Pharrell Williams never wanted a movie made about him. “Who wants to hear about me? Of course I don’t want to,” he told Askew. “I don’t think there’s anything interesting about me or my process. I’m used to working with people I find interesting. There’s also a voicemail syndrome where you find yourself talking to people you don’t want to hear.”
But when his agent insists on the magic words “you can do whatever you want,” Williams begins to see it differently, as a boundary-crossing multi-talented individual known for his visionary innovation and celebrated for his wide-reaching influence. (The recently announced 2025 Met Gala co-chair also has two Oscar nominations, including best original song for “Happy” from the “Despicable Me 2” soundtrack and best picture as a producer of “Hidden Figures.”)
Piece by Piece presents Williams’ origin story and career entirely through LEGO-based animation. It’s a stunning visual symphony interspersed with stunning renditions of iconic music videos (a brick-built version of Wreck-N-Effect’s 1992 “Rump Shaker” video, a saxophone-playing siren, etc., which I personally love). The kaleidoscope of colors reflects Williams’ synesthesia; seeing the beats as clusters of dynamic blocks helps solidify what remains a mystery to many: what music producers actually do. Not to mention a stellar group of collaborators, all dressed up in beautifully detailed, instantly recognizable LEGO minifigures: Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliott, Kendrick Lamar, and Snoop Dogg among them. The result is not only an uplifting story of how the daydreamer of the Virginia Beach Project became a Renaissance man of our time, but also a refreshingly self-aware exploration of creativity and a search for personal purpose.
Five years ago, Williams approached director Morgan Neville, who won the 2013 Academy Award for best documentary for “20 Feet From Stardom,” and called him “the best storyteller in the world.” According to Williams, the plan was that “I would give him everything, including the music, and let him tell the story the way he saw fit — rather than take over the whole process and put his career at risk,” and “Nobody would interfere but I want to do it in Lagos, it would be difficult — but if we could do it, it would be fun.”
Lego was one of Williams’ first toys, and as a father, Lego has always been close to his heart. Williams said of his important moment, “If I’m going to tell my story, I want my kids to be able to understand it, and it’s easy to do that with Lego.”
Neville remembers Williams advising him: “I want you to make a documentary, finish it, and then shoot all the scenes, throw them away, and recreate them in Lego.” “I don’t know what that means, but I really want to know.”
Williams was particularly interested in character design to expand the range of features presented. “We talked with Lego about combining pigmentation, hair texture, facial expressions and facial features that could represent women, men, genderqueer people, trans people,” he said. “We want people to watch this movie and feel universality – that you’re all in this world too.”
Neville believes that, somewhat paradoxically, the medium of Lego can provide greater understanding and insight into Williams’ creative process. “Although Farrell saw Lego as a way to create a buffer between reality and his story, I felt that Lego really allowed me to get into his mind more than I would have been able to otherwise,” he said. “Suddenly, I could see some version of what he was seeing – see his influences and get inside his mind, which is hard to do in a regular documentary. But here, through animation, we can do that.”
Williams also found that the project inspired his creativity and wrote five new songs based on Neville’s version of the story. Seeing himself as a younger person helped him “put aside my personal flaws and thoughts and understand the universal purpose of my existence,” he said. “Morgan did a brilliant job creating this piece, literally and figuratively, and Lego World helped me do the same. This film changed me forever.”
Williams believes the project, which began as being about his life, ultimately becomes a means for viewers to re-imagine their own paths. “It also becomes a mirror for other people,” he said. “After seeing this film, people will know that ‘now’ is better than ‘never.’ You can ask yourself, what are the really important aspects of my life? Once you figure out what they are, focus on them and put in the work. Double the effort.
“Piece by Piece” will be released on October 11.
