Back in January, Focus Films and the LEGO Group announced an upcoming film in theaters this fall titled PIECE BY PIECE. This unique cinematic experience invites audiences on a vibrant journey through the life of cultural icon Pharrell Williams through the lens of LEGO animation. And now we have a trailer too (watch below)!
We talked about the film before (see: Piece by Piece a New LEGO Film Coming!) but to recap, PIECE BY PIECE is an unparalleled motion picture experience that captures the magic and brilliance of Pharrell Williams’ creative genius, one LEGO brick at a time. Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, PIECE BY PIECE defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO world where anything is possible. From Focus Features, PIECE BY PIECE was directed by Academy Award winner Morgan Neville and produced by Neville and Caitrin Rogers (Tremolo Productions) alongside producers Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdés, and Shani Saxon (i am OTHER). Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producing for the LEGO Group. The film will debut in theaters on October 11, 2024. And now the trailer!
The trailer begins with a LEGO version of Pharrell Williams sitting down for an interview about his life. “You know what would be cool is if we told my story with LEGO pieces,” LEGO Pharrell tells the similarly-bricked director Morgan Neville (the Oscar-winning documentarian behind “20 Feet From Stardom”), who chuckles politely and asks, “Seriously?” Pharrell replies: “Just be open.”
The colorfully and creatively reimagined scene is pretty close to how the conversation played out nearly five years ago, Neville told Variety in an interview. “That’s how the conversation went down in my head. I didn’t know what it was going to be, but it was going to be interesting and I was completely in.” And the result is unlike anything he’s ever done — or seen — before.
“What we made is not like any other movie. I don’t know what a comp for it would be,” he explains of the psychedelic-looking visuals that seem to be infused with joy as much as they are music. “People can try and label it. It’s just its own film. It’s mind-blowing, in a way, the freedom that we were able to put together in the film, but that only works if you’re channeling your subject.”
“We wanted it to be a medium for anyone that just wanted to hear a good, aspirational, inspiring story told vividly, in a way that felt like it could apply to them personally,” he explains. “That they’d realize that at seven years old or 77 years old, they could wake up tomorrow and go tell their story, piece by piece.”
As the film chronicles Williams’ rise to music prominence (and pop culture dominance), he’s not the only superstar to get the Lego treatment. Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg are also featured prominently in the movie. “Everybody comes through so well. It’s so captivating when you see it,” Pharrell says, praising the LEGO team and Neville for the innovation. “I enjoy stop-motion animation. But that’s not what this is.”
If you’re curious about the film, I highly recommend reading the rest of the interview ( just click on the link above) as Pharrell and Morgan share many other interesting insights about the movie and how it came about.
What do you think? How do you like the idea of the upcoming film? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!
And you might also like to check out the following related post:
I hate to say this, but the only thing I know about Pharrell Williams is that Weird Al spoofed one of his songs: https://youtu.be/zq7Eki5EZ8o
LOL! That was hilarious! And tacky! I haven’t seen that one before. Pharrell is a judge on the Voice, which is how I know about him. He is great discovering and mentoring new talent. As far as the movie, sure, why not?
I like the title. And I can relate. Putting your life together from random pieces. Piece by piece.
This should be fun. I’m curious how they will do it. And I wonder if there are going to be sets related to the movie.
Henceforth known as “that random dude with the Lego biography movie”.
I somewhat assume the AFOL will mostly stay away, while moms who are only paying half attention will take the kids to see it. Whether the subject matter is enough to hold kids’ attention, who knows.
I recall that the Barbie movie had such a huge opening weekend based on the branding, that any audience downturn after people noticed it wasn’t at all the movie they were expecting, barely registered.
The film will also include an upcoming set, which is somewhat weird, but will at least include a better price per head ratio than 21337 Table Football.