''Girl You Know It's True'' is a 2023

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from Docudrama, docudrama films ...

about the notorious late-1980s/early-1990s music duo

Milli Vanilli Milli Vanilli ( ) was a German duo R&B music act from Munich. The act was created in 1988 by Frank Farian, founder of Boney M., and consisted of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus as the lip-syncing performers, with the two actual main studio sing ...

, who caused one of the most infamous scandals in international pop music.

Simon Verhoeven Simon Verhoeven (born in Munich on 20 June 1972) is a German-Austrian film director, screenwriter, film producer, former actor, and occasional film music composer. Life and family Verhoeven is the son of international screen actress Senta Ber ...

wrote, directed and co-produced the biopic, which was produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film, with Leonine as the theatrical distributor, released in cinemas on December 21, 2023. The movie stars Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali as the

lip-synching Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements ...

stage artists

Rob Pilatus Robert Pilatus (8 June 1964 or 1965 – 3 April 1998) was a German singer, dancer, and model. He was a member of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli with Fab Morvan. Biography Early life Pilatus was born in Munich, West Germany, on 8 June 1964 or ...

and

Fab Morvan Fabrice Maxime Sylvain Morvan (born 14 May 1966) is a French singer, dancer, rapper, and model who was half of the pop duo Milli Vanilli, along with Rob Pilatus. It was later revealed that the two had not actually sung on any of their recordin ...

respectively, as well as

Matthias Schweighöfer Matthias Schweighöfer (; born 11 March 1981) is a German actor and filmmaker known for his work in several German and American film productions. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Franz Herber in the 2008 film ''Valkyrie''. In 2021, Sch ...

as the instigating

music producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

Frank Farian Franz Reuther (18 July 1941 – 23 January 2024), known professionally as Frank Farian, was a German record producer and singer who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., the pop band No Mercy, and the pop band Milli Vanilli. He frequent ...

Plot

Robert "Rob" Pilatus – a

mixed-race The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mul ...

child adopted by a German couple in an all-white

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

neighbourhood – finds solace listening to

Boney M. Boney M. is a German reggae, funk and disco music group founded in 1974. It achieved popularity during the disco era in the second half of the 1970s. The band was created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary song ...

, the

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

group created by established music producer

. Years later, following an argument with his adoptive father who disapproves of an entertainment career, Rob leaves home and meets Fabrice "Fab" Morvan, an aspiring

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. In 1988, after revamping their image, they perform as podium dancers at a

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

where music journalist Ingrid "Milli" Segeith scouts them. She introduces the pair to her partner Frank, who reveals that his future hit " Girl You Know It's True" is already recorded, and the duo are only required to

mime A mime artist, or simply mime (from Greek language, Greek , , "imitator, actor"), is a person who uses ''mime'' (also called ''pantomime'' outside of Britain), the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a the ...

, to which they unwillingly agree. Rob and Fab discover the recording is a cover version but Frank and Milli assure them that re-recording original songs is common industry practice, and "Girl You Know It's True" climbs the charts across Europe. In 1989, Rob and Fab – now known as

– are signed to

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where they are warmly welcomed, although executives arrange for a dialect coach to help them refine their strong European accents. The duo accumulate a vast fan base after relocating to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, but their lavish lifestyle, drug addiction, and reckless behaviour earn them a bad reputation. Meanwhile, 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 own no

publishing rights A publishing contract is a legal contract between a publisher and a writer or author (or more than one), to publish original content by the writer(s) or author(s). This may involve a single written work, or a series of works. In the case of musi ...

. Rob is overjoyed when a man claiming to be his biological father contacts him, but cuts ties upon realising he is an imposter after monetary gain. Back in Germany, Frank grows increasingly worried that his secret will be exposed and orders Milli Vanilli to return home, which they refuse. Apart from a technical glitch incident that causes their backing record to skip during a show, their

Club MTV ''Club MTV'' is a half hour television show modeled after ''American Bandstand'' that aired on MTV from August 31, 1987, to June 26, 1992. ''Club MTV'' was part of MTV's second generation of programming, as the channel was phasing out its orig ...

tour appearances are a success, with " Baby Don't Forget My Number", "

Blame It On The Rain "Blame It on the Rain" is a song written by Diane Warren and performed by the German dance-pop group Milli Vanilli. It was released as a new track from the group's North American debut album, '' Girl You Know It's True'' (1989), and did not appea ...

", and " Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" hitting No. 1 in America. The original

session singer A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...

s –

Brad Howell Brad Howell is an American keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer, known as the singer who provided the vocals for German band Chilly and the actual vocals lip-synced by Rob Pilatus for the musical duo Milli Vanilli. Career When Howell becam ...

and John Davis – however, are upset that Rob and Fab are receiving the recognition and accolades they believe are rightfully theirs, especially after Milli Vanilli are nominated for the 1990 Best New Artist Grammy, which they unexpectedly win. The duo insist on singing live during their performance at the ceremony, but their request is denied. Realising he is now powerless against Milli Vanilli, Frank threatens legal action against the duo and Arista to prevent 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. Taking decisive action on his own terms, Frank holds a press conference in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where he publicly admits that Milli Vanilli had never sang on their album, igniting a major scandal. Overnight, the fans turn against Milli Vanilli, Arista deletes their

music catalog In the music industry, a collection of musical compositions is cataloged into a music catalog. The owner owns the copyrights of the cataloged compositions. See also * Catalogues of classical compositions * Commission (art) * History of music pub ...

ue, and the duo's Grammy is revoked. While Numarx reacquire their publishing rights – now worth millions – and subsequently become successful music executives, Rob spirals deeper into addiction and Fab, unable to cope with his friend's situation, moves out of their shared apartment. In 1998, following his release from jail, Rob returns to Germany where Frank offers to send him to

rehab Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation hospital, hospitals devoted to the rehabilitation of patients w ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, but he dies of an

overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

, leaving Fab devastated. At the funeral, Rob's sister Carmen is irritated to see Frank among the attendees, but Fab is unable to attend. However, at a

beachside bar, Fab pays his respects by playing an acoustic rendition of "Blame It on the Rain". During the film's epilogue, it is revealed that Fab released a solo album in 2003 and currently lives in

The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

with his family; Frank relocated to

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

and continued to produce music until his death in January 2024; Milli married another musician, Frank's best friend; John Davis went on to form "Face Meets Voice – A Milli Vanilli Experience" with Fab until his death in 2021. Fab – who is narrating the film with Rob – apologises to his friend for leaving him at the height of his drug problems, claiming he had to save himself first, and Rob assures him it was not his fault. The film ends with Milli Vanilli performing "Girl You Know It's True", giving their audience the happy ending they expect.

Cast

* Tijan Njie as

, an aspiring German dancer who becomes one-half of Milli Vanilli ** Romeo Guy Da Silva as Young Rob * Elan Ben Ali as

, an aspiring French choreographer who befriends Rob to form Milli Vanilli *

, a German music producer who creates Milli Vanilli ** David Verhoeven as young Frank *

Bella Dayne Bella Dayne (born Isabelle Knispel, 8 January 1988), is a German actress. Her credits include the television series ''Plebs'', ''Humans'' and the BBC/Netflix miniseries '' Troy: Fall of a City'', in which she portrayed Helen of Troy. In 2020 sh ...

as Ingrid "Milli" Segeith, a German music journalist and Frank Farian's girlfriend * Graham Rogers as Todd Headlee, an American assistant manager for Milli Vanilli * Stevonte Hart as

Kevin Liles Kevin Liles (born February 27, 1968) is an American record executive who is the co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment. In 2020, Kevin was recognized by Billboard Magazine as R&B/Hip-Hop Executive of the Year for both his efforts in activism ...

, leader of the American DJ crew Numarx and co-writer of the song "Girl You Know It's True" * Ashley Dowds as Benny Dorn, Milli Vanilli's American manager, based on real-life manager Sandy Gallin *

Michael Maertens Michael Maertens (born 30 October 1963) is a German actor. He appeared in more than forty films since 1988. His grandfather Willy Maertens was also an actor. Selected filmography References External links * * 1963 births Living pe ...

as Markus Klein, an executive at

Hansa Records Hansa Records (also known as Hansa, Hansa Musik Produktion or Hansa International) was a record label based in Berlin, Germany founded in 1962. History In the early 1960s, brothers Peter and Thomas Meisel, grandchildren of Will Meisel, who was th ...

in Germany * Tijan Marei as Carmen Pilatus, Rob's adoptive sister * Thomas Bading as Hans Pilatus, Rob's adoptive father * Ulrike Arnold as Antonie Pilatus, Rob's adoptive mother * David Mayonga as

, a vocalist of the studio band behind Milli Vanilli * Samuel S. Franklin as John Davis, a vocalist of the studio band behind Milli Vanilli * Darlene Tejeiro as Denise Milan, an executive at

* David Chevers as Tom Sacks * Natasha Loring as Lisa * Andrew Roux as Ricardo * James Flynn as Gary, the tour manager of the

tour * Cornell Adams as Andrew Harrison * Bonita Lubliner as Jody Rocco, a backing vocalist of the Milli Vanilli band * Ramona Gianvecchio as Linda Rocco, a backing vocalist of the Milli Vanilli band * Mitsou Jung as Melly * Penelope Frego as Stefania, a singer based on

Sabrina Salerno Sabrina Debora Salerno (; born 15 March 1968), known mononymously as Sabrina, is an Italian singer, songwriter, model, actress and television presenter. During her career, she has scored ten international hits, including three number ones. Inte ...

* Roxanne Rittmann as Emily * Ivy Quainoo as

Downtown Julie Brown Julie Dorne Brown, better known as Downtown Julie Brown, is a British-born actress, dancer, television personality, SiriusXM DJ and former MTV VJ. Brown is best known as the host of the television music show '' Club MTV'', which ran from 1987 ...

, an

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

VJ and host of the Club MTV tour

Production

Development

Previous attempts to produce the film had failed. In 2007, it was announced that

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

was developing a motion picture based on Milli Vanilli's rise and fall. Jeff Nathanson, a screenwriter known for ''

Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...

'', was to write and direct the film, with Morvan serving as a consultant, providing his and Pilatus's point of view. However, the project was never completed. In 2011, German director

Florian Gallenberger Florian Gallenberger (born 23 February 1972 in Munich) is a German film director and writer. His film ''Quiero ser (I want to be...)'' was awarded the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2001. Career Gallenberger appeared in various ...

announced that he was reviving the project and rewriting the script, but the project never materialised. In August 2022, it was revealed that

Leonine Studios Leonine Holding GmbH, also known as LEONINE Studios and formerly known Tele München Group, LLC (German: Tele München Gruppe; TMG), is a German media production and distribution company that is based in Munich and since 2024 its owned by French ...

were filming a biopic about the troubled musical duo Milli Vanilli. The project's writer and director,

, was named producer alongside Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, as well as Laura Mihajlovic of Wiedemann & Berg Film. One of the

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

s of the biopic is R&B music producer and performer

, 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

. 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. Since Morvan had previously sold his film rights to director and producer

Brett Ratner Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the Rush Hour (film series), ''Rush Hour'' film series, ''The Family Man'', ''Red Dragon (2002 film), Red Dragon'', ''X-Men: The Last Stand'', ''Tower Heist ...

, he initially couldn't be involved in Verhoeven's film. After Ratner was called out and sidelined during the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, 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. The film was picked up by

Voltage Pictures Voltage Pictures is an American film production and distribution company founded by Nicolas Chartier in 2005. It has assembled over 180 motion pictures, earning the company a total of two Golden Globe Awards and nine Academy Awards. Recent f ...

Casting

was confirmed as playing the group’s producer Frank Farian, with Elan Ben Ali and Tijan Njie appearing as the Milli Vanilli frontmen Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus. In September 2022, roles were announced for Graham Rogers and

Filming

Filming took place in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, and

in 2022, with filming continuing until the end of the year. 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.

Release

The film was released in Germany on December 21, 2023, and in the United States on August 9, 2024. Its North American premiere took place at the 2024 Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

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.

Reception

Awards

At the

Bavarian Film Awards The Bavarian Film Awards () are film awards given to German films in the state of Bavaria, awarded by the state government. Background and description The Bavarian Film Awards have been awarded annually since 1979 by the state government of Bav ...

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.

References

External links

*
Excerpt
{{Simon Verhoeven 2023 films 2023 biographical drama films 2023 musical films 2020s musical drama films 2020s English-language films 2020s German-language films 2020s South African films American biographical drama films American musical drama films French biographical drama films French musical drama films German biographical drama films German musical drama films South African biographical drama films Biographical films about singers Drama films based on actual events English-language biographical drama films English-language musical drama films Films about drugs Films about musical groups Films directed by Simon Verhoeven Films set in 1953 Films set in the 1970s Films set in 1986 Films set in 1988 Films set in 1989 Films set in 1990 Films set in 1994 Films set in 1998 Films set in Baltimore Films set in Connecticut Films set in London Films set in Los Angeles Films set in Michigan Films set in Munich Films set in New York City Films set in Paris Films shot in Berlin Films shot in Los Angeles Films shot in Munich Films shot in South Africa Milli Vanilli Voltage Pictures films