Famous musicians Pharrell Williams and Robbie Williams, who are not related despite sharing the same last name, decided to tell their life stories in unconventional ways.
Pharrell's story will be featured in the film "Piece by Piece," directed by Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville, known for the documentary "20 Feet from Stardom." The film uses Lego bricks to depict Pharrell's early childhood, focusing on his Virginia Beach roots and rise to fame as one half of the hip-hop and R&B production duo The Neptunes.
The film features interviews with many of Pharrell's contemporaries, including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake and Busta Rhymes - all rendered in Lego form. Production company Focus Features is promoting "Piece by Piece" as an animated musical biopic, seeking recognition in the Best Animated Feature category. However, the film will also be entered in the Best Documentary category, even though the Documentary Division has historically been averse to films that use unconventional storytelling methods.
"Piece by Piece" will also vie for attention in other Oscar categories. Although The Lego Movies have been overlooked in the past, the Academy allows members outside the Animation Department to vote for nominations. With its strong soundtrack featuring hits from the '90s and '2000s, the film is expected to be well received by millennials and fans of the genre and has the potential for commercial success.
The film includes five original songs, and the closing track - written by Farel and sharing a title with the film - is likely to be entered for the Best Original Song category. Farrell is the narrator for most of the film, recounting his childhood brought to life through animation.
Meanwhile, the biographical musical film "Better Man" by Paramount Pictures, directed by Michael Gracie ("The Greatest Showman"), will tell the story of the legendary British musician Robbie Williams, but with an unexpected twist - the popular Robbie is portrayed as a CGI monkey.
The film premiered at the Chuck Jones Theater, where Robbie Williams and Michael Gracie gave opening remarks. In an interview with Variety, Robbie described his life as a "dream", but expressed a great desire to share his story with the world.
The film, as expected from musical biopics, is full of struggles with fame, adultery and addictions. However, Williams bares his soul, voicing an ape that seems straight out of Planet of the Apes.
As for its awards prospects, the film is a real favorite for the Oscars, as were previous biopics like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Walk the Line." Especially visual effects, sound and scenography deserve serious consideration.
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