Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry are two artists who have never shied away from pushing the boundaries of their respective mediums. The former is a trailblazing, multi-talented beatmaker who has seamlessly blended hip-hop, pop, dance, and rock music throughout a career that spans three decades and includes a LEGO-inspired life story; the latter is a unique visual artist, known for his work on the anti-romance sci-fi classic Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, the cult comedy Be Kind Rewind, and a multitude of music videos for artists like Björk, Foo Fighters, and Pharrell's favorites, Daft Punk. Next year, the worlds of these two creative forces will converge on Golden, a coming-of-age film starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Halle Bailey, set in Virginia Beach circa 1977, a time and place where creativity and inspiration were in abundance.
For the proud Virginian Pharrell Williams, who shared his own life story on screen this year with Piece By Piece, returning to Virginia Beach with Golden represents an opportunity to step out of the spotlight and honor his roots. "Piece By Piece is about my life, whereas Golden is about a neighborhood I grew up in," Pharrell explains to Empire for our 2025 Ultimate Preview issue. "This is very different. It's a musical journey, set in the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with the spirit of the music [of that time]. You know how in Dirty Dancing and Grease, the music was almost a character? That's what it's like in this film. 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."
Originally, as Empire learns from Pharrell, his and Gondry’s movie was going to be called Atlantis — a title that nods to the name of the housing development the music mogul grew up on, Atlantis Apartments, as well as to the magical lens through which he still views the place. So what led to the change to the title Golden? "It just speaks to the narrative, the area, the energy and literally everything about [the film, which is] this analysis of what being “golden” is," Pharrell explains. "Children and grown-ups with inner children within them can connect to it and realize that there's a golden aspect to them too, whether it's realized or latent."
It sounds like Pharrell and Michel’s first collaboration has all the elements needed to shine — Virginia Beach, here we come!
Read more about Golden in Empire’s Ultimate 2025 Preview, led by Andor Season 2, in the January 2025 issue. Pre-order a copy online here. Golden — which is set to star Da'vine Joy Randolph, Brian Tyree Henry, Quinta Brunson, Janelle Monáe, Anderson .Paak, and Missy Elliott alongside Harrison Jr. and Bailey — is set to release in cinemas in 2025.
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