The upcoming Netflix animated feature High in the Clouds will feature music from Paul McCartney. Furthermore, he offered both original score and songs to the film, which already has a score from Michael Giacchino.

Keep reading to learn more about the film and its soundtrack

Paul McCartney Adds More Music to Michael Giacchino’s High in the Clouds Soundtrack

It’s been seven years since we last heard something from Netflix concerning their upcoming animated feature High in the Clouds. But we’ve just got a lot more than just a release date. That’s because they also revealed that they had updated the soundtrack as well.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Michael Giacchino still wrote the film’s original score. And it will still feature original music from Paul McCartney. But McCartney decided he wanted to do more than just the songs and added a few themes to the score.

This news comes from the courtesy of Producer Nicolas Atlan, who dropped this bombshell on an Instagram post.

What Is High in the Clouds?

Now, if this is your first time hearing about it, Netflix’s High in the Clouds is an upcoming animated adaptation of McCartney’s 2025 children’s book of the same. It follows the misadventures of Wirral, a young squirrel, on his journey to confront a tyrannical, voice-stealing owl who has banned music from the land.

It stars:

• McCartney himself
• Himesh Patel
• Celine Dion
• Hannah Waddingham
• Lionel Richie
• Ringo Starr
• Idris Elba
• Clémence Poésy
• Jimmy Fallon
• Pom Klementieff
• Alain Chabat

Netflix plans to release High in the Clouds on October 17, 2026. Sign up now to get ready for when it drops.

The story takes place in a music-filed fantasy world, of course. So, there will be plenty of opportunities for both McCartney and Giacchino to shine. As a result, we should see multiple character motifs and themes strung throughout the film. Moreover, each character will likely break out into song at least once, given the rather extensive music-focused cast.

Why The High in the Clouds Soundtrack Matters

Beyond the star-studded cast, High in the Clouds is clearly a passion project. That’s because of how much McCartney is involved in it. He’s not only making music for it. He’s the very reason why it exists in the first place. He wrote the source material after all.

That also means that the movie can go either way. It could be a massive hit for Netflix, or it could end up as a total failure. That’s because passion projects often miss the forest from the trees trying to do too much at once.

Thus, McCartney and Netflix can give us gorgeous character designs, expressive animation, and their big fantasy world as much as they want. But only if they keep themselves and the film grounded. It’s a story, a work of fiction, and not a concert or live performance.

Luckily for them, the film naturally presents itself as a musical. So, the characters randomly bursting into song aren’t going to feel out of place. The moments just have to make sense given their context.

Final Thoughts

When I first heard of the film, I didn’t think much about it. That’s because Netflix has been producing quality animation for years, and High in the Clouds should be the same. However, McCartney’s expanded role has made me worried. I fear that he’s not letting the filmmakers do their thing for a vision that might not work in cinema as much as he thinks.

However, only time will tell either way. So, I’m still looking forward to seeing this film once it drops on October. How about you?

Post your thoughts in the comments below. Then, subscribe to this blog to learn when I’ll post my review of it.