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According to Variety, Pharrell Williams' musical biopic Golden has been canceled. The biopic, formerly titled Atlantis, was supposed to be released in theaters on May 5. Golden was in the post-production stage. The production studio, Universal Pictures, did not comment on the news.
The biopic was directed by French filmmaker Michel Gondry, who wrote and directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and it had a star-studded cast of Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Janelle Monáe, Missy Elliott, Quinta Brunson, Anderson Paak and Jaboukie Young-White.
Gondry and Pharrell Williams gave their joint statement to Entertainment Weekly on February 7, explaining that while editing the musical, they realized the film was different than what they had envisioned. They said:
"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."
They thanked the cast and crew in the statement and expressed their hope of working with Universal Pictures again.
"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."
What was Pharrell Williams's biopic Golden about?
Last year, Pharrell Williams released his animated biopic Piece by Piece, which was produced by The Lego Group and released under Universal Pictures. Multiple stars voiced the project, including Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and others.
In November 2024, Pharrell Williams told Empire in an interview what was the difference between his two biopics. In his statement, he shared that Piece by Piece was based on his life, and Golden was based on his experience growing up in Virginia. He said,
"Piece by Piece is about my life, whereas Golden is about a neighborhood that I grew up in. This is very different. It's a musical expedition, set in the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with the spirit of the music [of that time]."
He also claimed the now-shelved project was a coming-of-age story celebrating Black people and their culture. He said,
"It’s a coming-of-age story about self-discovery and pursuing your dreams, but it’s so much more magical than that. It’s a celebration of Black life, Black culture, and most importantly, Black joy."
According to Variety, Universal Pictures will reportedly bear 20 million in production costs, and people involved in making Golden have already been paid for their work.
Pharrell Williams provided original music in Tyler Perry's Netflix war drama The Six Triple Eight, which was released in December 2024. He is currently the men's creative director at Louis Vuitton, a position that fashion designer Virgil Abloh previously held.
In 2021, Virgil Abloh passed away after battling cancer for years. His position at the fashion house was vacant until February 2023, when Louis Vuitton appointed Pharrell Williams. In June 2023, Williams released his first collection at the Paris Men's Fashion Show.
