Opening nationwide this holiday weekend after a 5-day exclusive engagement at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre is Disney’s animated feature Frozen directed by Jennifer Lee & Chris Buck and featuring the voice talent of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk and Ciarán Hinds. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have written the film’s original songs and Christophe Beck (The Muppets, The Hangover) has composed the original score. Walt Disney Records has released the soundtrack featuring the songs and score in two different editions. For the full details, visit our previous news article. Click here to check out a video featurette featuring the composer and songwriters talking about their work on the film. Also visit YouTube for another video interview with Beck about his first animated feature score.
Also opening wide is the action thriller Homefront directed by Gary Fleder and starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Frank Grillo, Kate Bosworth and Rachelle Lefevre. The film’s original score is composed by Mark Isham (Crash, Once Upon a Time) who has previously collaborated with the director several times, including on such films as Kiss the Girls, Don’t Say a Word and The Express. No soundtrack album has been announced yet. Homefront centers on a former drug enforcement agent and family man who moves off the grid with his daughter to a seemingly quiet bayou backwater to escape his troubled past. To learn more about the thriller, which is being released by Open Road Films, visit the official Facebook movie page.
The third wide release of the week is the musical drama Black Nativity directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Jacob Latimore, Angela Bassett, Tyrese Gibson, Luke James, Nasir Jones (aka Nas), Mary J. Blige and Grace Gibson. Raphael Saadiq serves as the film’s music producer and has also co-scored the movie with Laura Karpman (Taken, The Tournament). RCA Inspirational has released a soundtrack album featuring the film’s original songs earlier this month. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to listen to audio clips.
Opening semi-wide is the dramatic mystery thriller Oldboy directed by Spike Lee, based on Chan-wook Park’s 2003 Korean film and starring Josh Brolin, Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley. Roque Banos (Evil Dead, The Machinist, Sexy Beast) has composed the film’s original score. Varese Sarabande will release a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music on January 14, 2014. The release date has been pushed back five weeks since our previous update. To listen to three full track from the score, check out our previous article.
Opening in limited release is the biographical drama Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom directed by Justin Chadwick and starring Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Jamie Bartlett, Riaad Moosa, Zolani Mkiva, Lindiwe Matshikiza, Deon Lotz and Terry Pheto. The film’s original score is composed by Alex Heffes (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play). Decca Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music (click here for the full details and audio clips). The label has also released a separate album featuring the songs from the film, including the original track Ordinary Love by U2, as well as songs by Bob Marley & The Wailers, Art Blakey and The Special AKA. Visit our soundtrack announcement for more information and check out TrailerAddict for a video interview with Heffes at the film’s red carpet premiere in Hollywood. Also visit ASCAP’s website for another interview with the composer.
