For the first time in Coldplay’s career, they will be contributing an original song for a movie soundtrack, and they’ve partnered with Lionsgate for one of the biggest films of the year in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
The new song, Atlas, is due to be released on 26th August, ahead of the movie’s release this November. The lyrics landed online a few hours ago, courtesy of a tweet from the band, giving a first glimpse at the song ahead of its debut later in the month.
And the good news doesn’t end there, because a new trailer has debuted online, giving another ninety-second look at the upcoming blockbuster sequel, following the first full-length trailer that premiered at Comic-Con.
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.
Jennifer Lawrence is reprising her leading role as Katniss Everdeen. And she’s joined by another fantastic cast, led by Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Willow Shields, and Donald Sutherland.
Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) directs from a script written by Simon Beaufoy (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire), with Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Star Wars Episode VII) hired for a rewrite, adapting Suzanne Collins’ original novel.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be released on 21st November in the UK, a day earlier than expected, with its US release date still set for November 22nd.
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NEW YORK, NY and SANTA MONICA, CA August 9, 2013 – Multiplatinum recording artist Coldplay will release the first track from the official soundtrack album for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, it was announced today by Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Republic Records, marking the first time Coldplay has ever recorded an original song for a motion picture. The song, titled “Atlas,” is scheduled to be available via iTunes and all digital retailers on August 26, 2013. Republic Records is again teaming up with Lionsgate to release the soundtrack in advance of Lionsgate distributing the film on screens worldwide on November 22, 2013.
“I have great respect and admiration for Coldplay, and we are thrilled with how well they have connected to the themes and ideas within the film,” said filmmaker Francis Lawrence. “Their unwavering passion and excitement for the project elevated the collaboration even further, and we can’t wait to share this music with audiences around the world.”
“We are so honored that Coldplay, one of the iconic rock bands of our generation, will perform the first song out on the new soundtrack,” said Tracy McKnight, Lionsgate’s Head of Film Music. “Knowing that Chris Martin is a fan of the books makes this even more meaningful. The Coldplay single underscores the stature of recording artists we’ve assembled for this powerful soundtrack.”
Monte Lipman, Chairman & CEO of Republic Records, stated, “The creative alliance between Coldplay and The Hunger Games franchise will create a level of excitement and anticipation of epic proportions.”
Coldplay is one of the top recording artists of recent times, selling over 60 million records worldwide and winning seven Grammy Awards and five MTV VideoAwards, among other honors. They are signed to Parlophone, the legendary label known for The Beatles, Radiohead, Queen, David Guetta and more.
The first installment of The Hunger Games was the 13th highest-grossing North American release of all time on its way to grossing nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office.
This is the first in a series of highly anticipated announcements of the new artists to be revealed in the coming weeks.
The first Hunger Games partnership between Republic Records and Lionsgate yielded the Grammy Award-winning, chart-dominating The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond executive produced by T Bone Burnett.
The album hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200 on its release with sales over 175,000, making it the first soundtrack to top the chart since November 2009. It was the best-selling soundtrack of 2012, the fastest selling soundtrack ever at iTunes, and was certified gold by the RIAA shortly after its release. The album earned a Golden Globe Award nomination and three Grammy Award nominations, and its first single, Taylor Swift’s “Safe & Sound” featuring The Civil Wars, won the 2013 Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for Visual Media”.
