New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, acclaimed singer/songwriter
Matteo Bocelli unveiled "Cautionary Tale" - his collaboration with GRAMMY-nominated, multi-Platinum composer/producer/musician Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL). The pair created the song for the film Three Thousand Years of Longing, which was directed by
George Miller (Mad Max) and stars Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. Bocelli makes his motion picture debut in the film, playing
Prince Mustapha. Holkenborg composed the score for Three Thousand Years of Longing.
Director George Miller says, "Matteo plays a prince whose fate ends tragically. It feels so right to me that he renders the musical and narrative themes of the movie in song."
Matteo Bocelli adds, "It's the first time I've been cast in a movie and it's been such an incredible experience. I was born into a family that really lived show business but this was something completely new and I was surprised at how much fun I had! With anything new there's fear and uncertainty but there's also curiosity and excitement. I can't believe that my first movie appearance is for
George Miller and this cast and crew of the greatest people - Oscar-winners! And then there's me! So even being involved in a small way means the world to me. Being part of the movie soundtrack was my real goal - music is my first passion, so to have the chance to do both has been very cool. I'm so honored to be singing on this track. Now I can't wait for everyone to see the movie. I'm sure it's going to be loved. "
"This movie spans 3000 years, and
George wanted a single melody that could move from the ancient to the contemporary, while capturing all the emotions the characters experience in this film. It took two years to create! Being able to work with
Matteo to turn the melody into the song 'Cautionary Tale' was a joy, not only because he is in the film so has a real appreciation for George's vision, but also because he is a true artist with a timeless voice, who has a deep understanding of the history of music," says Tom Holkenborg.
"Cautionary Tale" takes its title from a pivotal line of dialogue that Tilda Swinton delivers in the film. Bocelli's rich, evocative tenor reverberates with a sense of romance and mystery as he considers the nature of love and the delicate balance between fate and free will. Listen to "Cautionary Tale (English Version) - from the Motion Picture Three Thousand Years of Longing" below:
The single, which was released today by Capitol Records, also includes the version of "Cautionary Tale" that plays over the end credits of the film, in which Bocelli sings in four ancient languages, including Aramaic. Listen to "Cautionary Tale (Film Version) - from the Motion Picture Three Thousand Years of Longing" HERE. Holkenborg, whose credits include
Justice League, Divergent and Terminator: Dark Fate, composed the score for Three Thousand Years Of Longing and also scored Miller's 2015 film, Mad Max: Fury Road.
Three Thousand Years Of Longing will be in theaters August 26. Following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Vanity Fair praised the film as "a heartfelt metaphor for our digital age…. transfixing."
Bocelli began learning piano at age six. At 18, he made his stage debut, singing Verdi at the Rome Colosseum. Much of the world first heard Matteo's mellifluous vocals and textured piano playing on 2018's "Fall on Me," the English/Italian duet he co-wrote for
Andrea Bocelli's chart-topping Sì album. The song, which went on to soundtrack Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, has attained over 300 million combined global streams. He recently joined his father, opera legend
Andrea Bocelli, on a U.S. arena tour, which included two shows at Madison
Square Garden shows in New York City.
Since signing to Capitol Records, Bocelli has a series of emotionally resonant singles that include "Tempo," which was tapped for the European/UK advertising campaign for the Fiat New 500 La Prima By Bocelli, "Until She's Gone," his collaboration with Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra, which they recorded in English, Spanish and Italian, "Close," which Bocelli performed on "The
Kelly Clarkson Show" and his fittingly titled debut single "Solo," which has amassed over seven million combined global streams to date.
Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL, is a GRAMMY-nominated multi-Platinum producer, musician, composer and educator whose versatility puts him on the cutting edge of contemporary music. A Full Contact Composer, Holkenborg is hands on at every stage of the composing process, a multi-instrumentalist who combines a mastery of studio engineering, classical musical training and an innate sense of curiosity. Tom's film scoring credits have grossed over $2 billion at the box office and include Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool,
Black Mass, Brimstone, The Dark Tower, Tomb Raider, Terminator: Dark Fate,
Justice League: The Snyder Cut, Godzilla vs Kong and 3000 Years of Longing. He has worked with directors including
Peter Jackson, Robert Rodriguez,
James Cameron,
George Miller,
Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder and Tim Miller, among many others.
About Three Thousand Years of Longing: Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic - content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
Directed by
George Miller
Produced by Doug Mitchell,
George Miller
Written by
George Miller &
Augusta Gore
Based upon the short story "The Djinn In The Nightingale's Eye" by A.S. Byatt
Executive Producers by Dean Hood,
Craig McMahon,
Kevin Sun
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Pictures presents, in association with FilmNation Entertainment, Elevate Production Finance, and Sunac, A Kennedy Miller Mitchell Production, A
George Miller Film.
