Category: Film Music News

Weekly Film Music Roundup (October 4, 2013)

Two new movies are opening wide this weekend:

gravityGuaranteed to top the weekend box office is the space drama Gravity directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The film’s original score is composed by Steven Price (The World’s End, Attack the Block). WaterTower Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week. Check out our previous article for the full album details and audio clips. Also visit The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post and Film Music Magazine for recent interviews with Price about his work on the film.

runner-runnerAlso opening wide this week is the thriller Runner Runner directed by Brad Furman and starring Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, Ben Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Michael Esper, Oliver Cooper and Ben Schwartz. Christophe Beck (The Hangover trilogy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) has composed the film’s original score. Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week. A CD version will be released later this month. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and audio clips.

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Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 27, 2013)

Three new movies are opening in wide release this weekend:

cloudy-2Expected to top the weekend box office is the animated film sequel Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 directed by Cody Cameron & Kris Pearn and featuring the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Terry Crews and Kristen Schaal. Mark Mothersbaugh who has previously scored the original 2009 film, as well as Hotel Transylvania for Sony Pictures Animation has composed the movie’s score. No soundtrack album has been announced yet. To learn more about the animated feature, visit the official movie website.

don-jonAlso opening wide is the indie comedy Don Jon written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and starring himself, as well as Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson and Tony Danza. Nathan Johnson (Brick, Looper, The Brothers Bloom) has composed the film’s original score. A soundtrack album is expected to be announced soon. Check back on this page for the full album details. Also visit the composer’s official website for a video featuring Johnson and Jonny Rodgers performing a theme for the film on guitar. The comedy premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by Relativity Media for domestic distribution. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.

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Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 20, 2013)

Two new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:

prisonersExpected to top the weekend box office is the dramatic thriller Prisoners directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrance Howard, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo and Paul Dano. Jóhann Jóhannsson (Personal Effects, For Ellen) has composed the film’s score. WaterTower Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week. To listen to audio clips and to check out the full album details, check out our soundtrack announcement, which also features a video interview with Johannsson. Also check out another interview with the composer on Billboard.

battle-of-the-yearAlso opening wide is the dance drama Battle of the Year directed by Benson Lee and starring Josh Holloway, Laz Alonso, Josh Peck, Caity Lotz and Chris Brown. The film’s original score is composed by Christopher Lennertz (Horrible Bosses, Revolution, Identity Thief). Madison Gate Records has released a soundtrack album for the film earlier this week. The album features a suite from the composer’s score, as well as the songs featured in the movie by such artists as The Roots, Chubb Rock, Kool Kojak, Speedometer, Digital Underground and PC’s Ltd. To check out the full soundtrack details, visit our previous news article.

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Stephen Sondheim to Write New Song for ‘Into the Woods’ Film Adaptation

stephen-sondheimWalt Disney Pictures has announced today that composer Stephen Sondheim is composing a new original song for the upcoming film adaptation of the musical Into the Woods. The film is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, MacKenzie Mauzy, Billy Magnussen, Tammy Blanchard and Lucy Punch. The movie based on the Tony-winning original musical by James Lapine and Sondheim is a modern twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. Marshall is producing the project with John DeLuca (Nine), as well as Marc Platt (Drive, Legally Blonde, Wanted) and Callum McDougall.

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Mychael Danna, Bear McCreary and John Lunn Win Emmy Awards

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were handed out this afternoon at the NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE in Downtown Los Angeles. John Lunn has received his second Emmy for his music for Downtown Abbey in the Outstandig Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) category after last year’s win. Mychael Danna won his first Emmy Award for the mini-series World Without End in the Outstandig Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) category. Bear McCreary received his first Emmy Award for his main titles theme for Da Vinci’s Demons. In the Original Music and Lyrics category, Adam Schlesinger (music) and David Javerbaum (lyrics) were honored with an Emmy for the song If I Had Time written for the 66th Annual Tony Awards ceremony.

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Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 13, 2013)

Two new movies are opening wide this weekend:

insidious-chapter-2Expected to top the box office is the horror sequel Insidious: Chapter 2 directed by James Wan and starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Leigh Wannell and Barbara Hershey. The film’s original score is composed by Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring, Dark Skies). Void Recordings has released a soundtrack featuring the composer’s music digitally earlier this week. A CD and Vinyl version is set to come out next month. Check out our previous article for the full album details and audio clips. Also visit Film Music Magazine for a recent interview with Bishara about his work on the film.

the-familyAlso opening wide is the crime comedy The Family directed by Luc Besson and starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones and Dianna Agron. The film’s original music is composed by Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine. EuropaCorp has released a soundtrack album featuring the score, as well as the songs from the film, including New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down by LCD Soundsystem, Me and My Baby by Don Cavalli and Doce Doce by Fred Bongusto. To listen to audio clips and to check out the full album details, visit our soundtrack announcement.

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Weekly Film Music Roundup (September 6, 2013)

Only one movie is being released nationwide this weekend:

riddickOpening in over 3000 theaters is the sci-fi action film Riddick written and directed by David Twohy and starring Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Jodi Molla, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine, Raoul Trujillo and Nolan Gerard Funk. The film’s music is composed by Graeme Revell (Pineapple Express, From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City) who has previoulsy scored the other films in the Riddick trilogy, Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. A soundtrack album was originally announced to be released on Back Lot Music, but has since been canceled. To learn more about the film, which is being released by Universal Pictures, visit the official movie website.

adoreOpening in limited release is the indie drama Adore directed by Anne Fontaine and starring Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, James Frechevile and Ben Mendelsohn. The film’s original score is composed and conducted by Christopher Gordon (Master and Commander, Daybreakers). Antony Partos (Animal Kingdom) has provided additional music. Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring the music of both composers digitally earlier this week. A CD release is set for September 24. To listen to audio clips and the full album details, check out our previous news article.

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World Soundtrack Awards 2013 Discovery of the Year Nominations Announced

wsaThe World Soundtrack Academy has announced the five nominees for the Discovery of the Year Award 2012, via which the organization rewards up-and-coming talent from the previous year. The winner will be announced at the 13th World Soundtrack Awards & Concert on October 19, 2013 in Ghent and will get the opportunity to perform at the 14th World Soundtrack Awards next year. Check out the five nominees after the jump. To find more about the contenders in the other categories and the awards gala, which also features a celebration of the music by composer Alexandre Desplat, visit our previous article.

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Weekly Film Music Roundup (August 30, 2013)

Three new movies are opening wide this week:

closed-circuitAlready in theaters since Wednesday is the thriller Closed Circuit directed by John Crowley and starring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Riz Ahmed, Jim Broadbent, Kenneth Cranham, Anne-Marie Duff, Ciarán Hinds and Julia Stiles. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score digitally earlier this week. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details, more information about the movie and to listen to audio clips.

one-directionOpening wide today is the concert documentary One Direction: This Is Us directed by Morgan Spurlock about the British/Irish boy band One Direction, consisting of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. Simon Franglen who collaborated with James Horner on his scores for Avatar, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Karate Kid has composed the film’s original score. No soundtrack album has been released, but the songs featured in the film are available on the band’s records. To learn more about the documentary, which is being released by Sony Pictures, visit the official movie website.

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Anton Monsted Named Senior Vice President of Fox Music

foxmusicTwentieth Century Fox has hired music supervisor Anton Monsted as senior vice president of Fox Music. Monsted was previously general manager of Baz Luhrmann’s production company, Bazmark, and most recently served as executive music supervisor and co-producer of the director’s The Great Gatsby, co-producing the three soundtrack albums for the film. Monsted previously collaborated with Luhrmann on his three previous films for 20th Century Fox and their soundtrack album releases, including William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and Australia. The announcement was made by Danielle Diego, Head of Fox Music.