New LEGO Movie Will Be A Biopic About An Oscar-Nominated Pop Artist

New LEGO Movie Will Be A Biopic About An Oscar-Nominated Pop Artist

The newest LEGO animated film will take the form of a feature-length biopic about Pharrell Williams. A decorated music talent and coach on the hit NBC series The Voice, Williams is best known for writing the song “Happy.” “Happy” was featured in the film Despicable Me 2, and later received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.

As per Variety, the next LEGO-based movie is in development, and it will be a feature-length film about Williams. The film will be called Piece by Piece and is set to be directed by Morgan Neville. Piece by Piece will trace Williams’ life and relationship playing with the famous toy blocks. Check out the statement from the press release below:

“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.”

Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski added:

“Pharrell Williams is a true trailblazer whose influence across music, art and fashion continually reshapes global culture with an undeniable sense of joy. In partnering with the inimitable Morgan Neville and the limitless creativity of the Lego brand his visionary spirit comes to life in a wholly unique and uplifting way that will inspire everyone to dance, to sing, and to use their voice to build the world they want to see, brick by brick, and piece by piece.”

Director Neville also chimed in:

“Five years ago, Pharrell Williams approached me with the idea of helping him tell his story through Lego animation. It was one of those rare moments where I knew in a second that this was a journey I wanted to go on. I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features and at the Lego Group for their belief in our crazy mission. We assembled an incredible team of creative collaborators to help make a new type of film. I can’t wait for people to see it.”

Finally, Williams added:

“When I had this crazy vision to tell this story through Lego bricks, I couldn’t have imagined a better partner than Morgan. He is a legend. Grateful that Focus wanted to collaborate with us and I’m honored to share this with the world and bring people into my universe. Building with Lego bricks encourages us to follow our imagination…who would’ve thought that playing with these toys as a kid would evolve into a movie about my life. It’s proof that anyone else can do it too.”

Why Piece by Piece is a Great Idea

New LEGO Movie Will Be A Biopic About An Oscar-Nominated Pop Artist

The last full-length LEGO Movie released to theaters was in 2019, with The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. At the end of that year, Warner Bros. lost their five-year contract with Lego that gave them film rights to the sequel, its predecessors The LEGO Movie, and offshoot films The LEGO Ninjago Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie. Now, Universal owns the rights to all LEGO-based film content.

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Universal owns Focus Features, who will be teaming with Neville and Williams to make Piece by Piece. The unique biopic is prepared for an October 11, 2024 release, making it the first LEGO animation released since Universal acquired the rights to LEGO. While rumors of The LEGO Movie 3‘s development circulate, Universal has instead decided to take a risk by choosing the Williams biopic over pushing development on a sequel.

Piece by Piece is an unconventional choice for Universal, but is poised to be a great one. The premise alone is apt to draw on the nostalgia surrounding LEGO, and will likely feature some great music from the “Happy” singer. Furthermore, Neville is the Oscar-winning documentarian behind the music documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, showing his propensity not only for biographical film, but specifically a music biography film. The talents of Williams and Neville can uniquely combine for a fascinating post-Universal LEGO film in Piece by Piece.