Musical legend Tim Rice has a storied career making music for stage shows and animated kids films, including Disney classics like Aladdin and The Lion King. But the 80-year-old songwriter hadn’t created new music for an animated feature in 25 years when he agreed to write songs for The Land of Sometimes (pictured).

This upcoming CG-animated project is London-based Two Daughters Entertainment’s (Moley) first feature film, and Rice has crafted three new songs for it with his composer partner Peter Hobbs.

Having Rice attached has helped Two Daughters attract partners and make a name for itself in the film market, says CEO Simon Bobin. This includes securing music deals with Universal Music Publishing Group to release the songs, and with Sony Music Masterworks for a soundtrack album. 

In The Land of Sometimes, an eccentric guide called the Wish Collector whisks two twins away to a magical island where they can get anything they wish for. But after the kids meet fantastical creatures and fight a mechanical monster, they ultimately learn that family is the most important thing in the world. 

Rice was attracted to the concept’s fantasy setting and story, and at his age, he found it appealing to only have to write three of the 90-minute film’s six songs. He also saw opportunities where the story could be expanded through music, which is a key aspect for him when it comes to choosing what to work on.  

Inspired by his lifelong love of rock and roll, Rice wrote tunes that are whimsical, melodic and reminiscent of classic Disney films—they’re meant to heighten the film’s tone of adventure and discovery, inspired by fairytales such as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. 

His first song sets the tone for the adventure, and reveals the kids’ amazement when the Wish Collector (played by Ewan McGregor) brings them to the island. 

The second song kicks in after one of the twins meets a group of fairies (one of whom is played by Helena Bonham Carter). This track starts out happy and joyful, but then takes a dark turn when one of the kids realizes she might be stuck in a tower. 

The last tune is a big Broadway-style villain song that plays while the kids are battling the mechanical monster for control of the power to make wishes—and a big plot twist is revealed. 

“Creating good songs starts with a strong story,” Rice says. “There are no rules to this, but if you connect the music to the story and the characters, that’s how you make songs that will resonate with people.” 

Tim Rice with his EGOT collection. The key to writing good songs is to connect the music with the characters and story, he says.

The remaining three songs in the film will be lifted straight from musician Francesca Longrigg’s 2012 audiobook, which the film is based on.

The Land of Sometimes is fully financed and 80% completed—with a budget under US$10 million. Two Daughters is producing with the UK’s Nottage Productions, and key team members include director Leon Joosen (Saving Santa) and famed former Disney and DreamWorks producer Bonnie Arnold (How to Train Your Dragon). 

Next up, Two Daughters is seeking theatrical distribution partners, which shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, considering the star power of Rice and the cast, adds Bobin.

The film is set to be fully wrapped in August, and sales agent Kaleidoscope Film Distribution is working on presales in several markets. 

Rice hopes the music he wrote for The Land of Sometimes will resonate with kids. He set out to create tunes that could become earworms and really stay with families. But he’s set a high bar for himself after writing songs for The Lion King and the Beauty and the Beast stage musical. “You never know if you’ll be able to top what you’ve done before.” 

He’s also open to working on more animated films, if there’s a strong story he can see ways to expand on through music. At this point in Rice’s career, he’s eager to try new things—and he says he’s not done by a long shot.