Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Missy Elliott is returning to the big screen as part of an untitled musical project created by Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry.
According to reports, superstar Missy Elliott is making a return to the big screen with a role in a musical helmed by Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry. The unnamed project will be directed by Gondry, best known for directing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The four-time Grammy Award winner shared the news with her millions of fans in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday (April 30). “Ayyyyye,” she wrote, accompanied by emojis of flames, a dancing woman and hands up giving a high-five.
Ayyyyyyye https://t.co/pYFozWvWfC
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) April 30, 2024
The film’s coming-of-age plot takes place during the summer of 1977, with the setting being inspired by the Atlantis Apartments in the Virginia Beach, Virginia, neighborhood where Williams grew up. The star-studded cast also includes Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Halle Bailey, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Academy Award nominee Brian Tyree Henry. The script is being written by Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson (FX’s Fosse/Verdon), as Pharrell Williams is producing with Mimi Valdés through i am OTHER, and Gil Netter is producing through Gil Netter Productions.
For Elliott, it’s her first time appearing on the big screen in a sizable role since appearing as the character Missy (who performed a duet of “Car Wash” with Christina Aguilera) in the 2004 DreamWorks animated film Shark’s Tale. The singer/songwriter/rapper also appeared as herself in the 2003 film Honey, starring Jessica Alba and was in two episodes of the Fox musical drama, Star, in 2017.
The role comes as Missy Elliott is set to go on her first headlining tour this summer. The Out of This World Tour — The Missy Elliott Experience will also feature Ciara, Timbaland and Busta Rhymes. It opens in Vancouver, Canada, on July 4 with dates in 24 cities across the United States and Canada including Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Tampa, Atlanta, Detroit and Toronto with the finale in Rosemont, Illinois, on Aug. 22.
