According to a recent article in Variety, Michael Giacchino has started working on Pixar’s animation sequel Cars 2. Giacchino follows the footsteps of Randy Newman, who scored the first part back in 2006. In the sequel directed by Brad Lewis and John Lassetter, racing star Lightning McQueen teams up with his best friend Mater for an international adventure as they go up against the world’s fastest car. Most of the voice talent of the first movie is expected to return. Cars 2, which marks Giacchino’s third Pixar project after The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Up is slated to come out on June 24, 2011.
Author: filmmusicreporter
Brian Tyler slated to score Terra Nova
Brian Tyler has been chosen to compose the music for the prehistoric drama TV pilot Terra Nova for Amblin Entertainment. The show will be produced by Steven Spielberg and Brannon Braga. The TV show centers on the Shannons, an ordinary family from 2149 when the planet is dying who are transported back 85 million years to prehistoric Earth where they join Terra Nova, a colony of humans with a second chance to build a civilization. The show’s cast includes Jason O’Mara, Shelley Conn and Stephen Lang. No word yet on how much Tyler will be involved in the series after scoring the pilot. The current plan for the show is to preview the pilot in May 2011 with the series debuting in the fall on FOX.
John Debney to score No Strings
Film Music Reporter has learned that John Debney has been hired to score the upcoming romantic comedy No Strings. The movie stars Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Cary Elwes, Olivia Thirlby and Kevin Kline and is directed by Ivan Reitman. No Strings is Debney’s and Reitman’s first collaboration. Reitman previously worked with such composers as Elmer Bernstein (Ghostbusters), Randy Edelman (Kindergarten Cop), John Powell (Evolution) and James Newton Howard (Dave). In the movie, a guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more. The movie will be released on January 21, 2011 by Paramount Pictures.
Full slate of projects for Christophe Beck
Christophe Beck recently completed scoring the action comedy Red starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren. He replaced composer David Holmes, who was originally attached to the project as reported earlier this year. The movie comes out on October 15 from Summit Entertainment.
Beck also has a number of other projects coming out in the near future. Earlier this year, he completed the score for Todd Philipp’s road trip comedy Due Date starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. This marks his third collaboration with the director after scoring School for Scoundrels and last year’s comedy hit The Hangover.
Danny Elfman to score Real Steel
Danny Elfman has been hired
to score Shawn Levy’s upcoming action drama Real Steel. The movie set in the near-future where 2,000-pound robots that look like humans do battle stars Hugh Jackman, Kevin Durand, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie and Hope Davis. Director Shawn Levy previously worked with composer Christophe Beck on most of his movies and also collaborated with Alan Silvestri on both A Night at the Museum movies. The Dreamworks movie is produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg and is scheduled to come out on November 18, 2011.
Clint Mansell going ‘Faster’
Clint Mansell is currently scoring the upcoming action thriller Faster. The movie directed by George Tillman Jr. (Men of Honor, Notorious) is starring Dwayne Johnson, Maggie Grace, Jennifer Carpenter, Tom Berenger, Carla Gugino and Billy Bob Thornton. In the film, an ex-con sets out to avenge his brother’s death after they were double-crossed during a heist years ago. The movie marks the third release of CBS Films and is scheduled to come out on November 24.
Burwell to score HBO mini-series
Carter Burwell has been hired to score the upcoming HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce. The five part series is directed by Todd Haynes (I’m Not There, Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine) and follows a divorced single mom who decides to open a restaurant business, which tears at the already-strained relationship with her her ambitious elder daughter. Mildred Pierce stars Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood and Guy Pearce. The project marks Burwell’s first TV mini-series and second collaboration with HBO after the 1993 drama And The Band Played On.
Debney to take over Yogi Bear
John Debney has taken over scoring duties on the upcoming family movie Yogi Bear. He is replacing Andrew Lockington, who was originally slated to score the movie. Lockington scored director Eric Brevig’s previous movie Journey to the Center of the Earth back in 2008. In Yogi Bear, a documentary filmmaker travels to Jellystone Park to shoot a project and soon crosses paths with Yogi Bear, his sidekick Boo-Boo, and Ranger Smith. The film features the voice talent of Dan Akroyd and Justin Timberlake. The movie is scheduled to be released this holiday season on December 17 by Warner Bros.
Henry Jackman to score X-Men: First Class
Film Music Reporter has learned that Henry Jackman has been hired to score the upcoming comic book adaptation X-Men: First Class. The project reunites Jackman with director Matthew Vaughn after their collaboration on Kick-Ass earlier this year (which the composer scored alongside John Murphy, Ilan Eshkeri and Marius DeVries). X-Men: First Class tells the origin story of the characters of the X-Men series including Magneto and Professor X. The movie is expected to start shooting soon for a June 3, 2011 release date. The film’s cast includes James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence and Rosamunde Pike. Jackman follows Michael Kamen, John Ottman, John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams as the fifth composer scoring a movie in the X-Men series.
Jackman also has three other projects coming up.
Anton Sanko taking over Rabbit Hole
Anton Sanko has recently finished work on the score for the upcoming drama Rabbit Hole. He replaced composer Abel Korzeniowski who was originally signed on to score the movie (as reported earlier this year on this page). The movie directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus) stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. While no official release date has been set so far, it was recently announced that the movie will have its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this September.