Mary J. Blige will executive produce a Lifetime film based on her hit single “Real Love.”
“Real Love,” Mary J. Blige’s tune from the 1990s, is undeniably a classic. Now, a brand-new film based on the song is set to premiere on Lifetime.
Mary will executive produce the picture, named “Real Love,” under her Blue Butterfly production banner, according to Deadline. Mary’s debut album, “What’s The 411?” featured the song, which was released in 1992.
“Mary is one of those phenomenal talents who can do it all,” Tanya Lopez, EVP Scripted Content, Lifetime, and LMN, said. “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.”
“I created ‘Actual Love’ based on my real life experiences, and my fans connected to it in a really personal way,” Mary stated of her enthusiasm for the project.
It’s fantastic to be able to use this song and my music to tell a fresh story through cinema, building on a pillar of my production company, Blue Butterfly. My interests in acting and music have led me to create a variety of stories using music as the backdrop. Lifetime has been a wonderful partner in telling the tale of Real Love.”
Sonja Warfield and Rachel Ingram wrote the film, which is classified as a love drama. “Real Love” is about “Kendra, who travels off on her own for the first time to a college in upstate New York, intending to focus on her studies,” according to the film’s synopsis.
When she meets her film class companion Ben, though, she makes every effort to maintain a professional demeanor. Despite their parents’ disapproval, financial difficulty, and competition for first place in class, Kendra and Ben fall deeply for each other and learn the meaning of true love.”
Mary J. Blige and Lifetime have already collaborated on a number of projects, including “Real Love.” The 2013 film “Betty & Coretta,” in which Mary played Dr. Betty Shabazz, was Mary’s debut effort with the network. Mary also served as an executive producer on the film “The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel,” which will be released in 2020.
