Film Music Reporter

Theodore Shapiro has been tapped to score DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature Captain Underpants. The film is directed by David Soren (Turbo) and features the voice talent of Ed Helms, Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Nick Kroll, Kristen Schaal and Jordan Peele. The movie is based on the book by Dav Pilkey and centers around two mischievous kids who hypnotize their mean high school principal and turn him into their comic book creation, the kind-hearted and elastic-banded Captain Underpants. Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Neighbors, Storks) has written the screenplay. Mark Swift (Madagascar 2 & 3, Penguins of Madagascar) is producing the project, which marks Shapiro’s second animated feature following Aardman’s 2012 film The Pirates! Band of Misfits. Captain Underpants is set to be released on June 2, 2017.

Shapiro’s most recent projects include Collateral Beauty and Office Christmas Party, both of which are currently playing in theaters nationwide. He also scored John Hamburg’s Why Him?, which opens later this week. The composer’s other upcoming projects also include the indie comedy The Polka King. The film is directed by Maya Forbes and stars Jack Black, Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver and J.B. Smoove. The movie follows a local Pennsylvania polka legend who develops a plan to get rich that shocks his fans and lands him in jail. Forbes also co-wrote the screenplay with Wally Wolodarsky (Monsters vs. Aliens) who is producing the project with Black, David Permut (Face/Off, Hacksaw Ridge), Stuart Cornfeld (Zoolander, Tropic Thunder), Shivani Rawat & Monica Levinson (Captain Fantastic, Trumbo) and Priyanka Mattoo (The D Train). Shapiro has previously scored Forbes’ first feature, Infinitely Polar Bear. The Polka King will premiere next month at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

In addition, Shapiro is also co-scoring the comedy Snatched with Chris Bacon. The film is directed by Levine and stars Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Christopher Meloni, Ike Barinholtz, Oscar Jaenada and Wanda Sykes. The movie is produced by Peter Chernin (Rise/Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Oblivion), Jenno Topping (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, St. Vincent), as well as Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) & Jessie Henderson (Spy). Shapiro scored Feig’s last two directorial efforts, Spy and Ghostbusters. Snatched will be released on May 12, 2017 by 20th Century Fox.