Explosions in the Sky and David Wingo are set to reunite with David Gordon Green on the director’s upcoming drama Manglehorn. The film stars Al Pacino as an eccentric man who tries to come to terms with a past crime that cost him the love of his life. Paul Logan has written the screenplay based on an original story by Green and Logan. Green is also producing the project with Lisa Muskat (Snow Angels, Compliance, All the Real Girls) and Worldview Entertainment’s Christopher Woodrow & Molly Conners (Killer Joe, The Immigrant, Blood Ties). Explosions in the Sky and Wingo have previously co-scored Green’s Prince Avalanche starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch, which is set to be released on August 9 by Magnolia Pictures. Wingo and Explosions drummer Chris Hrask have announced their involvement in Manglehorn in an interview with Hitfix.
Category: Film Scoring Assignments
George Fenton to Score Disneynature’s ‘Bears’
George Fenton has been hired to score Disneynature’s upcoming documentary Bears. The film is directed by Alastair Fothergill (Earth, African Cats, Chimpanzee) and Keith Scholey (African Cats) and showcases a year in the life of two mother bears as they impart life lessons to their impressionable young cubs. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. Fenton has previously scored Disneynature’s first release Earth, which was released in 2007. Bears is set to be released on April 18, 2014 by Walt Disney Pictures in time for next Earth Day. For updates on the film, visit Disneynature’s official website.
John Debney Scoring ‘Bonnie & Clyde’ Mini-Series and ‘Walk of Shame’
John Debney is scoring the upcoming Lifetime/History Channel mini-series Bonnie & Clyde. The four hour series is directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Double Jeopardy) and stars Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger in the title roles of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, the 1930s couple whose crime spree enraptured the American public. Holly Hunter, William Hurt, Sarah Hyland, Elizabeth Reaser, Lane Garrison, Austin Hebert and Dale Dickey are co-starring. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Steel Magnolias, The Bucket List, Chicago) are producing the Sony Pictures Television production. John Rice and Joe Batteer (Windtalkers, Blown Away) have written the script. Debney has previously co-scored the History Channel’s Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning mini-series Hatfields & McCoys for Sony Pictures Television.
‘Tim’s Vermeer’ to Feature Music by Conrad Pope
Conrad Pope is the composer of the upcoming documentary Tim’s Vermeer. The film is directed by Teller of Penn & Teller fame and follows Tim Jenison, a Texas based inventor, as he attempts to solve the mystery of how 17th century Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer (Girl with a Pearl Earring) managed to paint so photo-realistically,150 years before the invention of photography. The movie chronicles Jenisen’s decade-long journey, including a trip to Delft, Holland, where Vermeer painted his masterpieces, a pilgrimage to the North coast of Yorkshire to meet artist David Hockney and eventually a trip to Buckingham Palace, to see the Queen’s Vermeer. Teller’s stage partner Penn Jillette and Farley Ziegler are producing the project. Pope’s previous credits as a composer include 2011’s My Week with Marilyn and 2001’s Pavilion of Women. He is also known as an orchestrator for such A-list composers as John Williams, James Horner, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard and Alan Silvestri.
Gabriel Yared Scoring ‘A Promise’ and ‘Tom at the Farm’
Gabriel Yared has composed the music for the upcoming romantic drama A Promise. The film is directed by Patrice Leconte (The Widow of Saint-Pierre, Monsieur Hire) and stars Alan Rickman, Rebecca Hall and Richard Madden. The movie based on Stefan Zweig’s novella Journey into the Past is set in Germany just before WWI and centers on an older, wealthy man who falls hopelessly in love with her husband’s teacher. When the war breaks out and they are separated, they pledge their devotion to one another. The drama marks the English language feature debut of Leconte who has also co-written the screenplay with Jerome Tonnerre (Renoir, Intimate Strangers). Marc Missonnier & Olivier Delbosc (The Next Three Days, Swimming Pool, Enter the Void) are producing the project for Fidelite Films.
‘Pioneer’ to Feature Music by Air
The French electronic music duo Air is currently scoring the upcoming Norwegian conspiracy thriller Pioneer (Pionér). The film is directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg (1997’s original Insomnia, Prozac Nation) and stars Aksel Hennie, Wes Bentley, Stephen Lang, Stephanie Sigman, André Eriksen and Jonathan LaPaglia. The movie is set in the early 80s and centers on the risky experiments and shady dealings that led to the birth of the Norwegian oil-drilling industry. Christian Fredrik Martin (Headhunters) is producing the project for Friland Films. Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Duncke who form Air have previously scored Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides and their music was also featured in numerous other films including Coppola’s Lost in Translation and Marie-Antoinette.
John Williams to Score ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced today at Star Wars Celebration Europe that John Williams will return to score the upcoming sci-fi fantasy sequel Star Wars: Episode VII. J.J. Abrams is directing the film and Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine) is writing the screenplay. No plot details have been announced yet, but the characters of the original trilogy, including Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are expected to return. Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg serve as consultants, alongside George Lucas. Williams has scored all previous six episodes of the Star Wars saga. Check out a video interview with the composer about his involvement in the upcoming seventh installment after the jump (via StarWars.com). Star Wars: Episode VII is set to be released in 2015 by Walt Disney Pictures.
Mychael Danna Scoring ‘Queen of the Night’
Mychael Danna is currently scoring the upcoming psychological thriller Queen of the Night. The film is directed by Atom Egoyan and stars Ryan Reynolds, Mireille Enos, Bruce Greenwood, Scott Speedman, Rosario Dawson and Kevin Durand. The movie follows a father of an abducted child who finds a series of clues that convince him that the girl is still alive. Egoyan has co-written the screenplay with David Fraser and is also producing the Ego Film Arts and The Film Farm production with Simone Urdl & Jennifer Weiss (Away from Her, Redaction) and Stephen Traynor. Danna has previously scored all of Egoyan’s major features of the last two decades including The Sweet Hereafter, Exotica, Where the Truth Lies, Chloe, Ararat and Felicia’s Journey.
Jeremy Sams Scoring Roger Michell’s ‘Le Week-End’
Jeremy Sams has reteamed with director Roger Michell on the upcoming comedy drama Le Week-End. The movie starring Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan and Jeff Goldblum follows a long-married couple who visit Paris for the first time since their honeymoon to revitalize their marriage and meet an old friend who gives them a new view of life and love. Hanif Kureishi (Venus, My Beautiful Laundrette) has written the screenplay and Kevin Loader (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, In the Loop, Nowhere Boy) is producing the project. Sams has previously collaborated with Michell on the features Persuasion, Enduring Love, The Mother and last year’s Hyde Park on Hudson.
Rachel Portman Scoring ‘The Right Kind of Wrong’
Rachel Portman is the composer of the upcoming romantic comedy The Right Kind of Wrong. The movie is directed by Jeremiah Chechik (Christmas Vacation, Diabolique, The Avengers) and stars Ryan Kwanten as a struggling writer who meets the girl of his dreams at her own wedding. Catherine O’Hara, Will Sasso and Sara Canning are co-starring. The film is based on the novel Sex and Sunsets by Tim Dandlin and was adapted for the screen by Megan Martin. Robert Lantos (Eastern Promises, Being Julia, Barney’s Version) is producing the Serendipity Point Film production with Ari Lantos. Chechik has previously collaborated with Portman on the 1993 comedy Benny & Joon starring Johnny Depp.