David Bowie has written and recorded a new song for the opening credits of the upcoming TV series The Last Panthers. The song marks Bowie’s first project for film/TV in over 20 years. The Last Panthers is created by French journalist Jerome Pierrat & Jack Thorne (Skins, A Long Way Down) and stars Samantha Morton, John Hurt and Tahar Ramin. The six-parter follows a British loss adjustor charged with recovering stolen diamonds after a heist whatever the cost.
Category: Film Music News
Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 18, 2015)
Three new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the sci-fi action adventure The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials directed by Wes Ball and starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Patricia Clarkson, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Rosa Salazar, Aidan Gillen, Jacob Lofland, Barry Pepper and Lili Taylor. The film’s original music is composed by John Paesano (Daredevil, When the Game Stands Tall) who previously scored the first part in the series. Sony Classical has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music. Click here for the full album details and also visit Film Music Magazine for a recent interview with Paesano about his work on the project.
Also opening wide is the crime drama Black Mass directed by Scott Cooper and starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Corey Stoll, Rory Cochrane, Sienna Miller and Adam Scott. Tom Holkenborg (Mad Max: Fury Road, Divergent, 300: Rise of an Empire) has composed the film’s original score. WaterTower Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music. Check out our previous article for the full album details and also click here for a video featurette about Holkenborg’s work for the project.
Dustin O’Halloran, Jeff Beal & Rachel Portman Win Emmy Awards
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were handed out this afternoon at the Microsoft Theatre LA LIVE in Downtown Los Angeles. Dustin O’Halloran won his first Emmy Award for both his main titles theme from Amazon Studios’ Transparent. Jeff Beal was honored with his first Emmy for his work on Netflix’s House of Cards in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Series category after being nominated three times before for his score and theme for the series in the previous two years. The composer previously received three Emmys for Monk, Nightmares & Dreamscapes and The Company. Rachel Portman took home her first Emmy Award for her music for the HBO original movie Bessie.
Creating the Musical Themes for ‘Black Mass’
WaterTower Music has published a video featurette about the music for Scott Cooper’s thriller Black Mass. The video features composer Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Divergent) discussing the character themes he composed for the movie starring Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Corey Stoll, Rory Cochrane, Sienna Miller and Adam Scott. Also featured in the video is footage from the recording sessions of the score at the Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. Check out the full video after the jump.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 11, 2015)
Three new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the horror thriller The Visit written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, produced by Jason Blum and starring Kathryn Hahn, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, Ed Oxenbould and Olivia DeJonge. The movie doesn’t feature an original score except for short piano track for the movie’s epilogue scene written by Paul Cantelon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, W.). No soundtrack album has been announced. To learn more about the Universal Pictures release, check out our previous news article.
Also opening wide is the thriller The Perfect Guy directed by David M. Rosenthal and starring Sanaa Lathan, Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut, Charles S. Dutton, Tess Harper, Kathryn Morris, Rutina Wesley and Holt McCallany. Atli Orvarsson (Vantage Point, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Chicago Fire) and Dave Fleming have composed the film’s original music. Madison Gate Record has released a soundtrack album featuring the composers’ music today. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to find out more about the Screen Gems/Sony Pictures release.
World Soundtrack Awards 2015 Discovery of the Year Nominations Announced
The World Soundtrack Academy has announced the five nominees for this year’s Discovery of the Year Award, via which the organization rewards up-and-coming talent from the previous year. The winner will be announced at the 15th World Soundtrack Awards & Concert on October 24, 2015 in Ghent, Belgium and will get the opportunity to perform at the 16th World Soundtrack Awards next year. The organization has also announced the nominees for the Public Choice Award. Check out the five nominees of both categories after the jump.
Sam Smith to Perform ‘Spectre’ Title Song ‘Writing’s On the Wall’
Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced today that Sam Smith has recorded Writing’s On The Wall, the theme song to the 24th James Bond film Spectre. The singer/songwriter has co-written the song with Jimmy Napes. The track will be released to download and stream on September 25, 2015 by Capitol Records. It is the first James Bond theme song recorded by a British male solo artist since 1965. Decca Records will release the official soundtrack album for Spectre, which will feature the movie’s original score composed by Thomas Newman.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 4, 2015)
Two new movies are opening nationwide this week:
Opening in most theaters is the action reboot The Transporter Refueled directed by Camille Delamarre and starring Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Loan Shabanon, Gabriella Wright, Radivoje Bukvić, Anatole Taubman, Wenxia Yu and Tatiana Pajković. The film’s original music is composed by Alexandre Azaria (Lockout, Love and Other Disasters) who previously scored the second and third part in the original trilogy. EuropaCorp has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as the songs from the movie by The Animals, Selah Sue, Mani Hoffman, The Leons & more. Check out our previous news article for the full album details.
Already playing in theaters since Wednesday is the comedy drama A Walk in the Woods directed by Ken Kwapis and starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Nick Offerman, Kristen Schaal, Mary Steenburgen and Emma Thompson. Nathan Larson (Boys Don’t Cry, Show Me a Hero, Margin Call, Our Idiot Brother) has composed the film’s original score. Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring two tracks from the composer’s score, as well as the songs from the film by Lord Huron, Blake Mills, Dwight Yoakum, Great Lake Swimmers and Shovels & Rope. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the film.
‘Scream Queens’ Title Song ‘You Belong to Me’ Revealed
Ryan Murphy has published an extended version of the main titles sequence for the new Fox series Scream Queens. The opening titles feature the original song You Belong to Me, which was co-written by the show’s composer Mac Quayle (Mr. Robot, American Horror Story: Freak Show & Hotel), singer Heather Heywood and executive producer Alexis Woodall. Heywood is also performing the track. Check out the titles sequence and song after the jump.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (August 28, 2015)
Three new movies are opening nationwide this week:
Already in theaters since Wednesday is the action thriller No Escape directed by John Erick Dowdle and starring Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell. The film’s original music is composed by Marco Beltrami (Scream, I, Robot, World War Z, 3:10 to Yuma, Hellboy) and Buck Sanders (Warm Bodies, The Hurt Locker). Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composers’ score, as well as the song Take Care of You by Jim James. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the Weinstein Company release.
Also opening wide this week is the drama We Are Your Friends directed by Max Joseph and starring Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Wes Bentley, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer, Jonny Weston and Jon Bernthal. Segal aka Matthew Simpson (Skins) has composed the film’s original score. Interscope Records has released a soundtrack album featuring tracks by EDM artists including Justice, Tchami, Will Sparks, Dom Dolla, Hayden James, The Magician, Years & Years, The Americanos & more. Check out our previous article for the full album details and for more information about the Warner Bros. Pictures release.