There is no stopping Mary J. Blige.
Because fresh from rocking the Super Bowl Halftime Show and releasing new album ‘Good Morning Gorgeous,’ the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul has linked up with Lifetime for a unique movie venture.
Full story below…
Blige will serve as an executive producer on a new film named ‘Real Love’ – which is inspired by her 1992 classic of the same name.
The track, which serves as the singer’s first top 10 hit, has gone on to become one of her signatures.
Not to be mistaken as a biopic, ‘Real Love’ will instead draw on the themes explored in the song.
Billed as a coming-of-age romantic drama, the film centers on the college-bound character Kendra.
Upon settling at her new academic setting in upstate New York, she falls for her classmate Ben. A series of hurdles, including disapproving parents, financial hardship, and academic competition, put their love to the test and ultimately see the meaning of ‘Real Love’ uncovered.
Additional music from MJB will feature throughout the film.
Multihyphenate force Blige is also producing under her own production banner, Blue Butterfly, alongside Ashaunna Ayars and Nicole Jackson. Sonja Warfield and Rachel Ingram have been tapped to write.
The project follows the superstar’s critically revered documentary ‘Mary J. Blige’s My Life’ – which enjoyed ample success on Amazon’s Prime Video.
Speaking on the venture, Blige said in a statement:
“I wrote Real Love based on my real life experiences and my fans connected to it in a deeply personal way. It’s exciting to now use this song and my music to create a new story by way of film, continuing to build on a pillar of the foundation of my production company, Blue Butterfly. My passions for acting and music now include developing diverse stories with music as the backdrop. I am grateful to Lifetime for their partnership in the story of Real Love.“
Tanya Lopez, EVP Scripted Content, Lifetime, and LMN added:
“Mary is one of those phenomenal talents that can do it all, and we are so thrilled to be able to partner with her again on this new opportunity to bring her music to life in the form of a movie that we know audiences will love.”