Johnny Jewel revealed in a recent interview with Noisey (via The Playlist) that he is writing music for Ryan Gosling’s upcoming directorial debut How to Catch a Monster. The film stars Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith and Ben Mendelsohn. The movie is set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city and centered on a single mother of two being swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. Marc Platt (Drive, 2 Guns, Legally Blonde) & Adam Siegel are producing the project for Marc Platt Productions, alongside Michel Litvak & David Lancaster (Bobby, Legion) for Bold Films. Gosling who has also written the screenplay is also producing for Phantasma Films.
Category: Film Scoring Assignments
Matthew Margeson Scoring ‘The Curse of Downers Grove’
Matthew Margeson is currently scoring the upcoming indie thriller The Curse of Downers Grove. The film is directed by Derick Martini (Lymelife, Hick) and stars Bella Heathcote, Lucas Till, Penelope Mitchell, Kevin Zegers, Helen Slater and Tom Arnold. The movie based on a novel by Michael Hornburg is set in Downers Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and follows a paranoid high school senior who is worried about an apparent curse that takes the life of one student every year at the school. Martini has co-written the screenplay with Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho, The Rules of Attraction). Oren Segal, Jason Dubin and Chiara Trento are producing the project. Margeson has previously scored the Segal-produced 2010 film Burning Palms. The Curse of Downers Grove is currently in post-production and is expected to be released in 2014.
Dario Marianelli to Score Paul Haggis’ ‘Third Person’
Dario Marianelli has been hired to score the upcoming romantic drama Third Person. The film is written and directed by Paul Haggis and stars Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien Brody, James Franco, Olivia Wilde, Maria Bello, Kim Basinger and Moran Atias. The movie follows three inter-connected love stories of three couples in three cities: Rome, Paris and New York. Haggis is also producing the project with Paul Breuls (The Devil’s Double, Killing Season) and Michael Nozik (Syriana, The Motorcycle Diaries). Haggis has previously collaborated with composers Mark Isham (Crash, In the Valley of Elah) and Danny Elfman (The Next Three Days) on his last directorial efforts.
Michael Nyman Scoring Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’
Michael Nyman has taken over scoring duties on Spike Lee’s upcoming English language remake of Oldboy. The film starring Josh Brolin, Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen and Sharlto Copley follows an advertising executive who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement and sets out to find out who held him hostage and why when he is inexplicably released. Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, Thor) has written the screenplay based on Chan-wook Park’s critically acclaimed Korean film from 2003 and Roy Lee & Doug Davison (The Strangers, The Lake House), as well as Nathan Kahane (Juno, 50/50) are producing the Good Universe and Vertigo Entertainment/40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks production. The project marks Nyman’s first major American feature scoring assignment in several years.
Hans Zimmer to Score ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’
Hans Zimmer has been tapped to score the superhero sequel The American Spider-Man 2. The film is directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) and stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Paul Giamatti, Denis Leary, Colm Feore, Chris Cooper, Sally Field, Chris Zylka, Marton Csokas and Felicity Jones. In the sequel, Peter Parker/Spider-Man faces a new villain, Electro, deals with the return of his old friend Harry Osborn and uncovers new clues about his past. Avi Arad (X-Men, Iron Man, Hulk) is producing the project with Matt Tolmach. Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Transformers) & Jeff Pinkner (Alias, Fringe) have written the screenplay with a previous draft by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, White House Down).
Sigur Rós Frontman Jónsi to Collaborate with John Powell on ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’
During the DreamWorks Animation panel at Comic-Con in San Diego, it was announced that Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi will contribute three new compositions, including direct collaborations with composer John Powell, to the studio’s upcoming animated film sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2. It was also confirmed that Powell will return to compose the score following his Oscar-nominated work on the 2010 original film. The sequel is directed by Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch) and features the voice talent of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. They are joined by newcomers to the series, Cate Blanchett, Djimon Hounsou and Kit Harrington. The movie is set five years after the original film and follows Hiccup and Toothless as they discover a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider.
Cliff Martinez to Score ‘Mea Culpa’
Cliff Martinez revealed in a recent interview with Hitfix that he will be scoring the French thriller Mea Culpa. The film is directed by Fred Cavaye and stars Vincent Lindon, Gilles Lellouche and Nadine Labaki. The movie centers on a pair of police officers and long-time partners, whose lives go into a tailspin when one of them causes a tragic car accident. Jean-Baptiste Dupont and Cyril Colbeau-Justin (36th District, My Way) are producing the LGM production. Cavaye has previously collaborated with composer Klaus Badelt on two of his previous features, Point Blank and Anything for Her. Mea Culpa is set to be released in France in the first quarter of 2014.
Nick Glennie-Smith to Score Randall Wallace’s ‘Heaven Is for Real’
Nick Glennie-Smith is set to reunite with director Randall Wallace on his upcoming family drama Heaven Is for Real. The movie is based on the bestselling novel Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent and follows a boy who recounts tales from his visit to heaven after recovering from an emergency operation where he temporarily died. Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly star as the parents of the boy who is portrayed by newcomer Connor Corum. Margo Martindale and Thomas Haden Church are co-starring. Chris Parker (Vampire in Brooklyn, Battle of the Year) has adapted the material for the screen. Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland) is producing the TriStar Pictures production, along with T.D. Jakes (Woman Thou Art Loosed, Sparkle) and Derrick Williams (Jumping the Broom). Glennie-Smith has previously scored all of Wallace’s directorial efforts, including The Man in the Iron Mask, We Were Soldiers and Disney’s Secretariat.
Marcelo Zarvos Scoring Nicole Holofcener’s ‘Enough Said’
Marcelo Zarvos is currently scoring the upcoming comedy Enough Said. The film is written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing) and stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini in his final role, as well as Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone, Eve Hewson and fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson. The movie follows a divorced soon-to-be empty-nester as she humorously tries to secretly juggle two relationships and wonders whether her new favorite friend’s disastrous ex can be her cue for happiness. Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche, New York) is producing the Likely Story production.
John Paesano to Score ‘The Maze Runner’
John Paesano has signed on to score the upcoming sci-fi mystery drama The Maze Runner. The movie is based on the bestselling young adult novel by James Dashner and is set in a post-apocalyptic era where a group of teenage boys trapped in an enormous maze seek their freedom. The film is directed by Wes Ball and stars Dylan O’Brien, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Jacob Lattimore, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper and Aml Ameen. Noah Oppenheim wrote the screenplay for the Temple Hill Entertainment and the Gotham Group production. The movie marks Paesano’s first major studio feature film project. The Maze Runner is set to be released on February 14, 2014 by 20th Century Fox.