Music biopics have made an unexpected comeback in the last few years, with the likes of Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, and Bob Marley: No Love all proving unexpectedly big box office hits. And the genre shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, as the likes of Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and all four Beatles are set to get the cinematic treatment soon. Yet this year and next, we will see possibly the most unexpected entries in the genre — rapper and producer extraordinaire Pharrell Williams is getting not one but two biopics in as many years.
On paper, this seems excessive; while Pharrell has been undeniably influential throughout the 21st century, is his reputation really important enough to warrant two biopics back-to-back? Yet a closer look at both projects shows that the two may not actually be that similar and, crucially, that both sound just crazy enough to separate themselves from a genre as inescapably traditional as the music biopic.
How Are the Two Pharrell Films Different?
It should first be noted that neither film looks to be a biopic in the traditional sense. The first of them, Piece by Piece, is set to be released this October, and while it’s technically a film about his career, it comes with an unexpected twist. Specifically, it features Pharrell narrating his life story and rise in the music industry, as told with LEGO bricks and figurines.
For an artist as innovative and unconventional as Pharrell, it’s arguably a fitting approach to filter his legend through a brand built around the very idea of creativity. Morgan Neville, who directed acclaimed documentaries like the Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom and Won’t You Be My Neighbor makes his animated debut here, while interview subjects like Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, and Kendrick Lamar, will also be represented in LEGO form. Piece by Piece opens nationwide on October 11.
The second film looks slightly more conventional, but considering it’s being directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be King Rewind), that’ll likely only be by a bit. That movie, Atlantis, looks to be a semi-autobiographical musical about Pharrell’s childhood growing up in a Virginian apartment complex. Since the cast and crew have all admitted to fictionalizing the story when necessary, this likely won’t be just another music biopic either. And considering the talent on display, from songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), and a cast that includes Halle Bailey, Brian Tyree Henry, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, it certainly sounds promising. Atlantis opens on May 9, 2025.
Is Pharrell’s Legacy Big Enough for Two Biopics?
On top of all of this, Pharrell is set to write new songs for each film, while serving as a producer on both of them. As such, one can’t help but wonder if his venture to produce two separate biopics about himself in as many years mostly functions as a sort of brand promotion for himself. And since he’s not a household name to the degree that Freddie Mercury or Bob Dylan were, it doesn’t seem likely to generate the massive box office returns the music biopic genre has brought in recent years.
That being said, even if his work as a solo artist may not have fully captured the masses outside Illumination Entertainment, the legacy of his work as a producer can’t be overstated. In the early 2000s alone, he had a hand in collaborating with hits like “Hollaback Girl”, “Señorita”, and “Drop It Like It’s Hot”. The part he played in shaping that time period’s R&B influence on popular music is more than deserving of a more in-depth look that a film would provide. While having two separate films in such proximity may sound like overkill, they sound different and unique enough from everything else in the genre, and they seem like they would be worthwhile. Piece By Piece opens on October 11.
