Piece by Piece: Everything to Know About Pharrell Williams' LEGO Biopic
Piece by Piece exclusively hits the big screen Friday, October 11.
From writing songs for the Despicable Me franchise, to Coaching the next generation of musical talent on NBC's The Voice, to his collaboration with Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams is the very definition of a Renaissance Man.
His creative aura not only spans numerous industries — music, television, fashion, film — but it also elevates them in new and unexpected ways. That's the mark of a true visionary. So, when it came time for Hollywood to produce a feature about Williams' prolific life and career, the resultant project couldn't just follow the traditional biopic rules. It needed to transcend the format, and what better way to depict the journey of a once-in-a-generation imaginative mind than with animated LEGO bricks?
RELATED: Pharrell Williams' Movie, Music, and TV Career, Explained
That's how we ended up with Piece by Piece, the blocky chronicle of Pharrell Williams, which is slated to hit theaters everywhere Friday, October 11 by way of Focus Features. Part biopic, part documentary, and part animated adventure, the film has already received rave reviews from critics following showings at both the Telluride and Toronto film festivals.
What is Piece by Piece about?
Directed by Morgan Neville (Won't You Be My Neighbor?), Piece by Piece is described by the studio as "a unique cinematic experience that invites audiences on a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams. Told through the lens of LEGO animation, turn up the volume on your imagination and witness the evolution of one of music's most innovative minds."
Williams, who wrote a collection of new songs for the occasion (listen to one of them right here), produced the film alongside Neville, Mimi Valdés, and Caitrin Rogers. David Lawrence, Shani Saxon, Jill Wilfert, and Keith Malone are executive producers.
Who stars in Piece by Piece?
In addition to Pharrell Williams, Piece by Piece also features appearances from a number of the star's most well-known friends, colleagues, and collaborators: Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, and Snoop Dogg. All of them will, of course, be voicing themselves in LEGO brick form, though they initially believed they would appear as documentary-style talking heads.
“We purposely did not tell anyone that that would be the finished product," Williams said during an interview with Variety. "We wanted people to just answer the questions and really give their full, unedited reactions to the opportunity to do the interviews,” Williams said. “Because if we would’ve said, ‘Okay, this is going to be in LEGO,’ then people would have sort of curved what they were saying … we didn’t want them to be influenced by what we wanted. We wanted the purest part. And I feel like part of the magic of what makes this film pop the way it does is because it’s so vivid and it’s not scripted."
What is Piece by Piece's release date?
The film opens on Friday, October 11, 2024.
What is Piece by Piece rated?
The film is rated PG for Language, Thematic Elements and Some Suggestive Material.
How to watch Piece by Piece
Piece by Piece — which currently holds a near-perfect score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes — exclusively hits the big screen Friday, October 11. Click here to pick up tickets!
In the meantime, fans can turn themselves into LEGO Minifigures with this online generator.
