Pharrell Williams built his life as a songwriter, music producer, artist, and fashion designer by taking one opportunity at a time and combining them to create something meaningful, analogous to how one builds a Lego set. The multi-talented man took that analogy very seriously when making his biographical documentary.
The documentary Piece by Piece will tell the story of William’s life entirely through LEGO animation, a never-before-seen non-fiction film. Directed by Oscar winner Morgan Neville, the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and later at the Toronto International Film Festival.
At the festival’s Deadline Studio, Farrell spoke openly about his vision for his documentary, saying he wanted it to be told through LEGO animation.
He said, “I didn’t want to make a documentary. And the moment I agreed to do it, I knew I wanted to make it in Lego and I wanted Morgan to be the narrator.” Farrell revealed that he has loved all the work the director has done so far, be it 20 Feet From Stardom or the recent Steve Martin documentary.
Neville brought Freedom Singer’s vision to life! “This guy is really great,” the latter said. The director also spoke to the outlet about the creative process and the five years it took to develop it. “At the beginning I didn’t know how it would fit, but now I can’t imagine this movie any other way than with LEGO,” he said.
Neville recorded interviews with the Despicable Me singer and his family members and then turned them into Lego characters. When asked which the singer’s favorite animated character was, he said, “Honestly, my kids. It was a joy,” he said. “My wife, my mom and my dad, of course.”
He also recalled a particular scene in the documentary that stuck out to him. Despite achieving huge success with The Neptunes and as a solo artist, he felt creatively devastated and decided to seek counseling. He said, “That scene for me was just like, ‘Wow! This is really happening.'”
