Pharrell Williams’ highly anticipated live-action musical biopic, “Golden,” has been permanently shut down in postproduction.
The film, originally titled “Atlantis,” was directed by Michel Gondry and featured an A-list cast, including Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, and Brian Tyree Henry. However, as Variety reports, “Golden” will not be released, following a “unanimous agreement” between Gondry, Williams, and the film’s producers, including Mimi Valdes and Gil Netter.
Michel Gondry’s ‘GOLDEN’, inspired by Pharrell Williams’ childhood, has been cancelled after it didn’t live up to expectations.
The movie was shot & would have starred Kelvin Harrison Jr, Halle Bailey, Quinta Brunson and Jaboukie Young-White
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— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 7, 2025
In a joint statement, Williams and Gondry shared their disappointment, stating, “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.”
Despite the cancellation, they expressed gratitude for the cast and crew’s efforts and teased future collaborations with Universal Pictures.
The film, which had a $20 million budget, was initially slated for a May 5th release, but fans on social media voiced their frustration over the cancellation, lamenting the loss of the film’s potential. Last year, Williams’ animated biopic “Piece by Piece” earned critical acclaim, further heightening anticipation for Golden.
