Pharrell Williams Is Working on a Musical About His Childhood

Pharrell Williams is set to take part in a musical film based on his own life. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, the award-winning artist will serve as the co-producer of an autobiographical piece titled Atlantis. The musical will be directed by Broadway icon Michael Mayer, while Pharrell and Mimi Valdes will produce the project via their i am OTHER endeavor. Toy Story 4 writer Martin Hynes will also take part in writing duties for the film and Gil Netter — of Life of Pi and The Blind Side fame — will serve as a co-producer.

Billed as “a Romeo and Juliet style story inspired by his childhood in Virginia Beach,” Pharrell Williams’s Atlantis will focus entirely on Pharrell’s formative years and may feature an examination of his creative relationship with The Neptunes co-architect Chad Hugo. Fox Studios has signed on to promote and distribute Atlantis, making the effort Pharrell’s second joint venture with the studio. The first major production from Pharrell Williams and Fox, Hidden Figures, received several Oscar nominations and was released to widespread critical acclaim.