The latest poster for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron reveals that Danny Elfman is composing additional music for the film written and directed by Joss Whedon and starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johannson, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, James Spader, Hayley Atwell, Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson. As previously reported, Brian Tyler is the principal composer on the project. The movie follows Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye as they battle to save the planet from destruction at the hands of the villainous Ultron. Kevin Feige is producing the project. Avengers: Age of Ultron is set to be released nationwide on May 1, 2015. For updates on the film, visit the official movie website.
Danny Elfman to Compose Additional Music for ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’
Posted: February 24, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring AssignmentsTags: Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Danny Elfman, Joss Whedon, Marvel Studios
Wow!
And as well as Scarlett Johansson looking hot on the poster, the Tyler/Elfman thing is something. 🙂
This means that the producers are dissatisfied with Tyler’s score and called Elfman to rewrite some cues, or Tyler is just busy with Furious 7 and can’t finish his score?
Tyler’s scores were awesome for Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and the Marvel logo and I love Elfman too. I saw that Tyler recorded at Abbey Road a few days for Avengers about a week ago so maybe Elfman’s Spidey score would make an appearance? Exciting!
I am really excited to hear Brian Tyler’s score for this, I expect it to be nothing less than amazing – he is great at these Marvel scores. And it would be really cool if the music Danny did for for Ang Lee’s Hulk were in there (maybe Spiderman too?). Also, it was cool how Tyler quoted Silvestri’s Captain America theme in Thor: The Dark World so I imagine he will do more of that. Whatever it is, I am giddy as can be waiting for this to come out. I think we are in for a great summer movie with Avengers with some really great music
I hope is just for the Spidey Theme or something like that, i wanted to hear what Tyler could do on his own, and really Elfman´s Style is very different from Tyler´s. I would accept that Elfman is responsible for “I´ve Got no Strings”, but more than that I hope not.
First Beltrami/Glass and now, Tyler/Elfman. Summer cannot get here fast enough.
Also a promising collaboration (like Debney and Urata)…
he’s obviously doing spiderman’s new theme
This is not a collaboration, folks. Much of Tyler’s score is being replaced because it’s not good enough, and he’s a pain in the ass to work with. Elfman happened to be available…
Really? Always thought that Tyler was a nice guy. Well, another idol shattered…
I’m not saying I don’t believe you- but how do you know this? Tyler’s NEVER had a score replaced- and his work with Marvel has been highly praised. Do you know for a fact Whedon cut Tyler’s score?
Every composer I know of (except Williams) has had scores tossed… And Tyler’s scores are highly praised by whom, exactly?
Can’t reveal my source (pretty well placed), but was trying to dispell some of the ‘Elfman’s coming on b/c of a Spiderman cameo’ nonsense that’s floating around…
Sorry, but I don’t buy it. All of Marvel’s Phase 1 films were temptracked with Tyler’s scores in these years (unlike most of people’s idea that the PH1 scores tried to mimick Zimmer, but they were actually mimicking Tyler), and the producers were happy to get him on the Phase 2, he didn’t do Captain America because Jackman was already confirmed, and he was only scoring Iron Man 3, but Marvel decided to bring him to Thor and Avengers after that Doyle and Silvestri weren’t able to comeback.
Also, I think they could’ve brought back any of the other composers from Phase 1 instead of Elfman, who’s getting more works in indie films and documentaries than his usual fantasy/superhero blockbusters. And Tyler’s comments about scoring Avengers with homages to Indiana Jones and bringing back the themes he wrote for Iron Man and Thor sounded promising.
I dont think it will be big, Marvel was pleased with Tyler on Iron Man 3 a Thor The Dark World and he created their Fanfare, I really dont believe that his score would be replaced, if I remember 7 weeks ago he posted a photo on Instagram that he is in Abbey Road, 2 weeks later, Sony/Marvel deal was made, I really think that Elfman is doing like couple tracks, like HGW in Prometheus, or maybe it is like Junkie and Hans on Dawn of Justice, Zimmer everything and Junkie Batman parts. I just dont think that Tyler’s score is bad and they need Elfman to write something else, I really dont believe it. My guess is that Elfman has something special on it.
Yeah, I think/hope this is more like Harry Gregson-Williams on Prometheus and Exodus kind of thing. Elfman was asked to do some additional music, but the main credit and most of the score on film is still Tyler’s.
Yes, thats what think, if it is 90% Tyler and 10% Elfman, I am OK with that, besides Hans Zimmer also have additional music by at least 3 other composers, only they are no credited on posters, as I was saying I find it hard to believe that Brian Tyler’s score is bad. I think that we will get our answer soon. C’mon it’s f*cking Brian Tyler, most of his scores are awesome, a this will not be exception!!
Let us hope so!
Composervox, I created and run the Rejected Film Scores website. With over 900 fully, partially recorded, and demo rejected scores to this date, I don’t know of a single rejected Tyler score. It doesn’t mean there hasn’t been one, it’s just none are known, so unless you know something I don’t…
I don’t think the debate is whether or not Tyler can handle it or whether the score worked or not per se, but rather I don’t think Tyler was the composer Whedon wanted. We know he’s fond of Christophe Beck, even though he’s not hired him for a film yet; we know he’s a big fan of Carter Burwell, and we know he loved David Newman’s “Serenity” score, so we know he has composers he likes and Tyler doesn’t seem to fit that mold. It’s probably more along the lines of the film being a big studio shabaz and the studio wanting a “big” and “hot” composer, they they likely strongly suggested Tyler and whedon — being kind of an amiable guy (except for some behind-the-scenes stories), probably relented. But when the score was delivered Whedon probably realized he made a mistake. Elfman’s already an established superhero movie scorer — that’s probably the full reasoning for his hire. We know Beck is too busy, Burwell isn’t likely to be excepted by the studio after the tossing of the “Thor 2” score, and Newman doesn’t seem to score more than one or two movies a years now.
That’s my reasoning.
Like your site a lot (and the Gergley Hubai book).
And isn’t what you said what I basically said?
I enjoy the strong passions that these folks have for film scores, and while I have my concerns about the general direction films scores have taken in the last decade, was rather trying to speak to the reckless romanticism of what is very much a corporate environment these days.
And I’m sorry but friends and I have worked for the man – Brian Tyler is a dick.
… and that would be ‘reckless romanticism’ on this site – certainly NOT in the tentpole biz, anymore.
I think the main discussion here must be: on the final film, who will compose most of the score we hear? Are Whedon going on a Ridley Scott way of selecting composers for his films? I mean, Goldsmith’s music was featured on a pivotal scene of Kingdom of Heaven, scored by Harry Gregson-Williams, and then a few years later he called the same HGW to score the opening of Prometheus and two climactic scenes on Exodus.
So, if this is the case, Elfman might be responsible for a few key scenes, and Tyler doing most of the underscore. However, Elfman’s name on the poster might be a bit concerning for Tyler’s fans, as Alberto Iglesias received the sole credit for Exodus’ score.
God, let’s hope not.
Ridley Scott and Michael Mann are two directors I really try to enjoy, but both also baffle me because their track records are so staggeringly uneven. Especially when it comes to music.
I’m surprised that Goldsmith worked with Scott after Alien (which was very frustrating for him), and not surprised that his score for Legend was replaced; it’s obvious after 30 years of work that Ridley still doesn’t know how to communicate with a composer.
Michael Mann’s recent comments about his use of music being like casting were even more bizarre – his work is already uneven, and the use of whatever music he thinks suits (usually pieces I know well) has destroyed my ‘suspension of disbelief’ while trying to watch his films more often than I care to count. With his reasoning on music applied to casting, he should have brought in Brad Pitt and Robert Redford for scenes where he wasn’t quite getting what he wanted from Chris Hemsworth. Honestly?
And don’t get me started on Stanley Kubrick.
please get started. this is all very interesting ;p
According to this interview, Elfman is actually modifying Silvestri’s original theme for the first Avengers:
http://comicbook.com/2015/03/13/composer-danny-elfman-modifying-avengers-theme-for-age-of-ultron/
I hope this stops the bizarre rumours that he was bringing back his Spider-Man’s theme for the movie.
Yeah. The Elfman scored Spider-Man line is over. The new line with Zimmer, is also supposedly about over with a new Spider-Man line and actor being prepared. If any theme appeared, it would be Zimmer’s. But since his line is about gone, it would likely be a new one-shot theme — assuing there is a Spider-Man in the film.
Brian has been promoting the film on his FB page, and he also was on the premiere yesterday. So, if Elfman’s participation let him upset, I don’t think he would be doing that. And Danny himself has said on an interview that his job was basically take Alan’s theme for the first movie and modified it, and probably make it bigger and more epic. The bulk of the underscore will probably be Tyler’s.
I’m still hoping that he brings back his themes for Iron Man, Thor, Silvestri’s theme for Captain America, and maybe something new for the twins (Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch), Ultron and Vision.
Elfman did more than bulk up a theme, he did an hour of score.
more like 22 mins