Pharrell Williams, Michel Gondry Shut Down Their Universal Musical Amid Editing Process
Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry have decided to scrap their movie musical that was in the postproduction process for Universal Pictures.
Golden, which previously went by the title Atlantis, will not be shopped to other interested parties, as the creative team is not continuing on with the project.
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The star-studded cast included Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Janelle Monáe and Missy Elliott. The project was set in Virginia Beach during the summer of 1977 and inspired by Atlantis Apartments, the neighborhood where Williams grew up. Gondry helmed the musical from a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson, while Williams was a producer alongside Mimi Valdés and Gil Netter.
'When all of us got into the editing room, we collectively decided there wasn't a path forward to tell the version of this story that we originally envisioned,' Williams and Gondry said in a joint statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. 'We appreciate all the hard work of the talented cast and crew. While we're disappointed, we can't deliver this film, we have incredible partners at Universal and will collaborate in a different capacity again soon.'
Williams has a long relationship with Universal, including having worked on the music for the Despicable Me franchise.
Gondry has helmed such scripted features as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind and The Green Hornet, along with the music-focused documentary Dave Chappelle's Block Party. The filmmaker won an Oscar for his work on the script for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Variety was first to report the news of the movie not going forward.
More to come.
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