Piece by Piece is a LEGO animation featuring the voices of Pharrell Williams and his music industry pals— Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and many more. The producers say it’s a documentary about five years in Williams’ professional life, but it was not made in this state.
Andy Edmunds with Virginia’s Film Office says the tax credits offered to Pharrell are for another biopic coming out this spring.
“This past summer we produced a feature film that’s a musical – live action film here in Virginia, and that will come out in May,” he explains.
That movie is based on Williams’ childhood and was shot in the Commonwealth – named for the Virginia Beach housing project where he grew up.
“The Atlantis movie filmed around Richmond, Petersburg and Hopewell," Edmunds says. "We needed a huge facility to build some sets in, so that actually occurred around Richmond, and then we went down to Virginia Beach of course and shot some iconic shots down there.”
He says Pharrell Williams learned about tax breaks for filmmakers when he helped produce Hidden Figures, the tale of Black women who were central to the American space program.
“Unfortunately, they had to film Hidden Figures in Georgia, which was kind of sad being a Virginia story, " Edmunds recalls. "That opened Pharrell's eyes to the job opportunities that film production could bring to a community.”
In announcing the $12 million tax credit for Atlantis, Governor Youngkin said it would provide high-wage jobs, help retain our trained film production workforce and deliver an immediate economic impact in sectors like construction and hospitality.
