When Disney's newest live action take on a classic, Pete's Dragon, hits theaters on August 12, movie goers will no doubt be caught up in the gripping tale of a young boy and his dragon friend.
But listen closely, because you just might hear a song written by UNT alum Andrew Tinker.
The song, titled "Nobody Knows (How to Say Goodbye)," will be on the film's soundtrack, and was recorded and performed by indie trio The Lumineers. And the North Texas ties don't stop with Tinker.
"There are D-FW musical fingerprints all over Pete's Dragon," Tinker said via email. "And I'm thrilled to get to collaborate in such a vibrant community."
Tinker's stint on Pete's Dragon came from previously working with Dallasite David Lowery, the film's director. Lowery's film Ain't Them Bodies Saints saw Tinker not only working with Lowery, but longtime friend Toby Halbrooks as well. Halbrooks and Tinker had been members of the Polyphonic Spree together.
The Pete's Dragon score itself is also a Dallas product, coming from Dallas composer Daniel Hart, who scored Ain't Them Bodies Saints for Lowery. And Tinker's song, which was worked on by Fort Worth producer Curtis Heath, found its way to Disney, then The Lumineers, until it landed on the Pete's Dragon soundtrack.
For Tinker, it was a childhood dream come true.
"I had the original Pete's Dragon on VHS when I was a kid, and I always hoped that someday I'd get to play tic-tac-toe on a dragon's belly," he said.
Tinker works out of Big Acre Sound Studios near Denton, and said Pete's Dragon is only the beginning, as he's got plenty of stuff in the pipeline.
"The process of getting a cut in Pete's Dragon has opened up some exciting collaborative opportunities, so I'm doing a ton of writing with some great musicians in the area, and online," he said. "I'll be working on a song this very afternoon with a friend in LA via Google Drive. Thanks Internet!"
Disney's Pete's Dragon releases August 12 and stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford. Check out the trailer below.
