Universal cancel plans for Pharrell Williams biopic
Universal have shelved Golden, director Michel Gondry’s take on Pharrell Williams’ childhood. The film, set for release on May 5th, will now never see the light of day.
In a shared statement, Gondry and Williams attributed the cancellation to an inability to fully realise their initial vision. “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 said.
“We appreciate all the hard work of the talented cast and crew,” they continued. Kelvin Harrison Jr was set to star as the lead. The impressive cast list included Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Missy Elliott and Andre Benjamin, among other unnamed actors.
Williams is no stranger to the biopic space. In 2024, Universal’s specialty label, Focus Features, released Piece by Piece, an animated Lego movie that told his life story, directed by Morgan Neville. The movie grossed over $10 million.
Golden was Williams’ attempt to look outside himself, with a larger budget of $20 million. “Golden is about a neighbourhood that I grew up in,” Williams told Empire in the only exclusive preview of the film, only a month ago.
“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 stated. “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.”
Despite the failure of this much-anticipated project, the pair are hopeful that this is not the last of their collaborative efforts. “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.”
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