Victor Willis, a founding member of the Village People, is warning fans not to expect to see the disco group in the new movie Spinning Gold.
The biopic about Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, opening Friday, has only a 20-second scene about the Village People – even though the group was the label’s most successful act. Bogart (Jeremy Jordan) is seen coaching the Village People to do the ‘YMCA’ arm movements while explaining in a voiceover that only “the cop” actually sang.
That “cop” was Willis.
“No, Village People are not featured in that movie because [director] Tim Bogart could not afford to pay the required licensing fees associated with use of Village People music and image,” Willis claimed in a statement shared on Facebook. “So, he somewhat went around it by inserting an unauthorized scene with people dressed as Village People doing the ‘YMCA’ dance. And we are not cool with that at all.”
MORE: Spinning Gold Celebrates Casablanca Records Founder Neil Bogart
Willis said Spinning Gold was “stitched together” by Tim and blasted the movie’s “shameful and outright horrendous casting of Donna Summer and Gladys Knight.” (Summer is portrayed by Grammy-winning songwriter Tayla Parx and Knight is played by Grammy winner Ledisi.)
Willis said Spinning Gold “should never have seen the light of day.”
As iHeartRadio.ca reported exclusively on Monday, Spinning Gold is under fire by talent union ACTRA Montreal for failing to pay all of its members who worked on the movie. ACTRA Montreal said “to this day, the Producer is not in full compliance with all of its payroll obligations.”
Willis wrote: “My interest is only in the suggested portrayal of Village People in the movie with use of press releases naming Village People, time and time again, leading fans to believe that Village People would be featured in the movie when in fact, they are not.”
iHeartRadio.ca has reached out to Tim Bogart for comment.