 4. Morvan, from a broken family, moved at 18 from Paris to Munich,...
- 6/11/2023
- by Martin Tsai
- The Wrap
More than three decades have passed since Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan — together and forever known as Milli Vanilli – took the music world by storm, and fell from grace even faster. Their six-times-platinum debut album in the U.S., “Girl You Know It’s True,” was accompanied by a marketing blitz that produced three No. 1 singles, a trio of American Music Awards and a Best New Artist Grammy before it was revealed that the duo had not sung on the album. An epic level of public humiliation ensured, as the duo were compelled to return their Grammy and nearly everyone who’d worked with them pleaded ignorance, often disingenuously.
Luke Korem – who directed the new “Milli Vanilli” documentary, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival – was just seven years old during that 18-month-long real-life drama, which tragically culminated with Pilatus’ fatal drug overdose in 1998.
“I’m a child of the ‘90s,” Korem explains about the doc,...
Luke Korem – who directed the new “Milli Vanilli” documentary, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival – was just seven years old during that 18-month-long real-life drama, which tragically culminated with Pilatus’ fatal drug overdose in 1998.
“I’m a child of the ‘90s,” Korem explains about the doc,...
- 6/8/2023
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
In a somewhat surprising announcement, this week, it was announced that Kim Cattrall will make an appearance in the Season 2 finale of “And Just Like That” — but she won’t interact with the rest of the show’s cast. Cattrall, who plays publicist Samantha Jones in “Sex and the City,” is expected to make a brief cameo appearance in the Max sequel series. No other details have been released at this time, but Cattrall had previously been adamant that she would not participate in the show, preferring to pursue other roles.
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
Season 6 of the popular dark anthology series “Black Mirror” is set to debut on Netflix on June 15. After the first two seasons and a special aired in the United Kingdom, the series became a Netflix exclusive series for Season 3. The show features...
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com
Get 20% Off Your Next Year of Max When Pre-Paid Annually
Season 6 of the popular dark anthology series “Black Mirror” is set to debut on Netflix on June 15. After the first two seasons and a special aired in the United Kingdom, the series became a Netflix exclusive series for Season 3. The show features...
- 6/2/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
A feature doc about controversial pop group Milli Vanilli has been picked up by Paramount+.
The eponymous doc, which tells the story of the duo who were forced to return their Grammy Award for Best New Artist after it was revealed that they didn’t sing on any of their records, is premiering at the Tribeca Festival.
The streamer will launch the doc in the U.S. as well as in Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. WME was screening for buyers earlier this year.
Produced by MRC and MTV Entertainment Studios, Milli Vanilli tells the story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, who became fast friends during their youth in Germany. With Rob coming from a broken home and Fabrice having left an abusive household, they shared a similar upbringing, as well as a future goal: to become famous superstars. In a few short years,...
The eponymous doc, which tells the story of the duo who were forced to return their Grammy Award for Best New Artist after it was revealed that they didn’t sing on any of their records, is premiering at the Tribeca Festival.
The streamer will launch the doc in the U.S. as well as in Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. WME was screening for buyers earlier this year.
Produced by MRC and MTV Entertainment Studios, Milli Vanilli tells the story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, who became fast friends during their youth in Germany. With Rob coming from a broken home and Fabrice having left an abusive household, they shared a similar upbringing, as well as a future goal: to become famous superstars. In a few short years,...
- 6/1/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Since its establishment in 2019, Leonine Studios has become one of Germany’s leading film distributors.
Forged by the merger of two companies, Concorde Film and Universum Film, the distribution powerhouse releases between20 and 25 films a year, including around five in-house productions or co-productions, says Bernhard zu Castell, Leonine Studios’ chief distribution officer.
“Our aim is to offer a slate of event movies that is an optimal blend of genres for all target groups and all our partners in the highest possible quality,” adds zu Castell, who previously headed Universum Film. “This strategy was key in establishing ourselves as a reliable distributor and licensor for all content platforms.”
The company last year enjoyed its biggest hit yet with “School of Magical Animals 2,” a fast-growing franchise that Leonine also co-produces. The film sold more than 2.8 million admissions (3 million counting Austria), making it 2022’s most successful German release and the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year by admissions.
Forged by the merger of two companies, Concorde Film and Universum Film, the distribution powerhouse releases between20 and 25 films a year, including around five in-house productions or co-productions, says Bernhard zu Castell, Leonine Studios’ chief distribution officer.
“Our aim is to offer a slate of event movies that is an optimal blend of genres for all target groups and all our partners in the highest possible quality,” adds zu Castell, who previously headed Universum Film. “This strategy was key in establishing ourselves as a reliable distributor and licensor for all content platforms.”
The company last year enjoyed its biggest hit yet with “School of Magical Animals 2,” a fast-growing franchise that Leonine also co-produces. The film sold more than 2.8 million admissions (3 million counting Austria), making it 2022’s most successful German release and the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year by admissions.
- 5/11/2023
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
With some of Germany’s most successful production companies in its stable, Leonine Studios is reaping the rewards with such feature film and television hits as “School of Magical Animals,” “Nightlife,” “Dark” and “Pagan Peak.”
Leonine’s production division includes such well-established companies as Wiedemann & Berg Film, which focuses on theatrical features, W&b Television and Odeon Fiction, which produce movies and series for all broadcasters and streaming platforms in Germany, documentary outfit Gebrueder Beetz and format maker I&u TV.
“We are in for high creative quality and commercial success,” explains Quirin Berg, who, along with Max Wiedemann, serves as Leonine’s chief production officer and managing director of Wiedemann & Berg Film.
“The parameters in each segment we are operating in may be different, but the agenda is not. And that was already the profile when we started out as producers some 20 years ago.”
Indeed, Wiedemann & Berg’s first feature film,...
Leonine’s production division includes such well-established companies as Wiedemann & Berg Film, which focuses on theatrical features, W&b Television and Odeon Fiction, which produce movies and series for all broadcasters and streaming platforms in Germany, documentary outfit Gebrueder Beetz and format maker I&u TV.
“We are in for high creative quality and commercial success,” explains Quirin Berg, who, along with Max Wiedemann, serves as Leonine’s chief production officer and managing director of Wiedemann & Berg Film.
“The parameters in each segment we are operating in may be different, but the agenda is not. And that was already the profile when we started out as producers some 20 years ago.”
Indeed, Wiedemann & Berg’s first feature film,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
At Berlin’s European Film Market, which wrapped Feb. 22, the indie industry was back in force, and plenty of deals got done.
Amazon Prime Video snatched up international rights to AGC Studio’s The Order, a white supremacist thriller starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult from Assassin’s Creed director Justin Kurzel; also, in a deal with sales outfit Rocket Science, Amazon grabbed pirate-themed survival thriller The Bluff, starring Zoe Saldaña from Anthony and Joe Russo’s Agbo banner.
Black Bear International sold out most of Europe and a number of other international territories for Nicolas Cage serial killer movie Longlegs, and the Jamie Bell-Margaret Qualley musical biopic Fred & Ginger. Buyers across Europe pounced on Dogman, Luc Besson’s comeback movie, starring Caleb Landry Jones, which Kinology is selling, with a domestic deal expected soon. And there was considerable heat around Voltage’s Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True,...
Amazon Prime Video snatched up international rights to AGC Studio’s The Order, a white supremacist thriller starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult from Assassin’s Creed director Justin Kurzel; also, in a deal with sales outfit Rocket Science, Amazon grabbed pirate-themed survival thriller The Bluff, starring Zoe Saldaña from Anthony and Joe Russo’s Agbo banner.
Black Bear International sold out most of Europe and a number of other international territories for Nicolas Cage serial killer movie Longlegs, and the Jamie Bell-Margaret Qualley musical biopic Fred & Ginger. Buyers across Europe pounced on Dogman, Luc Besson’s comeback movie, starring Caleb Landry Jones, which Kinology is selling, with a domestic deal expected soon. And there was considerable heat around Voltage’s Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
”It’s been a return to the joy of watching films.”
A handful of eye-catching deals on heavyweight packages have fuelled an optimistic return to the European Film Market.
Prime Video has snapped up international rights to AGC Studios’ Justin Kurtzel’s white supremacist thriller The Order starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, and Agbo’s Zoe Saldana action-survival thriller The Bluff sold by Rocket Science.
Black Bear International reported strong pre-sales on serial killer thriller Longlegs, with Neon circling, as well as musical Fred & Ginger, while buyers were warming to Capstone’s Liam Neeson thriller The Riker’s Ghost.
A handful of eye-catching deals on heavyweight packages have fuelled an optimistic return to the European Film Market.
Prime Video has snapped up international rights to AGC Studios’ Justin Kurtzel’s white supremacist thriller The Order starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, and Agbo’s Zoe Saldana action-survival thriller The Bluff sold by Rocket Science.
Black Bear International reported strong pre-sales on serial killer thriller Longlegs, with Neon circling, as well as musical Fred & Ginger, while buyers were warming to Capstone’s Liam Neeson thriller The Riker’s Ghost.
- 2/21/2023
- by Jeremy Kay¬Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Voltage Pictures has boarded worldwide sales, excluding Germany, on buzzy Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True from Leonine Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film. The company began shopping the title at Berlin’s European Film Market after a footage showcase for buyers on Thursday.
The film follows the spectacular 1980s rise of the Grammy-winning German-French R&b duo, as well as their fall after it emerges that they lip-synch all of their songs. It wrapped production late last year and is expected to be ready for release near the end of 2023.
Newcomers Tijan Njie from Germany and Elan Ben Ali from France play bandmates Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, while Simon Verhoeven (Welcome to Germany) directs and Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann (The Lives of Others, Dark) produce. The film also features Matthias Schweighöfer (Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer), Graham Rogers (The Kominsky Method) and Bella Dayne (Troy: Fall of a City).
Verhoeven,...
The film follows the spectacular 1980s rise of the Grammy-winning German-French R&b duo, as well as their fall after it emerges that they lip-synch all of their songs. It wrapped production late last year and is expected to be ready for release near the end of 2023.
Newcomers Tijan Njie from Germany and Elan Ben Ali from France play bandmates Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, while Simon Verhoeven (Welcome to Germany) directs and Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann (The Lives of Others, Dark) produce. The film also features Matthias Schweighöfer (Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer), Graham Rogers (The Kominsky Method) and Bella Dayne (Troy: Fall of a City).
Verhoeven,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Production wrapped in December; delivery expected in fourth quarter.
Voltage Pictures has boarded worldwide sales excluding Germany on Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True from Leonine Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film and has kicked off talks with buyers at the EFM.
The production, financing and sales company showed first footage to buyers during a lively presentation at CinemaxX on Thursday evening.
The film charts the meteoric rise of the Grammy-winning German French R&b duo, who took the world by storm in the late 1980s before it all came crashing down when it emerged they lip-synched their songs.
Voltage Pictures has boarded worldwide sales excluding Germany on Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True from Leonine Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film and has kicked off talks with buyers at the EFM.
The production, financing and sales company showed first footage to buyers during a lively presentation at CinemaxX on Thursday evening.
The film charts the meteoric rise of the Grammy-winning German French R&b duo, who took the world by storm in the late 1980s before it all came crashing down when it emerged they lip-synched their songs.
- 2/17/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Production wrapped in December; delivery expected in fourth quarter.
Voltage Pictures has boarded worldwide sales excluding Germany on Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True from Leonine Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film and has kicked off talks at the EFM.
The production, financing and sales company showed first footage to buyers during a lively presentation at CinemaxX on Thursday evening.
The film charts the meteoric rise of the Grammy-winning German French R&b duo, who took the world by storm in the late 1980s before it all came crashing down when it emerged they lip-synched their songs.
Simon Verhoeven...
Voltage Pictures has boarded worldwide sales excluding Germany on Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True from Leonine Studios and Wiedemann & Berg Film and has kicked off talks at the EFM.
The production, financing and sales company showed first footage to buyers during a lively presentation at CinemaxX on Thursday evening.
The film charts the meteoric rise of the Grammy-winning German French R&b duo, who took the world by storm in the late 1980s before it all came crashing down when it emerged they lip-synched their songs.
Simon Verhoeven...
- 2/17/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Leonine Studios and A24 have closed an all rights-deal for Ari Aster’s upcoming movie Beau Is Afraid for Germany and Austria.
The deal marks the second collaboration between the two companies after their deal for Oscar hopeful Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has drawn 250,000 admissions in Germany and Austria to date.
Beau Is Afraid will bow in the U.S. on April 21 and is now set for German release on May 11th.
The film is Hereditary and Midsommar director Aster’s third feature for A24 and stars Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Denis Ménochet, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey and Pattie LuPone.
In the surrealist movie, a paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother. Phoenix will portray the man at different stages in his life. The film is the latest bigger-budget project from A...
The deal marks the second collaboration between the two companies after their deal for Oscar hopeful Everything Everywhere All At Once, which has drawn 250,000 admissions in Germany and Austria to date.
Beau Is Afraid will bow in the U.S. on April 21 and is now set for German release on May 11th.
The film is Hereditary and Midsommar director Aster’s third feature for A24 and stars Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Denis Ménochet, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey and Pattie LuPone.
In the surrealist movie, a paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother. Phoenix will portray the man at different stages in his life. The film is the latest bigger-budget project from A...
- 2/15/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Ghost of Christmas Present is putting a modern twist on a beloved tale of holidays past.
Apple Original film “Spirited” stars Will Ferrell as the Ghost of Christmas Present who selects grumpy corporate executive Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) as his newest project. However, Clint soon flips the script on the Christmas spirit and instead visits the spirit’s past, present, and future.
Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” the musical film also stars Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page, Joe Tippett, Marlow Barkley, and Jen Tullock. “Daddy’s Home” helmer Sean Anders directs from a script he co-wrote the script John Morris.
“Spirited” features original songs penned by “Dear Evan Hansen” and “La La Land” Oscar and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
“The rumors stop here. Will and I did Not lip sync our dancing in ‘Spirited,'” Reynolds joked in a teaser video he recently tweeted,...
Apple Original film “Spirited” stars Will Ferrell as the Ghost of Christmas Present who selects grumpy corporate executive Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) as his newest project. However, Clint soon flips the script on the Christmas spirit and instead visits the spirit’s past, present, and future.
Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” the musical film also stars Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page, Joe Tippett, Marlow Barkley, and Jen Tullock. “Daddy’s Home” helmer Sean Anders directs from a script he co-wrote the script John Morris.
“Spirited” features original songs penned by “Dear Evan Hansen” and “La La Land” Oscar and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
“The rumors stop here. Will and I did Not lip sync our dancing in ‘Spirited,'” Reynolds joked in a teaser video he recently tweeted,...
- 11/2/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Everyone’s favorite ’80s pop star scandal are back, and they’ve brought their own hair gel.
Leonine Studios has dropped the first two images from their hotly anticipated Milli Vanilli music biopic Girl You Know It’s True, and the first look is something to see.
After several failed attempts to bring the story of the rise and scandalous fall of the ’80s pop stars to the screen, Leonine, together with star producers Wiedemann & Berg (Dark, The Lives of Others), are currently shooting the feature, which is expected to wrap in December.
Elan Ben Ali and Tijan Njie and (see above) star as Fabrice Morvan and Robert Pilatus, the top-charting pop R&b duo out of Munich who became global stars in the 1980s, scoring three No. 1 hits in the U.S. But the duo had a dirty secret: they were a fake band,...
Everyone’s favorite ’80s pop star scandal are back, and they’ve brought their own hair gel.
Leonine Studios has dropped the first two images from their hotly anticipated Milli Vanilli music biopic Girl You Know It’s True, and the first look is something to see.
After several failed attempts to bring the story of the rise and scandalous fall of the ’80s pop stars to the screen, Leonine, together with star producers Wiedemann & Berg (Dark, The Lives of Others), are currently shooting the feature, which is expected to wrap in December.
Elan Ben Ali and Tijan Njie and (see above) star as Fabrice Morvan and Robert Pilatus, the top-charting pop R&b duo out of Munich who became global stars in the 1980s, scoring three No. 1 hits in the U.S. But the duo had a dirty secret: they were a fake band,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With production underway on its Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It’s True, Leonine Studios has revealed the first-look photos for the pic produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film.
Newcomers Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali are set to portray the respective lead roles of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan. Matthias Schweighöfer is starring as German music producer Frank Farian. The cast also includes Graham Rogers as Milli Vanilli’s U.S. assistant Todd and Bella Dayne as Milli, Farian’s right-hand woman.
You can see the first images below of Ali as Fabrice and Njie as Robert, followed by an image of Schweighöfer as Farian:
Simon Verhoeven is directing the pic, with Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann producing. It marks another collaboration of the successful trio that has teamed on four No. 1 German box office hits. Kirstin Winkler is overseeing production as executive producer.
Girl You Know It’s...
Newcomers Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali are set to portray the respective lead roles of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan. Matthias Schweighöfer is starring as German music producer Frank Farian. The cast also includes Graham Rogers as Milli Vanilli’s U.S. assistant Todd and Bella Dayne as Milli, Farian’s right-hand woman.
You can see the first images below of Ali as Fabrice and Njie as Robert, followed by an image of Schweighöfer as Farian:
Simon Verhoeven is directing the pic, with Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann producing. It marks another collaboration of the successful trio that has teamed on four No. 1 German box office hits. Kirstin Winkler is overseeing production as executive producer.
Girl You Know It’s...
- 8/31/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
John Davis, a singer whose vocals were heard by millions on the hit 1988 single “Girl You Know It’s True” – even as his identity remained the secret behind the lip-syncing duo Milli Vanilli – has died of Covid-19. He was 66.
His death was announced earlier this week in a Facebook post written by his daughter Jasmin Davis. A Go Fund Me page she set up states, “Last night we lost: a father, a brother, a grandfather, a friend…and one of a kind musician. We are deeply saddened by his passing and will miss him dearly, especially smile and laughter.”
Davis’ international fame arrived in a roundabout way: Milli Vanilli, a French/German duo consisting of models Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, achieved late-1980s pop stardom through a string of hits including “Girl You Know It’s True,” “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Blame It on the Rain” and...
His death was announced earlier this week in a Facebook post written by his daughter Jasmin Davis. A Go Fund Me page she set up states, “Last night we lost: a father, a brother, a grandfather, a friend…and one of a kind musician. We are deeply saddened by his passing and will miss him dearly, especially smile and laughter.”
Davis’ international fame arrived in a roundabout way: Milli Vanilli, a French/German duo consisting of models Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, achieved late-1980s pop stardom through a string of hits including “Girl You Know It’s True,” “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Blame It on the Rain” and...
- 5/27/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
John Davis, one of the singers who contributed the real vocals to the fake hit-making duo Milli Vanilli, has died at the age of 66.
Davis’ daughter Jasmin confirmed her father’s death in a May 24th Facebook post, adding that he died from complications related to Covid-19, Variety reports. “He made a lot of people happy with his laughter and smile, his happy spirit, love and especially through his music,” she wrote. “He gave so much to the world! Please give him the last round of applause. We will miss him dearly.
Davis’ daughter Jasmin confirmed her father’s death in a May 24th Facebook post, adding that he died from complications related to Covid-19, Variety reports. “He made a lot of people happy with his laughter and smile, his happy spirit, love and especially through his music,” she wrote. “He gave so much to the world! Please give him the last round of applause. We will miss him dearly.
- 5/27/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Milli Vanilli is getting the documentary treatment. Luke Korem will direct the film, named after the pop duo’s hit single “Girl You Know It’s True.”
The film will chronicle the rise and fall of the most infamous Grammy winners in history.
In 1987, German producer Frank Farian brought together immigrants Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus to create the pop duo Milli Vanilli. The two produced one of the biggest hits of the decade, won the Grammy for Best New Artist and sold over 10 million records. But after it was revealed that the two had lip-synced their multi-platinum 1989 album, it caused a scandal that led to them being stripped of their awards, their financial independence, their dignity as artists and, eventually, Pilatus’ tragic death.
The film will feature never-before-seen footage as well as interviews with the actual singers behind Milli Vanilli’s music and exclusive access to surviving member Morvan.
The film will chronicle the rise and fall of the most infamous Grammy winners in history.
In 1987, German producer Frank Farian brought together immigrants Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus to create the pop duo Milli Vanilli. The two produced one of the biggest hits of the decade, won the Grammy for Best New Artist and sold over 10 million records. But after it was revealed that the two had lip-synced their multi-platinum 1989 album, it caused a scandal that led to them being stripped of their awards, their financial independence, their dignity as artists and, eventually, Pilatus’ tragic death.
The film will feature never-before-seen footage as well as interviews with the actual singers behind Milli Vanilli’s music and exclusive access to surviving member Morvan.
- 5/13/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
MRC Non-Fiction is announcing the production of a new documentary, “Girl You Know It’s True,” about the quick rise and faster fall of Milli Vanilli, the late ’80s pop duo that won the best new artist Grammy and sold more than 10 million records before losing it all amid a musical scandal.
The documentary about Fab Morvan and the late Rob Pilatus will be directed by Luke Korem, who directed and produced the SXSW award-winning non-fiction film “Dealt.” Korem will be a producer on the new film as well, under the banner of his Keep on Running Pictures, alongside producing partner Bradley Jackson and Fulwell 73. The latter company’s Richard Thompson is an executive producer, as is music critic and author Hanif Abdurraqib.
“Milli Vanilli has made an indelible mark on music and pop culture history, yet the truth of what happened is more bizarre than anyone knows,” Korem said.
The documentary about Fab Morvan and the late Rob Pilatus will be directed by Luke Korem, who directed and produced the SXSW award-winning non-fiction film “Dealt.” Korem will be a producer on the new film as well, under the banner of his Keep on Running Pictures, alongside producing partner Bradley Jackson and Fulwell 73. The latter company’s Richard Thompson is an executive producer, as is music critic and author Hanif Abdurraqib.
“Milli Vanilli has made an indelible mark on music and pop culture history, yet the truth of what happened is more bizarre than anyone knows,” Korem said.
- 5/13/2021
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Now here’s a bit of news that’s sure to be controversial. Until recently, it seemed like director Brett Ratner was in Hollywood jail, stemming from the accusations of sexual harassment that several actresses levied against him. However, it seems like Ratner and Millennium Media are getting into business together, to make his long-time passion project, too. It’s a Milli Vanilli biopic, no less. The film is still a long way from happening, and expect protests, but Ratner seems to be keen on continuing his career. This movie, as well as Ratner’s attempt in general, bears paying attention to. This won’t be the last we hear about it, I can assure you of that much… Here’s the exclusive from Deadline: In a surprising turn, we have learned that Brett Ratner is lining up a directing comeback on his long-time passion project about pop duo Milli Vanilli.
- 2/21/2021
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Exclusive: In a surprising turn, we have learned that Brett Ratner is lining up a directing comeback on his long-time passion project about pop duo Milli Vanilli.
Millennium Media is teaming up with Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment on the project and is launching sales ahead of the upcoming virtual EFM.
This would mark Ratner’s first feature directing job since the 2014 Hercules.
In November 2017, seven women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, accused the filmmaker of sexual harassment and misconduct, causing Warner Bros. to sever all ties with the producer-director with whom they had a lucrative deal.
Ratner, who has denied the claims, had kept a low profile since then until recently joining the ongoing GameStop frenzy by picking up life rights to WallStreetBets founders Jaime and Joel Rogozinski.
The Rush Hour director has been attached to the untitled Milli Vanilli biopic for over a decade. It was originally...
Millennium Media is teaming up with Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment on the project and is launching sales ahead of the upcoming virtual EFM.
This would mark Ratner’s first feature directing job since the 2014 Hercules.
In November 2017, seven women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, accused the filmmaker of sexual harassment and misconduct, causing Warner Bros. to sever all ties with the producer-director with whom they had a lucrative deal.
Ratner, who has denied the claims, had kept a low profile since then until recently joining the ongoing GameStop frenzy by picking up life rights to WallStreetBets founders Jaime and Joel Rogozinski.
The Rush Hour director has been attached to the untitled Milli Vanilli biopic for over a decade. It was originally...
- 2/20/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The history of the “Untitled Milli Vanilli Movie” has been almost as much of a roller coaster ride as the duo’s infamous career. The latest roadblock for the biopic, which dates back to a 2007 screenplay by fan Jeff Nathanson, who wanted to direct the film himself, was the demise of Brett Ratner’s $450 million co-financing deal with Warner Bros. for his RatPac Entertainment, which the studio officially announced it wouldn’t renew on April 10. The company was responsible for some of the studio’s biggest hits last year, including “Wonder Woman,” “It,” “Dunkirk” and “The Lego Batman Movie.”
Ratner was set to take the director’s chair for the proposed $20-30 million production, helming his first project since 2014’s “Hercules.” Shooting was planned for both Berlin and Los Angeles, but once Ratner became the subject of sexual harassment accusations late last year, the momentum stopped.
Milli Vanilli’s epic...
Ratner was set to take the director’s chair for the proposed $20-30 million production, helming his first project since 2014’s “Hercules.” Shooting was planned for both Berlin and Los Angeles, but once Ratner became the subject of sexual harassment accusations late last year, the momentum stopped.
Milli Vanilli’s epic...
- 4/12/2018
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Lost rehearsal footage of Milli Vanilli...
- 10/31/2017
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Prepare to have your mind blown -- Milli Vanilli is making a comeback, but this time you're gonna hear Fab Morvan's Real voice ... Plus the guy who sang for him during the O.G. lip sync disaster! Boom. Girl, you know it's true ... Fab, the surviving Mv member, is teaming up with John Davis to release a full album entitled, “Face Meets Voice: A True Milli Vanilli Experience.” Davis was one of 2 guys who...
- 4/30/2015
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
The 27th annual Images Festival, which was held in Toronto on April 10-19, has announced their award winners. Ten awards were given out to both seasoned filmmakers, as well as several student awards. The festival jury consisted of Shai Heredia, Heather Keung and Roxanne Sayegh.
One of the big winners was Brett Kashmere, who won the Deluxe Cinematic Vision Award for his basketball documentary From Deep. This win for Kashmere comes hot on the heels of his publishing the acclaimed fourth issue of Incite! Journal of Experimental Cinema, so it’s been a great couple of this fantastically talented filmmaker and underground film historian.
Other big winners of the festival include Benjamin Pearson, who won the prestigious Images Prize for his experimental narrative Former Models; Brigid McCaffrey, who won the Marion McMahon Award for her film Paradise Springs; and student filmmakers Jacob Robinson and Kelvin Brown from the Royal College...
One of the big winners was Brett Kashmere, who won the Deluxe Cinematic Vision Award for his basketball documentary From Deep. This win for Kashmere comes hot on the heels of his publishing the acclaimed fourth issue of Incite! Journal of Experimental Cinema, so it’s been a great couple of this fantastically talented filmmaker and underground film historian.
Other big winners of the festival include Benjamin Pearson, who won the prestigious Images Prize for his experimental narrative Former Models; Brigid McCaffrey, who won the Marion McMahon Award for her film Paradise Springs; and student filmmakers Jacob Robinson and Kelvin Brown from the Royal College...
- 4/23/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 2014 Art of the Real series, running from April 11th through the 26th at New York's Film Society Lincoln Center, could not have possibly asked for a more appropriate film with which to kick off its exploratory ruminations on documentary filmmaking. Raya Martin and Mark Peranson’s La última película is, among several things, a meta-commentary on its own layered being, a jocular doomsday journey through the collapsed scaffolding of the medium itself. Largely riffing on Dennis Hopper’s 1971 acid anti-Western The Last Movie (as well as its behind-the-scenes companion piece, The American Dreamer), Martin and Peranson employ varying film formats—everything from Super 8mm to HD digital—to weave a postmodern quilt that’s forever ripping at the seams. It’s a purposely paradoxical work, caustic and vulnerable, playful and grave, a flickering montage of photographs and an upside-down tracking shot—and, in its mingling of artifice and raw materials,...
- 4/10/2014
- by Fernando F. Croce
- MUBI
Music duo Milli Vanilli fooled everyone for a time. And Friday’s season finale of “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” revisits the people behind the scam that went down more than two decades ago. The series interviews the singers behind Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, the public face of Milli Vanilli, to dissect how the façade was pulled off and how it all came apart. Also read: Own Announces First Original Scripted Film with Darlene Love Biopic In TheWrap‘s exclusive preview from Friday’s episode, several of the singers behind the duo discuss how Milli Vanilli’s 1990 Grammy...
- 2/21/2014
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
Everyone knows by now that Beyonce's chilling performance of the national anthem at Barack Obama's inauguration was a lip-sync job, and she's facing backlash from fans and self-appointed Twitter comedians over it. But fellow music icons are defending the move, because it was too cold for her to sing it live. But it wasn't too cold for Kelly Clarkson to sing live. Maybe they have different vocal cords. Who knows?
For her part, Beyonce seems to be employing the crisis-aversion technique of 1) ignore, 2) don't respond, and 3) let the story die. While everyone ponders whether Bey will redeem herself by belting live at the Super Bowl, let's revisit some lip-sync scandals of the past, and examine whether this will really hurt Beyonce's career in the long run.
Ashlee Simpson
Jessica's lil sis was at the height of her pop music career when a lip-syncing snafu on "Saturday Night Live...
For her part, Beyonce seems to be employing the crisis-aversion technique of 1) ignore, 2) don't respond, and 3) let the story die. While everyone ponders whether Bey will redeem herself by belting live at the Super Bowl, let's revisit some lip-sync scandals of the past, and examine whether this will really hurt Beyonce's career in the long run.
Ashlee Simpson
Jessica's lil sis was at the height of her pop music career when a lip-syncing snafu on "Saturday Night Live...
- 1/23/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
We're still trying to come to terms with the fact that Beyoncé (might have) lip-synced the national anthem Monday at President Barack Obama's inauguration. But it comforts us to know that Bey isn't the first artist we love to fake it. Here are five more stars who had a little prerecorded performance help. Milli Vanilli: Well, girl, you know it's true: Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus weren't the real deal. They were on top of the world—even winning a Grammy—but blew their cover in 1989 when their track skipped during a "live" performance on MTV in 1989. From there, skeptics homed in closer on the duo and exposed more nonlive performances, including one at the 1990 Grammys....
- 1/23/2013
- E! Online
Unless you've just landed after a 16 hour flight, there's no way you could've escaped the news about Beyonce's lip-syncing debacle. The world is abuzz with precious Queen Bey's slipup, i.e. lip-syncing the national anthem at the presidential inauguration on Monday, and some people have even gone so far as to compare her "betrayal" to that of Lance Armstrong.
Honestly, people.
For starters, this isn't the first time the reigning queen of hip hop/pop/all living things has been tied to the "abominable" practice. When she performed at the 2009 Academy Awards with Hugh Jackman, many people pointed a shaky finger and blamed her for lip-syncing. For some, particularly those who don't multitask by singing and dancing onstage, this feels like cheating. We don't necessarily take that stand, but we can understand its origin.
The important thing to remember is that Beyonce is not the first famed singer...
Honestly, people.
For starters, this isn't the first time the reigning queen of hip hop/pop/all living things has been tied to the "abominable" practice. When she performed at the 2009 Academy Awards with Hugh Jackman, many people pointed a shaky finger and blamed her for lip-syncing. For some, particularly those who don't multitask by singing and dancing onstage, this feels like cheating. We don't necessarily take that stand, but we can understand its origin.
The important thing to remember is that Beyonce is not the first famed singer...
- 1/23/2013
- by Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Fabrice Morvan -- better known as one half of duo Milli Vanilli -- tells TMZ ... he's sort of a trailblazer ... because nowadays almost Everybody in pop music lip-syncs their songs. Fab was leaving Le Pain Quotidien bakery in L.A. yesterday ... when we asked about his infamous phony vocals scandal in 1990 ... when it was revealed neither he nor Rob Pilatus actually sang any of the hits on their album, "Girl You Know It's True."Fab tells TMZ,...
- 4/17/2012
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
In the late 1980's Milli Vanilli blasted to the top of the charts on exotic good looks and the wonder of spandex over lean muscle. But they didn't stay there long, banned from public consumption even quicker than they were welcomed, after they were exposed as lip sync frauds who had never recorded the songs in the first place. Universal Pictures was working to piece together a film about the infamous fakes a few years ago, but it didn't get too far. Now Deadline reports that German director Florian Gallenberger will rewrite and helm the picture with The Kennedy/Marshall Company ("Munich," "The Bourne Ultimatum")
You may recall that Milli Vanilli was a somewhat well disguised product of German pop from start to finish, so it's fitting a German would take on the story. Gallenberger won an Academy Award for his short film "Quiero Ser," and his feature "John Rabe,...
You may recall that Milli Vanilli was a somewhat well disguised product of German pop from start to finish, so it's fitting a German would take on the story. Gallenberger won an Academy Award for his short film "Quiero Ser," and his feature "John Rabe,...
- 2/16/2011
- by Brandon Kim
- ifc.com
Yes, you know it’s true… ooh, ooh, ooh… that Florian Gallenberger has signed on to write and direct a feature film based on the 80s pop duo – Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan or, if you prefer Milli Vanilli!
Gallenberger is German director who won an Oscar for his live-action short Quero Ser and directed John Rabe, so we guess that this could be an interesting project.
The story will revolve around Pilatus and Morvan, who were hired by German record producer Frank Farian as the faces of his music group. Farian had the signers and the songs, but wanted a certain look, which he found when he spotted model/dancer friends Pilatus and Morvan in a Munich club.
Milli Vanilli debut album achieved international success and earned them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990. They soon became one of the most popular pop acts in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Gallenberger is German director who won an Oscar for his live-action short Quero Ser and directed John Rabe, so we guess that this could be an interesting project.
The story will revolve around Pilatus and Morvan, who were hired by German record producer Frank Farian as the faces of his music group. Farian had the signers and the songs, but wanted a certain look, which he found when he spotted model/dancer friends Pilatus and Morvan in a Munich club.
Milli Vanilli debut album achieved international success and earned them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990. They soon became one of the most popular pop acts in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- 2/14/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
The story of 80s German lip-synching one-hit-wonder (of sorts) pop duo Milli Vanilli is one of the better known tragic comedies of music, them having won a Grammy Award that was stolen away after it was discovered that were simply dancers, only having mouthed over the voices of The Numarks in their once-popular songs. Of course, the duo, consisting of "musicians" Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan shrunk away after their mass media fall, and their story is one that someone out there figures is worth telling on the silver screen.
read more...
read more...
- 2/12/2011
- by JT Langley
- Filmology
Deadline has learned that Florian Gallenberger, the German-born filmmaker who won an Oscar for his live-action short "Quero Ser" and directed "John Rabe," has signed on to write and direct a feature film based on the 80s pop duo Milli Vanilli. The story will revolve around Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, who were hired by German record producer Frank Farian as the faces of his music group. Farian had the signers and the songs, but wanted a certain look, which he found when he spotted model/dancer friends Pilatus and Morvan in a Munich club. They soared to the top of the charts with songs like "Blame It On The Rain" and "Girl You Know It's True" until evidence began to mount that they were lip-synching frauds. Farian ended up exposing the charade, but by then, the group has sold millions of records and won a Grammy Award. The trophy was taken away,...
- 2/11/2011
- WorstPreviews.com
A film based on the story of the two lip-syncing male models who sold millions of records and won a Grammy before their scam was revealed, leading to the accidental death/suicide of one of them, has found a writer/director, and his names is Florian Gallenberger!
Who? Florian Gallenberger – the German-born filmmaker, whose last feature, John Rabe, which starred Steve Buscemi, and nearly swept the 2009 Deutscher Filmpreis (the German Film Awards version of the Oscars), including winning the Best Picture crown.
It’s worth noting that Milli Vanilli was discovered in Germany, where the duo, Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, met.
But talk about a human tragicomedy of Shakespearean proportions!
A film based on the group has loooong been in the works (I recall talking about it on my previous blog, over 2 years ago). But, for a number of reasons, it’s been stuck in development limbo, switching production...
Who? Florian Gallenberger – the German-born filmmaker, whose last feature, John Rabe, which starred Steve Buscemi, and nearly swept the 2009 Deutscher Filmpreis (the German Film Awards version of the Oscars), including winning the Best Picture crown.
It’s worth noting that Milli Vanilli was discovered in Germany, where the duo, Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, met.
But talk about a human tragicomedy of Shakespearean proportions!
A film based on the group has loooong been in the works (I recall talking about it on my previous blog, over 2 years ago). But, for a number of reasons, it’s been stuck in development limbo, switching production...
- 2/11/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.