Earl Hopkins | (TNS) The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Long-time Boyz II Men fans have been on bended knee, hoping for a new project from the iconic R&B group. And with a potential biopic in the works, it appears their wishes have been granted.
According to Variety, Philly’s own four-time Grammy-winning ensemble, consisting of members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanyá Morris, has partnered with Compelling Pictures and Primary Wave to develop a feature film based on their 30-years-long journey as a band. The members will also serve as executive producers. Michael Sean McCary, the fourth member, left the band in 2003, owing to health issues.
“We’ve been waiting to find the right partners who understand our story and are willing to tell it all,” Nathan Morris said in a statement to Variety. Producers Denis O‘Sullivan and Jeff Kalligheri at Compelling Pictures “understood us [from] Day 1.”
Compelling Pictures officials added, “It’s a tremendous honor to help bring their unique and untold story to the big screen. We’re excited to show the brotherhood and [camaraderie], as well as the challenges and strife, humor and heartbreak that has accompanied the unparalleled success that Nate, Shawn, Wanyá, and Mike have worked so hard to achieve.”
The group rose to worldwide success in the 1990s thanks to soul-stirring ballads, acapella doo-wops and simmering slow jams like “Motownphilly,” “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You.” They’ve sold 60 million records, becoming the bestselling R&B group of all time.
The band, originally called Unique Attraction, formed at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in 1985, where the members shared classes with jazz bassist Christian McBride, singer Amel Larrieux, organist Joey DeFrancesco and Black Thought and Questlove of the Roots.
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The school moved from 11th and Catharine to its current location on South Broad Street in 1997, and the section in front of the school was named Boyz II Men Boulevard in 2017.
The film announcement is a timely one for the group, which has seen an upward swing in recent years. The band gave its a taste of its version of Chili’s “I Want My Baby Back” in a 2023 ad and took over the Met Philly in February to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its second album, “II.” They have also lent their voices to the new Eagles’ Christmas album, singing on the first track, “It’s Christmas Time (in Cleveland Heights),” with brothers Jason and Travis Kelce.
Release plans for the film haven’t been announced yet.
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