Pharell Williams’ LEGO Brick Biopic ‘Piece By Piece’ Sets October Release

Focus Features has partnered with Pharrell Williams’ i am OTHER and The LEGO Group to release Piece By Piece, an innovative retelling of Williams’ life story rendered in LEGO animation. Described as an “unparalleled motion picture experience” capturing the multiple Grammy Award winner’s unique vision, which “defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO world where anything is possible,” the film will open in theaters on October 11 this year.

“Pharrell Williams is a true trailblazer whose influence across music, art and fashion continually reshapes global culture with an undeniable sense of joy,” said Focus Features Chairman Peter Kujawski. “In partnering with the inimitable Morgan Neville and the limitless creativity of the LEGO brand his visionary spirit comes to life in a wholly unique and uplifting way that will inspire everyone to dance, to sing, and to use their voice to build the world they want to see, brick by brick, and piece by piece.”

From Focus Features, Piece By Piece is directed by Academy Award winner Morgan Neville and produced by Neville and Caitrin Rogers (Tremolo Productions) alongside producers Williams, Mimi Valdés and Shani Saxon (i am OTHER). Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producing for The LEGO Group.

“Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through LEGO animation. It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on,” Neville recalled in the announcement. “I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features and at The LEGO Group for their belief in our crazy mission. We assembled an incredible team of creative collaborators to help make a new type of film. I can’t wait for people to see it.”

“When I had this crazy vision to tell this story through LEGO bricks, I couldn’t have imagined a better partner than Morgan. He is a legend,” said Williams. “Grateful that Focus wanted to collaborate with us and I’m honored to share this with the world and bring people into my universe. Building with LEGO bricks encourages us to follow our imagination … who would’ve thought that playing with these toys as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too.”

Williams is a recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer and entrepreneur with 10 billion combined global music streams to date. He has been honored with 13 Grammy Awards and two Academy Award nominations, for his original song “Happy” (Despicable Me 2) and for Best Picture-nominated Hidden Figures (2016) as producer. Williams also received a Golden Globe nomination for co-scoring the film. In 2019, Williams received an Emmy nomination for his original song “Letter to My Godfather,” for Netflix’s Black Godfather. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his work as The Neptunes.

In 2018, Pharrell narrated Illumination-Universal’s The Grinch, authored the book A Fish Doesn’t Know It’s Wet and released the Netflix Original series Brainchild (2018) with his producing partner, Valdés. Other projects include Dope (2015), Roxanne Roxanne (2017), Voices of Fire (2020) and Amazon’s Harlem, which has been renewed for a third season. In February 2023, Williams was named Louis Vuitton’s new Menswear Creative Director.

“Pharrell is a true visionary and is someone who continually pushes the boundaries of what creativity means; something very close to our hearts here at the LEGO Group,” said Wilfert, the company’s SVP of Entertainment Partners & Content. “We believe the LEGO brick is the ultimate creative medium, allowing people to build, unbuild and rebuild in as many ways as they can imagine, mirroring how Pharrell has continually innovated in his own life. Getting the opportunity to partner with him; with an incredible storyteller like Morgan Neville; and the wonderful team at Focus Features has been truly inspiring. The combined creativity of Pharrell and the LEGO brick is truly something special to see come together.”

Williams alongside i am OTHER, Neville and the Piece By Piece film are represented by WME.

 

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