Universal Music Group U.K.’s Globe, traditionally a powerhouse in music synchronization and brand partnerships, is strategically expanding its focus into original scripted content through its Globe Originals unit. This significant pivot aims to develop films and television projects where music serves as the primary creative engine, opening new avenues for artists and responding to an evolving entertainment landscape. The initiative is designed to harness the growing demand for music-driven narratives and empower multi-talented creatives to transcend traditional music industry boundaries.
The Evolution of Globe: Beyond Sync Licensing
For decades, Globe has been a pivotal player in integrating music into various forms of media, successfully placing tracks in films, TV shows, video games, and advertising campaigns, while also establishing artists as prominent brand ambassadors. Its established expertise lies in understanding the symbiotic relationship between sound and visual storytelling. However, recognizing shifts in audience consumption and artist aspirations, the London-based entity, under the leadership of President Marc Robinson, has begun to look beyond its conventional business model. This expansion is not merely an opportunistic venture but a calculated move to deepen its engagement with the audiovisual sector.
The move into original content creation through Globe Originals represents a natural progression for a company deeply embedded in both music and media. The unit’s mission is clear: to develop projects where music is not just an accompaniment but the driving force, a "creative engine" that shapes the narrative from its inception. This approach contrasts sharply with the traditional model where music is often brought in during later production stages.
Forging New Paths: Globe Originals’ Mission
Globe Originals has already built a notable portfolio, collaborating on critically acclaimed and commercially successful productions. Its track record includes contributing to the Oscar-winning documentary Amy, Steven Knight’s BBC drama This Town, Mary McCartney’s Disney+ film If These Walls Could Sing, the BAFTA-nominated and IFTA-winning short film Nostalgie, and the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning feature Hamnet. These collaborations have provided Globe with invaluable experience and established relationships with leading figures in the film industry, including directors and producers such as Quentin Tarantino, Richard Curtis, Danny Boyle, and Faye Ward.
The unit’s initial focus leaned heavily into the documentary space, leveraging its inherent connection to real-world narratives and existing artist stories. However, the strategic direction is now firmly shifting towards scripted content, acknowledging the vast creative and commercial potential within narrative storytelling. This transition is seen as a logical step, allowing Globe to apply its deep understanding of music’s emotional and narrative power to fictional worlds.
Strategic Expansion and Key Partnerships
Globe’s ambitions are not confined to the U.K. market. The company has been actively expanding its presence in the U.S., signaling its intent to operate on a global scale within the entertainment industry. A cornerstone of this international strategy is a recently unveiled partnership with Hollywood producer Shannon McIntosh, a long-time collaborator of Quentin Tarantino, known for her work on films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Hateful Eight. This alliance is set to drive a slate of music-driven feature films, blending McIntosh’s filmmaking acumen with Globe’s musical expertise.
The initial projects under the McIntosh partnership include Falling, a modern-day love story written and directed by Dominic Savage, with Simone Ashley and Sam Claflin attached; Dusty vs Dusty, a unique take on the biopic format focusing on Dusty Springfield; and Annie Oakley Hanging, a fully music-driven feature. These projects exemplify the "music as creative engine" philosophy, promising narratives where the soundtrack is integral to the story’s fabric.
The Multi-Hyphenate Artist: A New Creative Blueprint
A core driver behind Globe Originals is the emergence of multi-talented creatives—often referred to as "multi-hyphenates"—who are eager to explore artistic avenues beyond traditional music releases and concert tours. Marc Robinson highlights the increased demand for music-driven storytelling and the growing role of music as a central force in audiovisual narratives as key factors. This evolution aligns perfectly with artists who possess a broader skill set and a desire for diverse creative expression.
Shannon McIntosh articulated the innovative approach taken with Annie Oakley Hanging, describing it as "reverse engineering the normal process of making a film by starting with the soundtrack." This method is seen as invigorating, allowing for a seamless bridge between music and screen, championing U.K. artists, and delivering powerful, music-driven narratives to a global audience. The film, a rebellious love story set in the American frontier, will feature an original soundtrack crafted by Dan Smith, lead singer of Bastille, and Ralph Pelleymounter, lead singer of To Kill a King. McIntosh expressed her excitement, noting the music’s "strong sense of narrative and ambition."
Dan Smith: A Case Study in Integrated Storytelling
Dan Smith serves as a prime example of the multi-hyphenate talent Globe Originals seeks to cultivate. A self-professed cinephile, Smith’s artistic output, even within Bastille, has always possessed a cinematic quality. His music videos and promotional materials often evoke film aesthetics, making him a natural fit for this new venture. Robinson describes Smith as "the number one example" of an artist who thinks narratively and cinematically.
Smith’s journey into film composition is already robust. He wrote and produced the original song "Eurydice" for the Netflix series Kaos and collaborated with Hans Zimmer and Raye on "Mother Nature" for the BBC’s Planet Earth III. More recently, facilitated by Globe, Smith composed songs and the score for the BAFTA-nominated short film Nostalgie. Directed by Kathryn Ferguson and starring Aidan Gillen, the 1980s-set film required Smith to create period-appropriate yet impactful songs that would resonate as anthems for its characters.
Smith found the experience of composing for Nostalgie incredibly rewarding. "Globe Originals is such a rare thing that bridges music and narrative storytelling and film, TV and short film," he stated. He emphasized the creative freedom it offered to "expand beyond a traditional artist [career]," allowing him to delve into stories and worlds that fascinated him, rather than solely focusing on personal narratives. The challenge of crafting songs that felt authentic to the 1980s and instantly memorable for the audience, culminating in seeing dozens of extras screaming his lyrics on set, was described as a "surreal but gratifying experience."
The Future of Music-Driven Cinema
The collaboration process at Globe Originals marks a significant departure from past practices. Robinson explains that Globe is no longer merely "the receiver of the product that the film and TV industry made." Instead, it aims to engage at the earliest stages of development, infusing a "music conversation" into film and TV in unprecedented ways. This proactive stance ensures that music is an organic, foundational element, rather than an afterthought.
The McIntosh partnership is poised to further these ambitions. Currently, three projects are in development: a musical, a fresh take on the biopic, and an original concept from Dan Smith and Ralph Pelleymounter. McIntosh was reportedly "blown away by the quality of the music and the storytelling" for the latter, underscoring the potential of starting with a strong musical foundation.
Looking ahead, Smith himself is open to further exploration, even considering directing films. Citing David Lynch as a personal inspiration—a rock star who made films, scored them, painted, and released albums—Smith embodies the ultimate multi-hyphenate ideal. His past experiences co-directing music videos, including one for "No Bad Days" and another self-directed piece on a Greenpeace ship in the Bermuda Triangle, suggest a natural inclination towards visual storytelling.
Marc Robinson reiterates that Globe is not aiming to become a traditional film production company but rather a skilled partner. "We’re not a film production company in the scripted space. So for me, it was about partnering with people who can bring that expertise and who can also help celebrate and develop these ideas from artists," he clarified. This collaborative ethos, blending music industry prowess with established filmmaking expertise, positions UMG U.K.’s Globe Originals at the vanguard of a new era in integrated entertainment, where music and narrative converge to create truly immersive and impactful stories for global audiences.
