Erlingur Thoroddsen, writer and director of The Piper, dropped in to share an exclusive sneak peek at his upcoming horror action feature. The story revolves around Mel Walker, a young composer who is tasked with finishing her late mentor’s score. But she soon discovers that playing the music summons deadly consequences. This, of course, means music plays an integral role in the movie, with the music acting almost as a character in itself.
Thoroddsen was well aware this meant a very specific search for his film’s composer. “In a film where a cursed piece of music is the main antagonistic force, I was very aware that I needed a special composer who could write a melody that was at once simple, seductive, and sinister. I was lucky enough to get to work with one of my heroes, the legendary Christopher Young, who was more than up for the challenge of composing not just the score, but also the haunted concerto at the heart of the film that terrorizes the main characters. “
Thoroddsen has provided us with an exclusive sneak peek at the movie, we’ll let him set the scene for you.
“In this scene, Mel’s orchestra, conducted by Gustafson (Julian Sands), is deep into rehearsals. The music begins to have a visceral effect on the violinist, Nancy (Kate Nichols), and Mel tries to talk her down from a backstage ledge. What Mel is slowly beginning to realize, is that this music infects everyone who hears it… And there might be no coming back from it.
When people say ‘break a leg,’ this is probably not what they’re referring to.”
Thoroddsen’s search for a composer paid off when he found Chris Young. “This is just a little taste of what Chris Young has cooked up for the film. I’m biased of course, but I think his score for The Piper ranks among his very best.”
Thoroddsen dishes out praise for his composer and his cast, which includes the late Julain Sands in one of his last roles. “To match Chris Young’s powerful music, we have the brilliant Charlotte Hope and Julian Sands going head to head with each other, along with the rest of our amazing cast. We made this film for the big screen, so if you have a chance to catch it in a theater, I promise you’ll have a great and sonically bombastic time!”
You can watch The Piper in select US theaters + on VOD starting March 8.
