EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated filmmaker Chris Moukarbel (Gaga: Five Foot Two) is currently shooting a doc exploring the life and career of multi-Grammy-winning artist Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds with backing from HarbourView Equity Partners and Kenya Barris aboard as a producer.
Featuring in-depth, exclusive interviews with Edmonds, the film will capture him as he reflects on navigating the highs and lows of the music industry, reveals his songwriting and producing process, and goes behind the scenes of his chart-conquering collaborations with such artists as Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Eric Clapton, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Madonna, and SZA.
Moukarbel’s Permanent Wave Productions serves as lead production company alongside producers Barris and Jeremy Allen of Khalabo Ink Society, Douglas Banker of Five All in the Fifth Entertainment, Rika Tischendorf, and Brande Baugh. HarbourView Equity Partners is financing and producing. UTA Independent Film Group is representing the sale.
A prolific singer-songwriter and producer, Babyface’s work has been recognized with 13 Grammys, including 4 Producer of the Year Awards, from 83 overall nominations. He’s a seven-time BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year and has racked up 16 Billboard #1 Pop Singles, 45 Billboard #1 R&B Singles, and 125 Billboard Top 10 Hits, contributing to over 800 million records sold and over a billion records streamed.
In 1989, Babyface and Antonio “L.A.” Reid founded LaFace Records, which played a pivotal role in the music industry during the ’90s and early 2000s. Based in Atlanta and known for its significant influence on the R&B and hip-hop genres, LaFace launched the careers of artists like Braxton, Outkast, Usher, TLC, P!nk, Ciara, Goodie Mob, T.I., and Donnell Jones.
Babyface is also known for producing soundtracks and songs for films such as The Bodyguard, Boomerang, Soul Food, and Waiting to Exhale, with collaborations including the Academy Award–winning Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey duet “When You Believe” for The Prince of Egypt. He reveals in the doc how he channeled his own personal heartbreaks into creating the soundtrack for millions of love stories around the world.
The film will also feature interviews with many of Babyface’s most notable collaborators, access to his never-before-seen personal archive, and behind-the-scenes and concert footage of his upcoming shows at The Palms in Las Vegas.
In a statement to Deadline, Edmonds said, “I’ve often wondered how an unassuming kid from Indianapolis got to where he is today, working with artists and achieving dreams I could’ve never imagined when I first started. This documentary is giving me a chance to go down memory lane with a fine-tooth comb, reexamining the highs and lows of my life and career. I’m discovering where all the songs really came from — and perhaps just as important, the how and why.”
Sharing that “Babyface and his music has always been part of the soundtrack of my life,” director Moukarbel added, “His imprint on the music world is massive and I feel really honored to be even a small part in sharing his story through directing this film.”
HarbourView Equity Partners’ Founder & CEO, Sherrese Clarke, added, “At HarbourView, we’re passionate about investing in stories and creators who’ve shaped culture in lasting ways. Babyface’s influence on music and artistry is immeasurable — his songs have defined. We’re proud to support this project celebrating his genius, legacy, and the emotional honesty behind his work.”
For his part, producer Barris added, “Babyface is one of one — a culture-defining hitmaker whose impact cannot be denied or overstated. We’re honored to be a part of telling his story and grateful that we’re teaming with HarbourView, a company that understands the importance of investing in culture and storytelling like this, to do so. I hope this project not only spotlights Babyface’s remarkable career but also gives people a glimpse into the man behind the musical genius, who just might be one of the funniest mother*ckers I’ve ever met.”
Perhaps best known for directing and producing the Lady Gaga doc Gaga: Five Foot Two, Moukarbel is also responsible for the HBO releases Me at the Zoo, Banksy Does New York, and Wig. He also directed Cypher, which won Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Festival, as well as Paramount+’s The Honey Trap and Legendary Pictures’ Blue Scuti: Tetris Crasher. He is repped by UTA, Heroes and Villains Entertainment, and Levy Law.
Edmonds is represented by WME and Azoff Music Management; Barris by WME and Artists First; and Banker by UTA.
