The music industry is a harsh landscape. If you’re not careful, it will chew you up and spit you out. While some artists dream of fame, fortune, and immortality, executives see artists as cogs in a machine. If a suit can squeeze you for all you’re worth, they’ll do so without thinking twice. If any band knows this unfortunate cycle, it’s the German R&B act Milli Vanilli, who fell from grace after rising above the stars and getting exposed as industry puppets. Vertical welcomes to the stage Simon Verhoeven’s Girl You Know It’s True trailer, depicting the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli.

Here’s the official synopsis for Girl You Know It’s True:

Girl You Know It’s True follows the true story of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, who conquered global music charts as the pop duo “Milli Vanilli.” Their fame turned to infamy when it was revealed the iconic voices behind their hits were not their own but those of other singers.

Simon Verhoeven directed and wrote Girl You Know It’s True, which starred Tijan Njie, Elan Ben Ali, Matthias Schweighöfer, Bella Dayne, Graham Rogers, Ashley Dowds, and SteVonté Hart. Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann, and Kirstin Winkler produced.

In the Girl You Know It’s True trailer, Pilatus and Morvan enter the musical arena with stars in their eyes and the best of intentions. Sadly, the people in charge of their meteoric rise are only interested in making money rather than art. With little information on how the music industry works, Pilatus and Morvan go along with the plan to pantomime their way up the charts. When the duo gets exposed for lip-syncing and stealing another group’s music, their dreams of becoming R&B legends go up in flames. While people still remember Milli Vanilli, the band’s shattered legacy comes to mind before their hit songs. It’s far from the mark Pilatus and Morvan wanted to make, reducing them to a cautionary tale instead of legends in the entertainment world.

My sister was obsessed with Milli Vanilli. I could hear “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Blame It On The Rain,” and “Girl You Know It’s True” coming from her bedroom 24/7. I remember the shocking news about the band’s fall from grace and how upset scores of teens had become. What a time to be alive. The Girl You Know It’s True trailer captures much of that time’s mood. Let’s hope the film serves Milli Vanilli well and tells the actual story of two hopefuls with the best of intentions who became victims of an industry that is unafraid to twist artists to make a buck.

Girl You Know It’s True dances into theaters on August 9, 2024.

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