Five of the group's members--Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant, had signed on as co-producers, while Bobby Brown did not.
[5] In November 2016, it was announced that iconic producers Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had been recruited to oversee the music production.
[9] In addition, Dante Hoagland, Caleb McLaughlin, Myles Truitt, Jahi Winston, and Tyler Marcel Williams would portray younger versions of Michael, Ricky, Ronnie, Ralph and Bobby respectively.
[10] Several others joined the cast later that month including Wood Harris as Brooke Payne, Michael Rapaport as Gary Evans, Wallace Smith as Jeff Dyson, Faizon Love as Maurice Starr, Duane Martin as Louil Silas, singer Tank as Jheryl Busby and actress/rapper Bre-Z as Peanut Bell.
[21] It currently has a 100% rating, with an average score of 7.2/10 on Rotten Tomatoes, along with the consensus being, "The New Edition Story colorfully showcases its subjects with honesty and clarity while offering an entertainingly paced overview that leaves room for plenty of the group's greatest hits".
Obell compared the film to another iconic television miniseries -- "it is on its way to being the best black TV biopic since The Jacksons: An American Dream" which aired on ABC in 1992.
For viewers, hearing his first lead solo appearance in the film singing "Candy Girl" gave chills for nailing every note.
[24] During an interview with Bell Biv DeVoe on the radio show, The Breakfast Club, co-host Angela Yee described the casting for the film as "fantastic."