Pharrell Williams Uses Lego Animation to Tell His Life Story in “Piece by Piece”

TORONTO (AP) — Musician and producer Pharrell Williams has embarked on a unique journey with his latest project, “Piece by Piece.” The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, presents Williams’ life story through a colorful Lego animated format. Directed by Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville, “Piece by Piece” combines elements of a music biopic, documentary, and family film.

“Piece by Piece,” released by Focus Features, intricately pieces together Williams’ life from his childhood in Virginia Beach to his rise as a Grammy-winning songwriter and producer. The narrative unfolds with Lego versions of real-life figures, such as Williams himself and director Morgan Neville, capturing both his struggles and triumphs.

The project was born from the question, “What if we told my life with Legos?” Williams recalled. The film features interviews and voiceovers that were transformed into animation, allowing viewers to see well-known artists like Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Missy Elliott in Lego form.

Morgan Neville noted the valuable collaboration with the Lego Group, saying, “The first meeting we had was with Lego because if they had said no, there would have been no film.” Jill Wilfert, head of global entertainment at Lego, responded positively, recognizing Williams as a testament to the company’s ethos of “endless creativity and limitless possibility.”

Williams has expressed his pride in how the film led to Lego expanding its skin tones and hair textures to reflect a wider range of identities. “You name the type of human being, we fought hard for their existence and acknowledgment,” Williams remarked during the film’s promotion.

The film creatively reimagines Williams’ musical collaborations with Lego sets depicting tracks like “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Happy.” “Piece by Piece” omits certain legal disputes, including Williams’ lawsuit with Marvin Gaye‘s estate and recent issues with his partner Chad Hugo.

Williams, who detailed the vulnerability he felt during production, shared, “A lot of that was vulnerable for me. I’m, like, crying two times in the story.” For director Neville, the task was to “hold up a mirror” to Williams, reflecting a shared role in encouraging artists to see themselves.

“Piece by Piece” offers a playful, youthful approach to showcasing Williams’ life, aiming to inspire a broad audience. “There’s a universality that Lego brings out. I feel like this whole film is an experiment in the tension between the specificity of real life and documentary and the imagination and universality of imagination,” Neville concluded.