Universal Pictures has bought the rights to make a film about the defunct singing group, Milli Vanilli.

Variety notes 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; he became intrigued with the notion of taking a similar tack on the music industry tale that he did on Catch Me If You Can. 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.

Pilatus and Morvan were hired by producer Frank Farian to front Milli Vanilli; Farian already had songs recorded by three other singers. Pilatus and Morvan became trapped in a lie when Milli Vanilli topped the charts and sold millions of records. Desperate to end the charade, the duo refused to promote a follow-up album unless Farian let them sing. Instead, he blew the whistle. Their Grammy Award was rescinded, class action lawsuits were filed, and Milli Vanilli was dropped from the Arista roster.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.

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