One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A Musical Inspired By Pharrell's Life Is In The Works
Pharrell at the 2017 Academy Awards. (Photo by Christopher Polk via Getty Images)
Fox won a pitch for a musical inspired by Pharrell Williams' upbringing in Virginia Beach, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Titled Atlantis, the story will draw on Romeo and Juliet themes while adding a musical element. Pharrell and his producing partner Mimi Valdes are co-producing with Gil Netter, who has worked on films like The Glass Castle, Life of Pi, and The Blind Side. The Hollywood Reporter reports they shopped the pitch around for the past couple weeks before Fox ended up winning it.
Pharrell's recent success with producing and making music for Hidden Figures, combined with the unexpected financial success of La La Land, put this project in the perfect environment to gain traction. Tony-award winning Michael Mayer, who worked on Spring Awakening and American Idiot, is attached to direct. Martin Hynes, the screenwriter currently working on Toy Story 4, is writing the script. Williams and Mayer are both repped by WME, who is packaging the Atlantis project, according to Variety.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
