Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men attend the 47th NAACP Image Awards Presented By TV One After Party at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Pasadena, California.
Jesse GrantAmazon Studios, Davis Entertainment and Malcolm D. Lee’s Blackmaled Productions are partnering on a coming-of-age movie musical titled Brotherly, which will be based on the music of R&B supergroup Boyz II Men.
Brotherly will follows a group of men who, according to the project’s synopsis, “will return to West Philadelphia for a high school reunion 20 years after having gone their separate ways — eventually finding hope, redemption and a new understanding of the enduring power of friendship.”
In addition to producing, Lee is also in talks to direct the project, which will be written by Marcus Gardley, who is behind the upcoming The Color Purple movie musical adaptation as well as Marvin Gaye biopic What’s Going On.
From Philadelphia, Boyz II Men is known for emotional ballads that are peppered with a cappella harmonies, gaining prominence in the ’90s and earning four Grammy Awards throughout their three-decade career. The group’s prominent singles include “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” “End of the Road,” “On Bended Knee” and “I’ll Make Love to You.”
John Davis and John Fox, who were most recently in theaters with Disney’s Jungle Cruise, will produce the project with Lee via his Blackmaled Productions. Eric Bromberg, Joe Mulvihill, Davis Entertainment’s Jeremy Stein and Sheila Walcott will executive produce, as well as Boyz II Men’s Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman.
Lee, repped by A3 and Del Shaw, was last behind the camera for Warner Bros. tentpole Space Jam: A New Legacy. Gardley, repped by WME, Manage-ment and Jackaway Austin, has a first-look television deal with Amazon. His previous screen credits include the series Maid, Foundation, and The Chi.
Boyz II Men are repped by ICM Partners.
This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
The estate of Prince has shared a previously unheard recording of “With This Tear,” a track the late icon originally wrote before passing it on to Celine Dion in the early 1990s.
The newly revealed version, released through NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, presents Prince’s own recording of the piano driven ballad, fully written, produced and performed by him. It was initially recorded at Paisley Park in November 1991 and had stayed in the vault until now.
Dion’s interpretation of “With This Tear” was included on her 1992 self titled album, highlighting one of many moments where Prince created songs for other artists while holding back his own versions. His original recording feels more minimal, putting the focus on his vocals and piano arrangement.
The newly issued version has been given an updated mix by Grammy nominated producer Chris James, who has worked on several Prince related releases before. This drop is part of the Prince Estate’s ongoing effort to open up more of his deep archive of unreleased music.
The release arrives at a meaningful moment, just ahead of the 10th anniversary of Prince’s passing. Since 2016, a consistent flow of archival material including deluxe reissues, vault recordings and rare collaborations has kept his legacy active in today’s music landscape while offering a closer look at how much he created.
“With This Tear” also highlights Prince’s long established role as a songwriter for others. Across his career, he wrote and produced tracks for a wide range of artists, often shaping songs that evolved into entirely new identities outside his own discography.
The release comes amid growing attention around Prince’s archive in recent years. In 2024, a demo of “Baby Doll,” an unreleased collaboration between Prince and Kylie Minogue, surfaced online and showed just how much material still remains unheard.
While there has been no official confirmation of a larger vault project, reports continue to suggest that more archival releases could be on the way.
