With Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, and Snoop Dogg joining the cast, Pharrell’s new movie Piece by Piece has serious star strength. But the real charm lies in its Lego power.
Debuting Oct. 11 and featured at Something in the Water festival in Virginia Beach Oct. 12–13, the animated documentary follows the life and career of American musician, producer, and Virginia Beach–native Pharrell Williams through the lens of Lego animation. The unique biopic underscores how the artist rarely does anything run-of-the-mill. Plus, viewers get to see superstars like Jay-Z in miniform. For Pharrellophiles, don’t get Piece by Piece confused with Atlantis, the working title of the musical inspired by Pharrell’s childhood in Virginia Beach that’s been filming in Richmond, Hopewell, and Tidewater.
The Lego Group created minifigure pieces to represent the Piece by Piece cast and collaborators and designed new pieces for music equipment. Pharrell produces and also composed two original songs for the film. Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville, known for 20 Feet From Stardom and the Mister Rogers–centric Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, directs.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
