Film Music Reporter

Three new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:

Opening in most theaters is the action thriller Hitman: Agent 47 directed by Aleksander Bach and starring Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Ciarán Hinds and Thomas Kretschmann. The film’s original music is composed by Marco Beltrami (World War Z, The Wolverine, Scream, The Hurt Locker). La-La Land Records will release a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music next week. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the 20th Century Fox release.

Also opening wide is the action comedy American Ultra directed by Nima Nourizadeh and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Tony Hale, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman and Walton Goggins. Marcelo Zarvos (The Affair, Ray Donavan, Remember Me, Enough Said) has composed the film’s original score. No word yet on a soundtrack album. American Ultra follows a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend is suddenly turned upside down when he finds out that he is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. For more information about the Lionsgate release, visit the official movie website.

The third wide release is the horror sequel Sinister 2 directed by Ciaran Foy, scripted by Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill and starring James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon, Lea Coco, Robert Sloan and Dartanian Sloan. The film’s original music is composed by tomandandy (Resident Evil: Retribution, The Rules of Attraction, The Strangers). Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer duo’s score today. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to learn more about the movie.

Opening in limited release is the indie comedy drama Grandma written and directed by Paul Weitz and starring Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox and Sam Elliott. Joel P West (Short Term 12, About Alex) has composed the film’s original music. Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as the songs from the film by artists including West’s band The Tree Ring, Angus and Julia Stone and Flood Coats. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and for more information about the Sony Pictures Classics release.

Also opening in select theaters is the indie dramedy Learning to Drive directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson, Grace Gummer, Jake Weber, Sarita Choudhury, Avi Nash, Daniela Lavender, Harpeet Singh Toor, Samanatha Bee and John Hodgman. The film’s original score is composed by thenewno2’s Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks (Beautiful Creatures, The Divide). Milan Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composers’ music. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to learn more about the Broad Green Pictures release.

Also opening in limited release is the indie comedy drama Digging for Fire directed by Joe Swanberg and starring Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick and Mike Birbiglia. Dan Romer (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Beasts of No Nation) has composed the film’s original music. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music is in the works. Digging for Fire centers around the discovery of a bone and a gun, which sends a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend. The dramedy premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and is being released in select theaters and on VOD by The Orchard.

Another limited release this weekend is the comedy She’s Funny That Way co-written and directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Imogen Poots, Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Rhys Ifans, Kathryn Hahn and Will Forte. The film’s original music is composed by Edward Shearmur (Charlie’s Angels, Cruel Intentions, Johnny English, Devious Maids). Lakeshore Records will release a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music. Visit Amazon to pre-order the soundtrack and check back on this page for the full album details. The comedy, which tells the story of the interconnected personal lives of the cast and crew of a Broadway production is being released in theaters and on VOD by Lionsgate.

Also opening in select theaters is the horror thriller The Curse of Downers Grove directed by Derick Martini and starring Bella Heathcote, Lucas Till, Penelope Mitchell, Tom Arnold and Kevin Zegers. Pinar Toprak (Geostorm, The River Murders, The Lightkeepers) has composed the film’s original music. No word on a soundtrack release. The Curse of Downers Grove follows a paranoid high school senior who is worried about an apparent curse that takes the life of one student every year at the school. The thriller is being released by Anchor Bay Films.

Also opening in limited release is the romantic comedy Some Kind of Beautiful directed by Tom Vaughan and starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Ben McKenzie, Jessica Alba, Lindsey Sporrer and Malcolm McDowell. The film features original music by David Newman (Ice Age, War of the Roses, Anastasia, Flintstones) and Stephen Endelman (Flirting with Disaster, Home of the Brave, Evelyn). No soundtrack album has been announced. The movie, which was originally entitled How to Make Love Like an Englishman, follows a woman who starts to fall in love with a successful college professor who had a baby with her younger sister. The comedy is being released by Lionsgate.