Machine Gun Kelly’s forthcoming movie will undergo a title change following criticism from Mac Miller’s brother.
At the end of June, Deadline reported that MGK would star in a hip-hop film inspired by the lives of late artists, including Pop Smoke, Lil Peep, Juice WRLD, and Miller. The movie, written and directed by Tim Sutton, was announced with the title Good News—a nod to Miller’s first posthumous single off his 2020 album Circles. Although the film’s production company insisted the title was meant to be an homage to Miller, the late rapper’s brother was quick to express his opposition in a brief but strongly worded social media post.
“Fuck you, fuck your movie,” Miller McCormick wrote, “at least change the title.”
McCormick’s criticism ignited a widespread backlash among Miller fans, so much so that Rivulet Media decided to scrap the original title.
“Our film is about a fictional musician on the rise with a troubled life,” the production company wrote in a statement to E! News. “It’s not in any way a biopic or based on any artist’s true life. We realize the title, which was intended as an homage to Mac Miller, and other artists gone too soon, feels disrespectful. We’ve heard from many people on social media who have found offense with the title so, without hesitation, we will change it.”
MGK, legal name Colson Baker, has yet to respond to the controversy.
According to Deadline, the untitled film is a fictional tale about the final days of a troubled artist (MGK). The production company for the movie is set to begin next week, but a premiere date has not been announced.
“Colson Baker is that rare talent who is ascending at an incredible pace both in film and music,” Rob Pari. Rivulet Media’s film division president, told Deadline last month. “He is exactly the kind of artist that Rivulet Media is looking to partner with and we couldn’t be more excited to support him on both fronts, especially with Tim Sutton’s powerful screenplay and vision, which are custom-tailored to Colson’s formidable skills.”
