In news that we’ll have to see to believe, a biopic based on the story of disgraced pop duo Milli Vanill is in the works.
German entertainers Fabrice “Fab” Morvan and Rob Pilatus — who died of a drug overdose 10 years ago — were responsible for one of the biggest scandals in the history of the recording industry when the “singers” were unveiled as frauds.
According to Variety, Catch Me If You Can’s Jeff Nathanson will be writing and directing the feature.
Backstory: In 1990, the group won a Best New Artist Grammy for their album Girl You Know It’s True, which went six-times platinum. The disc spawned three No. 1 hits that year, including “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Blame It on the Rain.”
The duo refused to promote a follow-up album unless producer Frank Farian allowed them to sing. Instead, Farian revealed that the album’s lead vocals, credited to the duo, were those of other singers. The controversy forced the Recording Academy to revoke the award and Girl You Know It’s True became the first No. 1 album deleted from the catalog of a major label. Their Grammy was promptly revoked — another first for the Recording Academy.
While Fab has given his blessing to a movie about the debacle, he’s still a bit salty about the firestorm, in which he claims he and his late bandmate were used as “scapegoats.”
“We wanted to give the Grammy back,” the lip-syncher says in an interview with USA Today. “We felt in our hearts that it would be a good gesture to do that. But they made it look as though (the academy) wanted it back. They could have come to my house and gotten it.”