Pharrell’s Animated Biopic Populated by LEGOs 

Singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams attends the international premiere of Piece By Piece at the Princess of Wales Theater during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2024 in Toronto. (AFP)
Singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams attends the international premiere of Piece By Piece at the Princess of Wales Theater during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2024 in Toronto. (AFP)
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Pharrell’s Animated Biopic Populated by LEGOs 

Singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams attends the international premiere of Piece By Piece at the Princess of Wales Theater during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2024 in Toronto. (AFP)
Singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams attends the international premiere of Piece By Piece at the Princess of Wales Theater during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2024 in Toronto. (AFP)

The flesh-and-blood Pharrell Williams walked the red carpet on Tuesday with the star of his new animated biopic – a Pharrell Williams made of LEGO blocks – as "Piece by Piece" made its international premiere in Toronto.

The animated feature, voiced by Pharrell and fellow pop stars Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z, takes the audience on an unconventional journey through the musical virtuoso's upbringing and vibrant career by casting LEGO pieces as the characters in his life story.

Pharrell, a renowned recording artist, producer and songwriter, said LEGO characters, a favorite of children around the world, gave the picture a global appeal and enabled the film to sidestep cliches in telling his story.

"LEGO really helps to universalize the story so that it can be received by anyone that comes from a marginalized community," Pharrell, who has won 13 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, said on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"I didn't want to tell a story that's like poverty porn. That's a usual Hollywood trope and that's not what this is."

Director Morgan Neville said one of the reasons he tackled the project was his long-standing interest in music producers, who he said often have a larger vision.

"Pharrell is famous for seeing the world a little differently and approaching music differently," Neville said on the red carpet.

The film was not the first Neville focused on musical artists. His credits include the 2015 Keith Richards documentary and 2023’s "Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming with Dave Letterman."

Neville said animation was an ideal media to tell the story of Pharrell's life.

"Pharrell has synesthesia, which means when he hears music, he sees color," the director said. "The idea that ... you could actually see the color and make all this stuff come alive and taking the beats he was writing and turn them into physical objects."

Pharrell wrote an original song for the film, also titled "Piece by Piece," about building a dream from the ground up.

He told Reuters the diversification of the LEGO characters was part of his dream.

"There's all kinds of people on this planet," he said. "All of this continues to be a gift," he said.



FIFA Signs Netflix to US Broadcast Deal for Women's World Cup in 2027, 2031

The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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FIFA Signs Netflix to US Broadcast Deal for Women's World Cup in 2027, 2031

The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
The Netflix logo is displayed at Netflix corporate offices on September 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

FIFA has signed Netflix to a United States broadcast deal for the Women's World Cup in 2027 and 2031.

The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not given.

World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino publicly criticized public broadcasters, especially in Europe, for undervaluing offers to broadcast the 2023 tournament that was played in Australia and New Zealand. That tournament was broadcast by Fox in the US, The AP reported.

"This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game," Infantino said Friday in a statement.

FIFA will likely use the Netflix deal to drive talks with European broadcasters that will be more hardball negotiations.

The 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027 will be played in Brazil from June 24-July 25. The 2031 host has not been decided, though the US is expected to bid.

Spain won the 2023 tournament after the US won the two previous titles.

Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul.