Metallica have been enlisted to give an orchestral rewrite of one of their seminal classics for an upcoming Disney film, Jungle Cruise.
Speaking in a new interview with Collider, the band’s drummer Lars Ulrich revealed that they have rewritten their 1991 hit ‘Nothing Else Matters’ with Oscar nominated composer James Newton Howard for the new film, starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Emily Blunt.
“This was the right fit … with James Newton Howard and his track record, and what he’s done,” Ulrich said.
“James Newton Howard, the man, the myth, the absolute legend! Considering what’s he’s done, it’s an absolute honour to have done this with him, and we’re excited for the world to hear it.”
He also shared that the vision for the song’s rewriting can be linked back to Disney production president and Metallica fan, Sean Bailey.
“It really goes back to (Bailey), who is a lifelong rock fan, and is just all-around one of the greatest, most friendly, generous, warm, and embracing people you’ll find in the music business,” Ulrich said.
“My wife and I are big Disney fans, so there’s a great friendship there, and he’s always looked for the right match where there was a way that Metallica could contribute to some project of theirs.”
“It’s kind of an interesting morph,” Ulrich said, “but it’s a very unusual morph in that it’s kind of his arrangement of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ that we’re playing.”
Revisit the original version of ‘Nothing Else Matters’ below.
