Latest news with #HighInTheClouds
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘High in the Clouds' Shares Original Music, Early Art and a Beatles Reunion in Annecy Sneak Peek
Audiences at the Annecy Animation Festival got a first look at the upcoming CG-animated film 'High in the Clouds,' based on Paul McCartney's book of the same name that features the voices of McCartney, Ringo Starr, Lionel Richie, Céline Dion and more. Director Toby Genkel and project supervisor Christian De Vita joined Gaumont's president of global animation, Terry Kalagian, to talk about the arduous eight-year process of bringing the story to the screen as well as collaborating with McCartney on the film. 'It shouldn't be about me,' Genkel recalls McCartney saying early on. 'Yeah, OK, my name is all over the poster, but you get the point.' More from Variety Disney Sneak Peeks 'Zootopia 2' at Annecy: Announces Studio Return of 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Aladdin,' 'Moana' Director Ron Clements Adult Swim, Cartoon Network Studios, Sneak Peek Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Heist Safari' Animation All-Stars Pendleton Ward, Rebecca Sugar, Ian Jones-Quartey, Patrick McHale Unite For One-Of-A-Kind Adult Swim Special (EXCLUSIVE) The film, set to be released sometime in 2027, reimagines McCartney's 2005 book as a story of a young squirrel named Wirral (voiced by Himesh Patel) who embarks on a journey to bring back his mother's voice (Sugartail, played by Céline Dion) after it was stolen by a despot diva named Gretsch (Hannah Waddingham), who has banned all music and all freedom of expression. He sets out to find his mother's old bandmates – played by McCartney (as a walrus named McKenzie, obviously), Starr (a bird named Roy) and Richie (a bison named Gladstone) — and accidentally sparks a revolution. The panelists, as well as McCartney via a video message, made it very clear they didn't want 'High in the Clouds' to be a musical, but they did want it to be about the power of music. McCartney wrote 13 original songs for the film, which audiences got to hear a bit of during the presentation, but 'High in the Clouds' will only use 6 of them. Still, the panelists explained that the finished film would play different versions of the songs, changing them slightly according to the singer and the place in the story where they're played. Accompanying the songs is also a score by Academy Award winner Michael Giacchino. Though no finished footage was shown, Annecy audiences got a glimpse at concept art and some early renders by Studio 88. Genkel and De Vita talked about wanting the movie to feature anthropomorphic animals who would not have animal mannerisms but still feature some animal traits (like Wirral being quick and agile like a squirrel). Some of the concept art shown included Gretsch's empire, an island filled with industrial pipes in a shape resembling a Facehugger from the 'Alien' franchise, while the rebellious musicians live in a colorful city in the clouds made out of hot air balloons and airships. 'High in the Clouds' is aimed at family-friendly audiences of all ages, but it does feature themes of revolution and oppression, as well as freedom of expression. Balancing the message with a lighter tone was a challenge, particularly when it came to depicting Gretsch's army. Rather than actual soldiers, she is surrounded by an army of devoted fans who make their own uniforms and create gadgets for her to use. At the end of the presentation, audiences caught a video message from McCartney talking about his love of animation and how John Lennon inspired the main character of Wirral. They then got glimpses of McCartney and Starr recording lines for the film. McCartney said the film is a big homage to his first wife, Linda, who passed away in 1998 and inspired the character of Sugartail. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Paul McCartney And Ringo Starr's History Of Working Together
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will reunite for High in the Clouds, a new animated film featuring ... More McCartney's songs and Starr's voice work, thrilling Beatles fans. LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 27: Recording artists Paul McCartney (L) and Ringo Starr perform onstage during "The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 27, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will soon be teaming up once again. The two are working together on the upcoming animated film High in the Clouds, which is based on the children's book McCartney published in 2005. McCartney is one of the driving forces behind the project, and he's also slated to write — and possibly perform — original songs. Starr, meanwhile, will voice a character in the movie. While it's not confirmed, McCartney could lend his vocal talents as well. No release date for the film has been announced yet, but fans of McCartney, Starr, and of course, The Beatles, are thrilled about the reunion. Every time former bandmates from the most successful group of all time come together, it's a momentous occasion. McCartney and Starr have a long track record of supporting each other's work, even after they split from one another professionally. McCartney showed up in a big way to help Starr with his self-titled solo album Ringo. He played multiple instruments and sang backing vocals on the tune 'Six O'Clock,' one of the standout tracks from the full-length. The song was released in 1973, only a few years after The Beatles split, highlighting how quickly the two reconnected. About a decade later, Starr returned the favor. McCartney was developing a film based on a fictionalized version of his own life titled Give My Regards to Broad Street, and he incorporated both new music and Beatles classics. Starr stepped in to play drums on several of the band's most iconic tunes, such as 'Yesterday' and 'Eleanor Rigby,' which were featured in the movie. McCartney once again reached out to Starr for help on his solo album Flaming Pie. The track 'Beautiful Night' is a gorgeous, orchestra-backed ballad that benefits greatly from Starr's drumming — and his presence brought added star power to the cut. The year after Flaming Pie, Starr invited McCartney to collaborate on his album Vertical Man. The two worked together on 'La De Da,' with McCartney contributing background vocals and instrumentation to the rocking cut. The song was warmly received by fans of both musicians. In 2010, Starr released his self-produced album Y Not, and McCartney lent a hand on multiple tracks. One, titled 'Peace Dream,' honored their former bandmate John Lennon. With George Harrison no longer living, only the two remaining Beatles could unite on the tune. McCartney also sang a duet with Starr on the heartfelt 'Walk With You.' In 2023, McCartney and Starr announced to the world that The Beatles had one final single to share. The track 'Now and Then' was originally started by Lennon before his death, but the recording he left behind was long considered unusable due to excessive background noise. Harrison had begun laying down instrumentation for the tune, though it was never completed during his lifetime. With the help of artificial intelligence, the surviving members were able to clean up the audio. McCartney and Starr added new lyrics and music, releasing a polished version of 'Now and Then,' which became a massive global hit. The track earned the pair a new Grammy Award in early 2025.
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Paul McCartney And Ringo Starr Have Set Their Next Collaboration
getty Only two members of The Beatles remain, as both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still active and busy making new music. While the two don't work together very frequently, whenever they do reunite — whether for a song, a performance or just a moment on a red carpet — it always makes headlines. The longtime friends and busy musicians are now set to collaborate once again, and this time, they're teaming up on a new kind of project: an animated film. Variety reports that McCartney is working on High in the Clouds, an animated feature that has been rumored for some time. The film does not yet have a release date, but it already features a superstar cast of musicians and actors who will lend their voices to the upcoming family movie. Perhaps most excitingly, Starr is part of the ensemble. It's not yet clear which character the Beatles drummer will voice, but the fact that Starr and McCartney are collaborating once again — even in what may be a limited capacity — makes High in the Clouds a project that will likely appeal not only to young audiences and their parents, but also to longtime Beatles fans. McCartney and Starr most recently worked together on 'Now and Then,' which was touted as the final single from The Beatles. Released in November 2023, the tune featured new work by both surviving members, as well as archival recordings from John Lennon and George Harrison, made before both artists passed away. Artificial intelligence helped bring the track to life, clearing out background noise and allowing the remaining band members to use what they left behind to finish what they started. It earned McCartney and Starr — but notably, not Harrison and Lennon — a Grammy for Best Rock Performance, and the cut was also nominated for Record of the Year at the most recent ceremony. High in the Clouds will also feature the voices of Lionel Richie, Celine Dion, Idris Elba, and Jimmy Fallon, among others. The movie is based on a children's book by McCartney, which was released two decades ago. It's not yet clear if McCartney will voice a character in the film, but he is co-producing and writing original songs for the movie. Michael Giacchino has signed on to score the feature, and Variety reports that an original soundtrack is already planned.
