Thneedville - Fletcher Sheridan (Original Demo)
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Lucas sat in the plush leather chair, headphones resting on his ears. It had been a few days since he started voice acting for "The Lorax," and he'd already seen most of the movie's scenes, including those featuring the other voice cast members.
Today, he and the other voice cast members—Taylor, Ed Helms, Danny, and others—were about to record the songs from the original demo of the film. But before that, they were all gathered in the recording booth, invited by the producers to listen to the songs with the staff. The producers wanted their input on the demo tracks, as the chosen tracks would be sung by the voice cast themselves, ensuring the voices fit seamlessly into the film.
In the cozy recording booth, Lucas, Taylor, Danny, Ed Helms and other voice cast sat alongside the producers, including Christopher Meledandri. They listened intently to the original demos, absorbing each note and lyric.
After the first song finished, Christopher turned to the cast, specifically seeking out Lucas and Taylor. "What do you guys think? Pretty good, right?"
Lucas nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Not bad." Taylor agreed.
They continued listening to more demos, but it wasn't until the song "Biggering" started playing that Lucas's eyes lit up. "Wow. Who made this song?"
The producers, Ken, Christopher, and Janet, didn't seem as impressed.
Ken raised an eyebrow at Lucas. "You like it, Lucas?"
"Yeah, I do. I'm a fan of rock metal too, so this song really impressed me." Lucas nodded, unwavering in his opinion.
One of the staff members, Dennis, piped up, "It's by a band called 'The 88'."
Taylor nodded in agreement with Lucas. "I agree, the song is good, but I don't think it's appropriate for children."
Janet, an older producer, nodded along with Taylor. "Exactly. It's too dark. We don't want to scare any kids away."
Christopher added, "True. I don't like it."
Lucas looked at Ken, who just shrugged. "Sorry, Lucas. I'm with them. I think it's an average song at best."
"Yes, we should replace this one," Christopher said, nodding.
Lucas glanced at Danny and Ed Helms, but they both shrugged, not wanting to get on the producers' bad side.
"Well, isn't the Lorax book pretty dark and scary itself? I just thought the song would be more fitting for the film's tone," Lucas shrugged, "but maybe that's just me."
"Well, you do have a point," Ken said, surprising everyone.
Ed Helms, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up. "I also agree with Lucas. I think the original demo is good enough."
Christopher turned to Ed, eyebrows raised. "Really?"
Everyone in the room knew the demo was already great, but the lyrics were too critical of big corporations—something that didn't sit well with the Illumination Entertainment executives, who could be seen as part of the same group.
Ed nodded confidently.
Ken looked at Ed. "You can sing it, right? It's rock metal."
"I can," Ed said without hesitation.
"Alright, let's table that discussion for now. We'll decide if it makes the final cut or not," Christopher said, moving on to the next song.
The next song played was the original demo for the opening scene, titled "Thneedville."
Lucas listened intently and nodded in approval once it finished. "I like this opening song."
Christopher raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? We can still replace it."
"I really like it. I have no problem singing these lines as Ted," Lucas insisted.
Janet, however, wasn't convinced. "I just think it's a bit too dark for the theme, don't you?"
"No, it's not," Lucas argued, but he added, "However, if you guys want to replace it, I can't do much about it. But I should warn you, my schedule will be pretty packed after this. I can't guarantee I'll be available to re-record the lines."
The producers could see that Lucas genuinely liked the current opening song, but they were still concerned about its darkness. However, they knew that finding a replacement would take weeks, and by then, Lucas might not be available to re-record his lines as Ted.
In the end, they decided to keep the original opening song, "Thneedville". Lucas and the rest of the cast continued to listen to the other demos, offering their feedback and suggestions where needed.
"Alright, alright. We'll keep the opening song for the final cut," Ken relented, and Christopher and Janet had no choice but to agree.
Everyone in the room knew how much of a box office draw Lucas was when he sang in a film—it was a proven fact, after all. The indie movie "Like Crazy" had grossed $179 million at the box office, and one of its main attractions was Lucas's original songs.
It wasn't just his music that drew people to theaters, though; his acting chops were also a big draw. After all, "Midnight in Paris," which premiered two months ago, had already raked in over $230 million from both the US and global box offices.
In fact, it was thanks to Lucas that Taylor even had a singing part in the film. Initially, Illumination Entertainment hadn't planned on having her sing, despite her voicing the character of Audrey. However, after the music video featuring both of them became an overnight sensation, Taylor's career skyrocketed, and she became too popular for the studio to ignore.
With the opening song decided, the group continued their work, listening to more demos and discussing the film's musical direction.
***
Taylor observed Lucas's expression and asked, "You're upset they didn't want 'Biggering,' huh?"
Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I thought it was a great song. It had the perfect villainous vibe for Once-ler, and I just liked it."
Taylor smiled understandingly. "I get it, but we can't deny that the movie's target audience is children."
"But isn't the original Lorax book also meant for kids, yet it was still pretty horrifying?" Lucas countered. "I think the song would've fit nicely."
Taylor chuckled. "Let's just get something to drink and cool off, alright?"
"Yeah, sounds good," Lucas agreed.
Taylor knew Lucas was onto something. She too felt the song was a perfect fit, but she understood why the producers were uncomfortable—it hit a little too close to home for them. Still, she didn't want to rock the boat, not when her own career was taking off.
And Lucas wasn't naive; he knew the real reason behind the producers' decision. But he couldn't help but feel that the studio was missing the point. The message of "The Lorax" was about facing the harsh truths about corporate greed, and here they were, censoring a song that did just that.
Lucas sighed to himself, understanding that some battles weren't worth fighting. He would focus on his own performance and hope that the movie still managed to convey the story's important message, even without the perfect song.
After spending some time with Taylor, it was finally time for Lucas to record his parts. He looked at the lyrics sheet for "Thneedville," the opening song where the neighbors sang in the animated scenes. The rest of the cast had already recorded their parts, and now it was Lucas's turn to add his vocals.
The music started playing, and Lucas began to sing, pouring emotion into his youthful-sounding voice. "I've ever wanted is a whose it, I would never flaunt it, oh how'd I use it."
The staff members watched, impressed by how well Lucas could sing despite the challenge of making his voice sound younger.
"Everybody has one. Like Jared, and Julie, and Jim. And Even Ronald shclook has one.
And nobody's lamer than him," Lucas continued, nailing the playful yet envious tone of the character.
Lucas continued singing, "And I would play with it all day, and never ever lose it. All I've ever wanted is a whose it."
After a brief pause, he sang the next part of the song at lightning speed, "Except for the time that I wanted a scooter, a cellphone, a trombone, a laptop computer, a sports car, an SUV, a robot that looks like me, a broadsword, a surfboard, a gas-powered sled, and a little pet monkey that danced on my head." He took a quick breath before continuing, "But this, this is totally different!"
Then, he slowed down again, "Cause all I've ever wanted in my life is the stuff that I don't have, in Thneedville! It's a brand new day! All I ever wanted is the stuff that I don't have."
The backing track continued with a crowd effect, singing, "Can't see the sun, but we like it that way. Here in get-more-than-we-need-ville."
Lucas joined in, "Want it terribly!"
"In Thneedville!" the chorus rang out, and Lucas echoed, "Want it horribly!"
The song went on, "You're never alone!"
Lucas followed up, "All I ever wanted is the stuff that I don't have."
Then the chorus responded, "'Cause you've always got the stuff that you own."
Finally, Lucas sang the last line, "Where is the stuff that I haven't had?"
With that, the song ended, and Lucas saw the staff members signaling their approval. After a short break, he listened to the recording and felt satisfied with his performance.
After two days of voice acting for the animated movie, Lucas finally wrapped up his last scene. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration knowing that the producers would replace some of the original songs he had grown to like. Despite his disappointment, he pushed it aside and shifted his focus to his next project: the second season of "Game of Thrones" where he'd reprise his role as Rob Stark.
Neil actually spent several arduous weeks in heated negotiations with HBO, well aware that the network had gotten a bargain in the first season, given the actor's current market value. Now that Lucas was more popular, Neil was determined to leverage his client's popularity to secure a more lucrative deal. Only after a drawn-out standoff did HBO relented and accepted the revised contract.
Lucas, oblivious to the entire ordeal, continued to prepare for the upcoming season, trusting Neil to handle the business side of things as his manager.