Pixar’s next animated film, Onward hits theaters on March 6 and takes audiences on a quest with brothers Ian and Barley as they search for magic. The film will feature a score by brothers Mychale and Jeff Danna and an end credits song, “Carried Me With You” performed by Brandi Carlile.
What’s happening:
- Singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile has been tapped to perform an emotionally poignant song, “Carried Me With You,” for the end credits of the upcoming Disney and Pixar film Onward.
- The song is written and produced by Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, for the original motion picture soundtrack, available digitally from Walt Disney Records on February 28.
- The all-new, original film features a dynamic score from multiple-award-winning composers Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna.
- When they ventured to Pixar Animation Studios to learn about a new project from director Dan Scanlon, they had no idea what to expect——and what they heard astonished them.
- Their score elevates the fantasy aspect of the film, featuring folk and early music instruments, including folk guitars, the plucked-string psaltery, and a crumhorn.
- Magic is also a key component of the story, so the composers had to design music to complement the spells and effects.
- The score, which features 44 cues, was recorded with a 92-piece orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Dodd.
What they’re saying:
- Brandi Carlile: “‘Carried Me With You’ is a song about not taking love for granted—accepting love even when you don’t feel like you deserve it. It’s absolutely wonderful to be a part of a Pixar film! I can’t wait for my little girls to see it! It’ll no doubt have all the wonder, imagination and creative life lessons our family has come to love about Pixar films.”
- Mychael Danna: “It’s weirdly and uncannily personal for us. As soon as Dan started talking about it, the hairs went up on the back of my neck. The whole story: father is an accountant and dies when the brothers are young, and how the relationship of the brothers is affected. In our case we were 19 and 13.”
- Mychael Danna: “As a composer, you have to understand and relate to the emotion of the characters. You have to empathize with them and go to your own experiences. Sometimes that can take some effort, but in this case, there was no problem accessing all the personal emotion we have about this story.”
- Jeff Danna: “Musically, the magic is big and out of control—trumpets flying around. But at the heart of it, there are four notes. Even in the first scene when the magic is out of control—this whirling cyclone of a cue—there are these four notes that hang through it. That’s the thing you can just barely put your finger on. As the film progresses, we present that more and more clearly. Amongst all of the craziness, these four notes tell the story of the magic.”
Onward Cast and Creative team:
- The voice cast features:
- Chris Pratt
- Tom Holland
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Octavia Spencer
- Mel Rodriguez
- Lena Waithe
- Ali Wong
- The film is inspired by director Dan Scanlon’s personal experiences with his brother.
- Kori Rae serves as the film’s producer.
Onward cometh to theaters on March 6, 2020.