“Their sensibility as well as understanding of this story has led to a profoundly deep and moving film score,” said director Sam Taylor-Johnson
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are composing the score for the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson shared a few photos of her in the studio with the two musicians on Instagram, saying it was “a dream” to work with Cave and Ellis. In a statement, she added: “Nick and Warren were the only musicians in my mind to score Back to Black. Over the years, I’ve listened to everything they’ve composed and longed to realize the dream of working together. Their sensibility as well as understanding of this story has led to a profoundly deep and moving film score.”
Cave and Ellis have been close collaborators for three decades, and their extensive work together includes numerous film scores and soundtracks. Their first film project was the music for the 2005 Western The Proposition (Cave also wrote the screenplay), while other notable scores include 2007’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and 2010’s The Road. Most recently, they composed the music for the controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde (directed by longtime collaborator Andrew Dominik), and the hit Netflix series, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
As for Back to Black, the film is set to open May 17, with Marisa Abela starring as Winehouse. The cast also features Jack O’Connell as Winehouse’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil; Lesley Manville as Winehouse’s grandmother, Cynthia; Eddie Marsan as her father, Mitch; and Juliet Cowan as her mother, Janis. The movie was made with support from the Winehouse estate and, along with Cave and Ellis’ score, will feature a plethora of Winehouse’s music performed by Abela.
