A long-in-the-works animated film based on High in the Clouds, a 2005 children’s adventure novel co-written by Paul McCartney, is moving forward with some new contributors.
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Variety reports that McCartney and the French film company Gaumont, who is co-producing the movie, have unveiled a new creative team for the project, which is slated to begin production in early 2024 and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026.
A post on the Gaumont Instagram page describes High in the Clouds as “a timeless 3D animated film, about the power of family and freedom of expression through music, set in a world of animals.”
Toby Genkel, whose previous credits include The Amazing Maurice, will direct the film, while Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up) will compose the score. Writer Jon Croker (Paddington 2), who has been attached to the project for several years, is penning the screenplay.
The movie will feature six original McCartney songs, and the project has a budget of about 28 million euros (about $30 million).
McCartney will voice a character in the film, while Variety reports that “two other major music stars” are in discussions to take part in the project.
In 2019, it was announced that the High in the Clouds film was being produced to air on Netflix, with Timothy Reckart tapped to direct, and at one point the movie was scheduled for a 2023 release. However, it was reported in June that Netflix was no longer attached to the project.
High in the Clouds, the book, was co-written by McCartney and children’s author Philip Ardagh, with illustrations by Geoff Dunbar. It tells the story of a teenage squirrel named Wirral who lives in a city called Gretschville, where an evil singing owl named Gretsch has banned music. Wirral goes on a quest to bring music back to the city, enlisting a band of musicians who are in hiding in a secret place called Harmonia, located high in the clouds.
McCartney has been involved in a variety of projects geared toward children over the years, including a pair of illustrated books, Hey Grandude! and Grandude’s Green Submarine, which were published in 2018 and 2021, respectively.
The former Beatles star is currently on tour in Australia. His next concert is scheduled for October 28 in Sydney. Visit PaulMcCartney.com for a full list of his upcoming shows.
Photo by J.Tregidgo/WireImage
