Speaking exclusively withPerri Nemiroffin Collider’s Media Studio at theToronto International Film Festival(TIFF), American singer and rapperAnderson .Paakdiscussed his directorial debutK-Pops!, before teasing what fans might expect fromMichel Gondry’s upcoming musical flickAtlantis.K-Pops! is the musician’s first foray into feature-length directing, having also collaboratively written the screenplay alongsideKhalia Amazan. .Paak will star in the film alongsideJee Young Han, Soul Rasheed, Kevin Woo,andYvette Nicole Brown, who is best known for the role of Shirley Bennett on the popular sitcomCommunity. The film follows a washed-up musician who reconnects with his son, seeking to capitalize on his success in hopes of revitalizing his own. The film premiered during a special presentation at TIFF on June 28, 2025.
Directed by Gondry and co-produced by musicianPharrell Williams,Atlantiswill hone in on coming-of-age themes as the musical depicts a semi-autobiographical retelling of Williams’ childhood growing up in Atlantis Apartments in Virginia Beach. Scheduled to release in US theatres on July 12, 2025, the film will star .Paak, alongsideJanelle Monáe,Jaboukie Young-White,Da’Vine Joy Randolph,Tim Meadows,Kelvin Harrison Jr.,Halle Bailey,Brian Tyree Henry,Quinta Brunson, andMissy Elliott.
What Did Anderson .Paak Say About Michel Gondry and Pharrell’s ‘Atlantis’ at TIFF?
Addressing .Paak’s work withlegendary director Gondry having already shotAtlantis, Nemiroff asked the musician, “In case our viewers don’t know what it is, it’s a musical inspired by Pharrell Williams’ childhood in Virginia Beach. I don’t even know what to picture with a filmmaker like that and that kind of log line. Are you able to tease anything in terms of, what that movie might feel like?” Complimenting theEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minddirector, .Paak said:
“I’ll just say Michel is very French. [Laughs] It was awesome working with him because IjustwrappedK-Pops!, and it was awesome to just be able to not worry about directing and just take direction.It wasn’t a huge role or anything, but it was a pretty meaty role.It was cool to be on that set with all the young cast and the amazing outfits that we got to wear, the Loius, and all this stuff.”
Continuing his praise of Gondry’s on-set process, .Paak explained:
“Michel is a genius, and the way he worked, it was cool to see how he allows the actors to make it their own. It was cool to see that he’s developing things on the spot. Yes, we have a script, but he wasn’t afraid to go off-script and let people try different things. You try a run, and then you wanna see, ‘How did I do?' And he’s just kind of looking at you. He’s very playful, very silly, and it was just a fun atmosphere to be in. It’s a musical, so I think it’s gonna be really awesome. I got to see a little bit of what they shot, and I came in kind of on the latter end of the shoot. But yeah,I really enjoyed it. It was great music and a great cast.”
Nemiroff closed by noting, “That ensemble iswild,” with regards to the host of famous faces that appear in 2025’sAtlantis..Paak agreed, saying, “Working with Missy [Elliott] and stuff was really cool.” Anderson .Paak’sK-Pops!Premiered at TIFF on August 10, 2025.Atlantisis slated to land in US cinemas next year, on August 19, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for more information on both releases.
K-Pops! (2024)
K-Pops is a 2024 comedy-drama film that follows BJ, a washed-up musician who travels to South Korea to work on a pop idol show. There, he discovers his long-lost son is set to front a major K-pop group, and he sees a chance to capitalize on this newfound fame while learning valuable lessons about fatherhood and personal growth.
