A Pharrell Williams biopic directed by Michel Gondry has been permanently shelved by Universal Pictures, just three months before its scheduled May 9 release.
The film, originally titled Atlantis before being renamed Golden, had completed filming and was in post-production when the creative team encountered an insurmountable issue during editing.
“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 to Variety. “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.”
Golden was intended to be a coming-of-age musical set in Virginia Beach in the summer of 1977, inspired by Williams’ upbringing. The film was described as a celebration of Black culture and joy, with Williams previously stating it was about self-discovery and pursuing dreams in a deeply magical way.
The star-studded cast included Missy Elliott, Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anderson .Paak, Janelle Monáe, Tim Meadows, Brian Tyree Henry, and Jaboukie Young-White.
While Atlantis/Golden had tentatively scheduled a May 9, 2025 release, Universal has now scrapped the project entirely, similar to tax write-off films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme. According to Variety, the film will remain in its unfinished state, never to be released.
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