Pharrell‘s star-studded musical based on his childhood in Virginia will no longer see the light of day after being permanently shelved – despite production being completed.
According to Variety, the film was shuttered after producers and director Michel Gondry decided in post-production that the collective footage “did not live up to its developed conceit.”
“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,” Pharrell and Gondry said in a joint statement. “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.”
Titled Golden, the film was set to be released in theaters through Universal Pictures on May 5 and starred the likes of Quinta Brunson, Halle Bailey, Janelle Monáe, Brian Tyree Henry, the legendary Missy Elliott and more.
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According to the report, around $20 million had been spent on the film, which will be absorbed by Universal. It was also in early post-production so it was not fully edited, so there is no chance that it will be finished.
In November, Pharrell described the film as “a musical expedition set in the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach” in a conversation with Empire.
He continued: “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.”
The news comes after Pharrell’s animated Lego biopic Piece By Piece failed to make a splash at the box office last fall.
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According to a report from Deadline on October 13, the film pulled in just $3.8 million domestically during its opening weekend, against a budget of $16 million, which doesn’t even include the money spent on marketing. The movie does, however, have an 81% critics’ rating and 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As for the unorthodox decision to tell his life story through animated Lego characters, Pharrell explained to Variety: “We wanted it to be a medium for anyone that just wanted to hear a good, aspirational, inspiring story told vividly, in a way that felt like it could apply to them personally.
“That they’d realize that at seven years old or 77 years old, they could wake up tomorrow and go tell their story, piece by piece.”
