‘Happy’ songwriter Pharrell Williams to produce new musical; 'Atlanta' star Brian Tyree Henry to join

Pharrell Williams, known for his influence in fashion and music, is teaming up with Universal Pictures to produce an upcoming untitled musical. Brian Tyree Henry, recognized for his roles in 'Atlanta' and 'Bullet Train', is also on board for the project.

The ‘Atlanta’ and ‘Bullet Train’ starrer Brian Tyree Henry with his latest venture being ‘Godzilla x Kong’, is set to join alongside Kelvin Harrison Jr., Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Halle Bailey in an upcoming Universal musical about coming-of-age. The film is helmed by director Michel Gondry and produced by American singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams. The untitled musical will draw inspiration from Williams' upbringing in Virginia Beach during the 1970s.

Henry gained recognition through his role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles on Donald Glover's celebrated show "Atlanta," receiving praise with an Emmy nomination. His talents extend to the big screen, earning an Oscar nod for his supporting role in the 2022 film "Causeway," alongside Jennifer Lawrence. Additionally, his stage prowess earned him a Tony nomination for his performance in Kenneth Lonergan's play "Lobby Hero" during its 2018 Broadway revival.

The Oscar, Emmy, and Tony award nominee is gearing up for Amazon/MGM's "The Fire Inside," penned by Barry Jenkins, and Paramount's animated flick "Transformers One." He'll also lend his voice to "Transformers One" in September and is slated to reprise his role in "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse", following his involvement in the initial two installments of the Spider-Verse series. Additionally, he's lined up to headline the Apple TV+ show "Sinking Spring," helmed by Ridley Scott.

With Gondry set to helm and Williams taking on the role of producer for the project, the untitled musical will be adapted from a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson. Mimi Valdés and Gil Netter will also be credited as producers. Universal's Ryan Jones and Christine Sun will supervise the project's development for the studio.