Liam Payne on How He Added a Bit of 'Sunshine' Into Kid's Film 'Ron's Gone Wrong'

Liam Payne found an unexpected source of inspiration while recording his latest song for the movie Ron's Gone Wrong.

"Sunshine" is Payne's new pop hit and it features on the movie's soundtrack, which is available to buy, stream and download now. The former One Direction singer has released an album and plenty of singles since going solo but writing a song for a movie is a first for him.

He told Newsweek about writing a song with kids in mind for a change. He said: "It was a little bit of a different experience."

"We kind of had all the melodies and stuff done first and, as we knew we were writing a song for kids, one of the kids of one of the writers came into the room and we asked 'what did you think of the song?' And he was like 'I really like the song, I just wish it had more sunshine in it' and that's where the title came from," Payne said.

The mystery young songwriter deserves recognition for his work according to Payne, "I hope he has a writing credit on there somewhere. I'm sure his dad will have got him one."

Ron's Gone Wrong is an animated family film is set in the future where digital "B-bots" are the new cool must-have accessories for kids. Zach Galifianakis voices an unusual but adorable B-bot called Ron who forms a strong friendship with socially awkward middle-schooler Barney, voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer (Shazam!). Olivia Colman, Ed Helms, Justice Smith and Rob Delaney all lend their voices to the movie too.

While Payne is a world famous musician, he's also a father to 4-year-old Bear. Payne sings for the movie and also makes a small cameo, and he admits that part of his motivation was creating something his son would enjoy.

He said: "It was a two part job for me. I've been a Disney fan since I was a kid so for me it was something I really wanted to work on, and then obviously for my son to hear my voice in the film is super cool."

"I think I'm actually on a plush toy somewhere when you press it, my voice comes out which you know who wouldn't want that as a dad?" Payne said.

Ron's Gone Wrong is a 20th Century Studios production which, since 2019, now falls under the Disney umbrella after The Walt Disney Company bought Fox.

Since the movie blends classic family movie themes of friendship and adolescence with modern day technology and social media woes, Payne has high hopes for what Ron's Gone Wrong can achieve. He said: "I really think this film is going to be a modern classic in a way. It's the first time Disney have really used technology as a storyline, and it's set in a world we know and live amongst now."

Typically for an animated film, the movie features an adorable central character (voiced by Galifianakis) who's ripe for merchandise fodder. Payne thinks the idea of every kid having their own robot, as they do in the movie, is an incredibly relatable concept. "Everybody wanted a little robot friend when they were a kid so I think it's really great."

Ron's Gone Wrong is out in movie theaters on Friday October 22, 2021. It's expected to play exclusively in theaters for 45 days before becoming available to watch on home digital platforms from Monday December 6, 2021.