Halle Bailey (The Color Purple) has been tapped to star alongside Kelvin Harrison Jr. and The Holdovers Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph in Universal Pictures‘ untitled coming-of-age pic from director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and producer Pharrell Williams (Hidden Figures), Deadline has learned.
Details as to Bailey’s role are under wraps. A musical set in 1977 Virginia Beach, the film draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.
Script for the film is from Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson (Tick, Tick…Boom!). Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am OTHER, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Universal’s Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun are overseeing the project for the studio.
Most recently starring as Young Nettie in Warner Bros’ The Color Purple musical from director Blitz Bazawule, Bailey prior to that toplined Disney’s live-action take on The Little Mermaid, which grossed over $569 million at the worldwide box office last summer. Otherwise best known for a role in four seasons of Freeform’s Grown-ish, the actress and singer-songwriter has also been seen in Ethan Berger’s indie college drama The Line, with Alex Wolff and Bo Mitchell, which premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Known for roles in Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, Nat Geo’s Genius: MLK/X, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and more, Harrison will next be seen starring in Searchlight’s rock opera O’Dessa and Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King.
The winner of this year’s Supporting Actress Oscar for The Holdovers, Randolph has also recently been seen recurring as Detective Donna Williams on the acclaimed Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.
Gondry is coming off of the premiere of his dramedy The Book of Solutions in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Most recently, Williams has exec produced Prime Video’s Harlem, also penning the score for Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King.
Bailey is represented by CAA.