Acclaimed singer/songwriter Rita Wilson has joined forces with GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter Sebastián Yatra on the evocative and powerful new song, ‘Til You’re Home,’ out today on Decca Records. The track is the theme from the highly anticipated Sony Pictures film, ‘A Man Called Otto,’ starring Tom Hanks, opening in select Los Angeles and New York theaters on December 25th and nationwide January 13th, 2023.
‘Til You’re Home’ was co-written by Rita and GRAMMY/Golden Globe-nominated songwriter/producer David Hodges and co-produced by Rita and GRAMMY-winning Matt Rollings (Willie Nelson, Keith Urban). Hodges successful resume includes co-writing and co–producing with pop, rock and country royalty including Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood to name a few. Variety recently noted that Wilson “will enter the awards conversation for best original song,” adding that the track is “already off to a good start” following its nomination for Best Song In A Film (Independent) at the 2022 Hollywood in Music Media Awards.
Opening with Rita’s sparkling and warmly inviting vocals, ‘Til You’re Home’ unfolds with a sparse and delicate arrangement featuring piano and strings, as Sebastián’s affecting voice lends a tender poignancy to the proceedings. The blending of Wilson’s and Yatra’s harmonies culminate in a transcendent and emotional performance that perfectly captures the film’s themes of love and loss. The collaboration is a first for Wilson and Yatra, who each bring their own unique talents to the deeply satisfying duet.
Speaking about the song’s evolution, Rita explains, “Marc Forster, the director of ‘A Man Called Otto’ asked me to write a song for the movie. He was familiar with my music and felt that I should also sing the song. I was very humbled and grateful for the opportunity but also made him promise to be honest with me if he didn’t want to use the song. As the producer of the film, my first allegiance is to the film and to the director’s vision.” She continues, “David Hodges and I had written together before and have always been like-minded musically and lyrically. A lot of the inspiration began with David Magee’s script. This is a movie about love, the depths of love and how love continues even after a person leaves this earth. There are two LatinX characters in the film – I wanted to find a way to bring them into the song. I envisioned it as a duet… I have loved Sebastián Yatra’s voice since hearing him in ‘Encanto’ and he felt like the perfect person to do it. We were incredibly lucky he said ‘yes’ and all the planets aligned.”
Co-writer David Hodges said, “it’s always special to be a part of writing for a film, and especially one as beautiful as ‘A Man Called Otto.’ When Rita and I started to collaborate for it, each word and melody of ‘Til You’re Home’ seemed to be waiting for us like little steps on a path to what the story needed. I’m so excited to finally share one of my favorite songs I’ve ever been a part of writing.”
Fresh off big wins at both this year’s Latin GRAMMY’s and American Music Awards, and currently nominated for an upcoming GRAMMY and People’s Choice Award, Sebastián Yatra, commented on the collaboration saying, “I am extremely honored by Rita Wilson’s invitation to join her on ‘Til You’re Home’ for the ‘A Man Called Otto’ soundtrack. The story behind the film is heartwarming and moving and I was inspired to convey that emotion in this song. Overall, this project has been very inspiring and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Based on the # 1 New York Times bestseller ‘A Man Called Ove,’ A Man Called Otto tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grump who no longer sees purpose in his life following the loss of his wife. Otto is ready to end it all, but his plans are interrupted when a lively young family moves in next door, and he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol. She challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around. A heartwarming and funny story about love, loss, and life, ‘A Man Called Otto’ shows that family can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
The Original Score Soundtrack by composer Thomas Newman and featuring ‘Til You’re Home’ will be released on December 30th via Decca Records.
‘Til You’re Home’ sees Rita Wilson continue to successfully marry her love of music and film. She has co-written and recorded songs from films including ‘Everybody Cries’ from ‘The Outpost,’ which won the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Outstanding Song for Independent Film and was also nominated for Best Song by the Critic’s Choice Awards. Others include ‘Because Love’ (theme from ‘Love is Love is Love’), ‘Even More Mine’ from ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2,’ ‘Heart Unknown,’ from a ‘Simple Wedding,’ ‘Sometimes Love,’ from ‘Boy Genius’ and ‘Bad Things’ with Matt Nathanson from ‘Dawn Patrol.’ A celebrated actress and producer who received a Star on the Hollywood of Walk of Fame, Rita Wilson has also recorded five acclaimed studio albums, including her most recent star-studded, Rita Wilson Now & Forever: Duets (LISTEN HERE). A collection of classic, timeless songs from the Seventies, each track has been newly and lovingly arranged as a duet showcasing Rita’s stunning vocals alongside some of the greatest male singers of our time including WILLIE NELSON, SMOKEY ROBINSON, JACKSON BROWNE, TIM MCGRAW, ELVIS COSTELLO, KEITH URBAN, LESLIE ODOM JR, JOSH GROBAN, VINCE GILL AND JIMMIE ALLEN.
Colombian-American Sebastián Yatra (@SebastianYatra) is a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum, chart-topping and genre-bending singer, songwriter, and bilingual multi-instrumentalist. His Dharma World tour wraps this month overseas following a year of smashing award-nominated music releases including ‘Tacones Rojos’ from his multi-platinum album ‘Dharma’ and ‘Dos Oruguitas’ from Walt Disney’s ‘Encanto,’ alongside performances on national broadcast stages as prestigious as the Academy Awards. The Latin Grammy award winning ‘Dharma’ album [stream here] is 4x Platinum in the United States, 2x Diamond in Colombia, 2x Diamond in Peru, 8x Platinum in Ecuador, Platinum in Venezuela, 37x platinum in Chile, Gold in Argentina, 3x Platinum and Gold in Mexico, 3x Diamond in Central America, and Gold in Spain. The 27-year-old multi-hyphenate, who nabbed his first American Music Award this year, and is nominated for a Grammys in February, has amassed nearly 30 billion streams and nearly 26 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His music leads with passion, his words evoke emotions and his mellifluous voice melts hearts across the globe.
Directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland), A Man Called Otto stars Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Cast Away), Mariana Treviño (Club the Cuervos), Rachel Keller (Fargo) and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven). The screenplay is written by Academy Award® nominee David Magee (Best Adapted Screenplay, Life of Pi, 2012; Best Adapted Screenplay, Finding Neverland, 2004) based upon the best-selling novel ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman, and the film A Man Called Ove by Hannes Holm. The film is being produced by Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman.