Grease. Hairspray. Annie Get Your Gun. Chicago. All gems in the shining crown of the much-celebrated movie-musical genre. And the latest title to join their illustrious ranks? Pharrell: The Musical. Pharrell – I want to say 'obviously' because, to be completely real, this does feel like a very Pharrell thing to be doing – is turning his own life story into a musical. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he recently signed a deal with Fox to produce a project titled Atlantis, a "Romeo and Juliet style story" inspired by his childhood in Virginia.This kind of feels like a long time coming. After his time as a producer on the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures, as well as the simple facts that he wrote the song "Happy" – potentially the most musical-y song to have never appeared in an actual musical – and made the video for N.E.R.D.'s "Provider" which is one of the best pieces of storytelling of the contemporary age, a musical about Pharrell's life, obviously, is the next logical step. But what might that involve?
Will we get a funky number complete with jazz hands to mark the formation of the Neptunes? Where, I am compelled to ask, do N.E.R.D.'s Lapdance and She Wants to Move fit in to a Romeo and Juliet style story? And, the question on everyone's lips, will the UK's finest garage MC Alesha Dixon reprise her role as "Dancing Girl 1"? All questions that only Atlantis can answer.Follow Lauren on Twitter.(Image via "Gust of Wind" music video)