Missy Elliott cast in musical based on Pharrell Williams’ childhood home

 What do Halle Bailey, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Brian Tyree Henry, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and now Missy Elliott have in common? They’ve all been cast in Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry‘s untitled musical project for Universal Pictures, according to Variety.

Missy is the latest to join the coming-of-age musical, inspired by the Atlantis Apartments in Williams’ childhood neighborhood, taking place in the summer of 1977 and set in her native Virginia — though it’s in Virginia Beach, not her hometown of Portsmouth.

The gig marks Missy’s return to the big screen after she voiced a fish singer at the wash station in 2004’s Shark Tale. The year before, she appeared in the dance film Honey, and in 2017 she was on two episodes of Fox’s Star.

Music, however, is not far away. She’ll be headlining Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour this summer, with support from Busta Rhymes, Ciara and special guest Timbaland.