Pharrell's relatives were unaware of a significant part of his Lego movie biography.

Next up on the big screen is Pharrell Williams' highly anticipated biopic, Piece By Piece. The film, set to release in UK cinemas on November 8, tells the story of the 51-year-old music artist and producer who has been behind some of the biggest hits of the 00s. From Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" to Kelis' "Milkshake" and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," Pharrell has continuously proven himself as a musical force to be reckoned with.

His songs have not only defined an era, but have also earned him multiple Grammy awards. Working closely with some of the greatest artists of our generation, Pharrell has plenty of stories to tell from his time in the industry. And what better way to bring his vision to life on the big screen than through Lego?

Directed by Morgan Neville, the film features Pharrell's closest friends and family, as well as famous artists, recounting their adventures over the years. One of these famous artists is Jay-Z, who makes an appearance as a Lego character in the movie. But not everyone was aware that this would be an unconventional biopic. In fact, many of Pharrell's friends and family only found out they would be transformed into Lego characters when the trailer was released.

"We told everyone we were making an animated documentary, so they knew it was going to be animated," producer Caitrin Rogers revealed at the film's LFF premiere. "But a lot of people didn't know it was going to be Lego until we finished and the trailer came out."

As for how everyone reacted to seeing themselves in Lego form, Rogers recalled, "Everybody was very excited. We had the premiere in New York and Teddy Riley was there. And watching Teddy Riley watch Rump Shaker in Lego was an amazing experience. He was out of his seat. Everyone seemed to be thrilled."

For director Morgan Neville, one of the highlights of the filming process was interviewing Pharrell's parents, Carolyn and Pharaoh. "His parents are hilarious, they're dynamic together," he shared fondly. "So I interviewed them together because I love how they talk to each other, finishing each other's sentences and all that. They were great."

But making a musical Lego movie that is also emotionally stirring is no easy feat. Neville admitted that there were challenges in portraying more serious moments, such as the death of Pharrell's grandmother and the Black Lives Matter protests, in a Lego format. "Suddenly you take a human face that's crying, and you do it in plastic. You're like, 'Is this going to work?' But it did. It really came through. So that was something that was stressful, but happily, it actually worked out."

Producer Caitrin Rogers also shared that creating dance sequences with Legos was incredibly challenging, leading the team to rethink their approach. Throughout the creative process, Pharrell was involved every step of the way, offering his thoughts and notes when he felt it was important. "He would call and take the time to explain where he was coming from and why he thought it was an important change to make," she said. "And I feel like that made it such a collaborative experience."

One aspect that the team had to carefully consider was how to handle more tense moments in a way that would be understood by both adults and children. "We wanted it to be a story that had tension and was true to his life," Rogers explained. "So we spent a long time figuring out how to handle those moments in Lego so that it would be taken seriously but also be understood by children and the range of audience that would be watching this."

And amidst all the challenges, there are plenty of profound moments scattered throughout the film, including a detailed re-imagining of Pharrell's vibrant childhood. This was something that struck Neville the most, as he admitted, "He had a really interesting childhood. He grew up in The Projects in Virginia, but he didn't see it as a handicap. He actually saw it as kind of a magical place, and the people in his life who told him that he could, that he was special -- his parents, his teachers -- that changed his life. So a big part of the movie is his childhood, and I didn't know anything about that."

Piece By Piece is now showing in cinemas. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures to share, get in touch with The Agency entertainment team by emailing us, calling 020 3615 2145, or visiting our Submit Stuff page. We'd love to hear from you.

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