A Hollywood musical based on Pharrell Williams’ childhood in Virginia Beach is in the works and will be partially filmed in the hip-hop star’s home state, according to recent reports.
Last week, Deadline senior film reporter Matt Grobar reported the movie “is said to be a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.”
On Thursday, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reported that the movie is set to begin filming in Richmond.
A film title hasn’t been finalized. However, multiple music industry headliners have signed onto the project, according to IMBD. The site lists R&B superstar Mary J. Blige, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Portsmouth native Missy Elliott and rapper André 3000 as members of the cast. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for “The Holdovers,” will star along with actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. who will play the lead role.
Harrison has starred in “Cyrano,” “Elvis,” and “Chevalier.”
The musical will be directed by Michel Gondry and produced by Williams. Gondry won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2005 as a writer for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” which he also directed. It is written by Martin Hynes, one of the writers of “Toy Story 4,” and Steven Levenson, who co-wrote “tick, tick… BOOM!” and “Dear Evan Hansen.”
