A musical based on Pharrell Williams’ childhood is set to begin filming in Richmond.
Details are scarce at the moment, but here’s what we know:
“(T)he film 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,” Deadline reported.
Williams will serve as producer on the project.
Michel Gondry, director of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” has signed on to direct the Universal project.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. (known for “Waves” and “Luce”) has been set to lead, according to Deadline.
The Virginia Film Office said "due to client confidentiality, we do not comment on any project until authorized to do so."
Williams, 50, a hip-hop music icon, grew up in Virginia Beach and attended Princess Anne High School. He dropped out of Northwestern University to launch The Neptunes. Now he's known for many things: as a singer, songwriter, record producer and fashion designer.
Williams has won 13 Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year in 2004, 2014 and 2019. In 2014, his song “Happy,” featured in “Despicable Me 2,” received an Academy Award nomination. He also served as the producer and composer for "Hidden Figures" in 2017.
In 2019, he launched the Something in the Water festival in Virginia Beach with a star-studded list of performers including JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, and Timbaland. The festival was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. In 2022, it was held in Washington D.C. In 2023, it returned to Virginia Beach.