When you make a musical, no matter what the subject, a majority of the quality rests on the back of the music heard in the film. And when you take a look at filmmaker Brady Corbet’s upcoming musical drama starring Natalie Portman, titled “Vox Lux,” it’s clear that the quality of the music heard is going to go a long way to how people enjoy the finished product. Luckily for Corbet, he has a couple superstars helping with that aspect.
As the Toronto International Film Festival approaches, and “Vox Lux” has its North American premiere, we are beginning to learn some more information about the film. One of the more exciting bits we have learned is that musicians Scott Walker and Sia will be handling the musical duties on the film.
Early last year, when “Vox Lux” was announced, reports circulated that linked musician Mica Levi, who provided the scores for “Under the Skin” and “Jackie,” would work on the upcoming film. The latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination. However, much has changed on the film since then, with star Rooney Mara being replaced by Portman, and apparently, Sia and Scott Walker joining for the music.
The bigger name of the two is clearly Sia, who is a pop icon with hits like “Chandelier,” “Cheap Thrills,” and “The Greatest.” While it’s unclear what duties Sia and Walker will have individually, it stands to reason that the pop star will be handling the songs in the film, which will be performed by Portman (either with dubbing or her own voice). In “Vox Lux,” the story follows a young singer as she rises through the musical ranks and becomes a star. There aren’t many singers working today that you’d want to write your songs more than Sia, so that’s an exciting prospect.
As we mentioned, joining Sia is Scott Walker. He’s a singer-songwriter that has been around for decades in the music industry. While he still writes and performs his own music, in recent years Walker has diversified his projects, going behind-the-scenes to produce albums and provide film scores. Well technically, score, singular. Before “Vox Lux,” Walker was responsible for the score for Corbet’s previous film, “The Childhood of a Leader.” That composition earned Walker rave reviews, and we’re eager to see what he brings to this musical.
Right off the bat, if the musical talent involved is any indication, Corbet and Portman could have a special film on their hands with “Vox Lux.” We’ll have to see if that’s true when the film debuts at Venice before hitting TIFF.