Joel McNeely has been tapped to score the upcoming western comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West. The film is directed by Seth MacFarlane who also stars in the film alongside Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Sarah Silverman, Giovanni Ribisi and Neil Patrick Harris. The movie follows a sheepish farmer who backs out of a gunfight and loses his girlfriend, who leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. MacFarlane co-wrote the screenplay with Wellesley Wild & Alec Sulkin (Family Guy, Ted). Scott Stuber (Safe House, Identity Thief) and Jason Clark (Ted) are producing the project. McNeely whose previous scoring credits include The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Holes and Iron Will has previously scored numerous episodes of MacFarlane’s animated show American Dad and also produced and arranged the writer/director’s debut album Music Is Better Than Words. MacFarlane’s last feature Ted was scored by his other regular musical collaborator Walter Murphy. A Million Ways to Die in the West is set to be released on May 30, 2014 by Universal Pictures.
Joel McNeely to Score Seth MacFarlane’s ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West’
Posted: May 30, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring AssignmentsTags: A Million Ways to Die in the West, Joel McNeely, Seth MacFarlane
Even if the film is crap, it’s grand having Joel McNeely on a feature again.
So, we’ve gotten Walter Murphy on a feature from him, Joel McNeely now, all that’s left is having Ron Jones score his film after this one.
Sounds like a plan. Ron certainly knows music. MAJOR respect.
Nice to see Joel back in the saddle (Excuse the pun). I am probably the only one who thought his score to the ill-fated ‘The Avengers’ was the only defining feature to such a travesty.
Props to Macfarlane for acknowledging his talent. Strange he did not invite Walter murphy along for the ride; his score for ‘Ted’ was massively referential.