In Sync

The music chart-topping, lip-syncing duo of the late 80's, known as Milli Vanilli, will soon have their story told in a forthcoming big screen biopic

Michael Fleming of Variety:

Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to make a film about Milli Vanilli, the duo that rose to the top of the pop charts and fell just as quickly when they were exposed as frauds.

Jeff Nathanson will write the script and direct the film. Kathleen Kennedy will produce.

Nathanson, who presented a sympathetic look at a check forger in "Catch Me if You Can," became intrigued with the notion of taking a similar tack on the music industry tale. He has secured the cooperation of Fabrice Morvan, as well as the estate of Rob Pilatus, who died in 1998 as the pair were attempting a comeback...

Milli Vanilli lip synchers Fabrice Morvan, (left) and Rob Pilatus

...Their Grammy Award was rescinded, class action lawsuits were filed, and Milli Vanilli was dropped from the Arista roster. Morvan took it hardest, falling into drug abuse and serving time for robbery before dying from a drug overdose right before a reunion album could be released.

"I've always been fascinated by the notion of fakes and frauds, and in this case, you had guys who pulled off the ultimate con, selling 30 million singles and 11 million albums and then becoming the biggest laughing-stocks of pop entertainment," Nathanson said. "Fabrice had always refused to sell their rights; he was very cautious of Hollywood after all he'd been through. But my intention is to tell this story from their point of view."

Nathanson will begin writing as soon as production is completed on "Rush Hour 3," which he scripted...

I remember when news broke about Vanilli and their big lie....Quite frankly, I am a bit surprised that it took so long to bring this tale to the big screen. It had Hollywood film written all over it some 20 years ago.

Since the movie will be told from the singing duos' point of view--I wonder just how sympathetic Nathanson's screenplay will be?--Given his work on the aforementioned 2002 flick Catch Me If You Can...which I thought was really quite light on the subject matter at hand.