kubo-and-the-two-stringsDario Marianelli has been hired to score the upcoming animated feature Kubo and the Two Strings. The film is directed by Laika president and CEO Travis Knight and features the voices of Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, Brenda Vaccaro and Art Parkinson. The movie is set in mythical ancient Japan and centers around Kubo who lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down and he must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior. Marc Haimes and Chris Butler are writing the screenplay and Knight is producing the project with Arianne Sutner (ParaNorman). Marianelli has previously composed the music for Laika’s The Boxtrolls, which was released last year and received an Oscar nomination in the Best Animated Feature category. Kubo and the Two Strings will be released on August 19, 2016 by Focus Features.

ali-and-ninoAs previously reported, Marianelli also has Baltasar Kormakur’s adventure drama Everest starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke and Keira Knightley coming up. The composer is also set to reunite with director Asif Kapadia on the upcoming drama Ali and Nino. The movie stars Adam Bakri, Maria Valverde, Mandy Patinkin and Connie Nielsen. The film is based on the novel by Kurban Said and tells the love story between a Muslim boy and a Christian Georgian girl, in Baku, Azerbaijan against the backdrop of World War I and Azerbaijan’s fight for independence. Christopher Hampton (Dangerous LiaisonsAtonementA Dangerous Method) has adapted the material for the screen. Kris Thykier (Kick-AssWoman in GoldThe Debt) is producing the Marianelli and Kapadia have previously collaborated on films including The WarriorThe Return and Far NorthAli and Nino is expected to premiere later this year.

  1. SDH says:

    Well, let’s hope things go smoothly on this one.

  2. tiago says:

    So, Marianelli is not working on Pan? I checked Wikipedia and IMDB, and it seems that John Powell is composing the score.

    I wonder what went wrong between Marianelli and Joe Wright. They both seem to have a pretty good relationship.

    • Macejko says:

      Supposedly, Marianelli’s score was sounding “too dark and european” to the producers. Unfortunately, I have no source to prove this.

  3. Justin Boggan says:

    Powell is scoring “Pan” now. Somebody at FSM is claiming to have knowledge of what happened. Apparently Dario was doing this kind of old-fashion big and brassy score and for months the producers had been saying they probably going to get somebody else. They got somebody else.

  4. Pam lane says:

    What is the name of the song in Ali and nino