Film Music Reporter

Weekly Film Music Roundup (December 11, 2015)

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music News
Tags: American Hero, Bleeding Heart, Don Verdean, Ilan Eshkeri, In the Heart of the Sea, Liam Howe, Lorne Balfe, Nicholas Britell, Roque Banos, The Big Short, The Girl in the Book, Will Bates

The only movie opening nationwide this weekend is the adventure drama In the Heart of the Sea directed by Ron Howard and starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Jordi Mollá, Ben Whishaw and Brendan Gleeson. The film’s original music is composed by Roque Banos (The Machinist, Evil Dead, Regression, Oldboy). WaterTower Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music last week. Check out our previous news article for the full album details. Also visit Film Music Magazine for a recent interview with Banos about his work on the project.

Opening in limited release this weekend is the comedy drama The Big Short directed by Adam McKay and starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Melissa Leo, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong and Marisa Tomei. Nicholas Britell (Gimme the Loot, A Tale of Love and Darkness) has composed the film’s original music. Paramount Pictures has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to learn more about the movie. Read the rest of this entry »

Henry Jackman to Score Nate Parker’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring Assignments
Tags: Henry Jackman, Nate Parker, The Birth of a Nation

Henry Jackman has been hired to score the upcoming drama The Birth of a Nation. The film marks the feature directorial debut of actor Nate Parker and stars himself, alongside Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union and Mark Boone Jr. The movie tells the true story of Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner accepts an offer to use his preaching to subdue unruly slaves and devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Don Verdean’ Soundtrack Released

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music Albums
Tags: Don Verdean, Heavy Young Heathens, Ilan Eshkeri, Jared Hess, score, Soundtrack

Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album for Jared Hess’ comedy Don Verdean. The album the original songs from the film performed by the Heavy Young Heathens, as well as Leslie Bibb’s performance of Pillar of Salt. Also included are selections from the film’s original music composed by Ilan Eshkeri (Stardust, Still Alice, Layer Cake, Shaun the Sheep). The soundtrack is now available digitally and will be released physically in early 2016. Visit Amazon to pre-order the CD. Don Verdean is co-written and directed by Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and stars Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Bibb, with Will Forte and Danny McBride. The movie follows a Biblical archaeologist who is hired by a local church pastor to find faith-promoting relics in the Holy Land and is forced to get creative after a fruitless expedition. Read the rest of this entry »

Devendra Banhart to Score Jeff Baena’s ‘Joshy’

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring Assignments
Tags: Devendra Banhart, Jeff Baena, Joshy

Singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart has been tapped to write the music for the upcoming indie comedy Joshy. The film is written and directed by Jeff Baena (Life After Beth, writer of I Heart Huckabees) and stars Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, Brett Gelman and Jenny Slate. The movie follows the title character who treats what would have been his bachelor party as an opportunity to reconnect with his friends. Liz Destro (Life of Crime, About Cherry) is producing the project for Destro Films, alongside Michael Zakin (Mozart in the Jungle, The Bling Ring) for American Zoetrope. Read the rest of this entry »

Academy Announces 74 Original Songs in Oscar Race

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music News
Tags: Academy Awards

oscars3 The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the short list of 74 songs that are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 88th Academy Awards. During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award. Read the rest of this entry »

Score Album for Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ Released

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in TV Music Albums
Tags: Amazon, Dustin O'Halloran, score, Soundtrack, Transparent

Amazon Content Services has released a score album for the Amazon Studios original series Transparent. The album features selections from the show’s original music composed by Dustin O’Halloran (Like Crazy, Breathe In, Equals) who received an Emmy Award earlier this year for his main title theme, which is also included on the release. The soundtrack is now available to download on Amazon, where you can also check out audio samples. Amazon has previously released a soundtrack album featuring the songs from the series. Transparent is created by Jill Soloway and stars Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker, Judith Light and Jeffrey Tambor. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Poker Night’ Soundtrack Details

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music Albums
Tags: Poker Night, score, Scott Glasgow, Soundtrack

MovieScore Media will release a soundtrack album for the thriller Poker Night. The album features the film’s original music is composed by Scott Glasgow (Hatchet III, Taking Chances, The Gene Generation, Chasing Ghosts). The soundtrack will be released digitally on December 18, 2015 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Poker Night is written and directed by Greg Francis and stars Ron Perlman, Giancarlo Esposito, Beau Mirchoff, Titus Welliver, Michael Eklund, Ron Eldard and Corey Large. The movie follows a young detective who is caught in a sadistic game of cat-and-mouse when he is kidnapped and tormented by a masked serial killer. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Belgica’ to Feature Music by Soulwax

Posted: December 11, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring Assignments
Tags: Belgica, Felix van Groeningen, Soulwax

The Belgian alternative rock/electronic music duo of Soulwax has composed the music for Felix van Groeningen’s upcoming drama Belgica. The marks the director’s follow-up feature to 2012’s Academy Award-nominated film The Broken Circle Breakdown and stars Stef Aerts, Tom Vermeir, Charlotte Vandermeersch and Hélène Devos. The movie follows two brothers who start a bar and get swept up in its success in the midst of Belgium’s nightlife scene. Van Groeningen has also written the screenplay with Arne Sierens. Dirk Impens is producing the project. Read the rest of this entry »

Soundtrack Album for Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’ to Be Released

Posted: December 10, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in TV Music Albums
Tags: ABC, Agent Carter, Christopher Lennertz, Marvel, score, Soundtrack

Hollywood Records will release a soundtrack album for Marvel Television’s ABC series Agent Carter. The album features selections from the original music from the show’s first season composed by Christopher Lennertz (Ride Along, Galavant, Supernatural, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief). The soundtrack will be released digitally tomorrow, December 11. Visit Amazon to download the album and to listen to audio samples. Agent Carter is created by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and stars Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, Enver Gjokaj and Chad Michael Murray. The drama is set in the 1940s and follows Peggy Carter as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from fighting abroad and must balance doing administrative work for the covert SSR and going on secret missions for Howard Stark. Read the rest of this entry »

Jóhann Jóhannsson Scoring So Yong Kim’s ‘Lovesong’

Posted: December 10, 2015 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring Assignments
Tags: Johann Johannsson, Lovesong, So Yong Kim

Jóhann Jóhannsson is reuniting with director So Yong Kim on the upcoming drama Lovesong. The film stars Jena Malone, Riley Keough, Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Ryan Eggold and Rosanna Arquette. The movie follows Sarah & Mindy, two best friends who embark on an impromptu road trip with Sarah’s young daughter in tow and see their friendship develop into a surprising romance – despite the fact that Mindy is about to get married. So Yong Kim has also written the screenplay with Bradley Rust Gray (The Exploding Girl, Jack and Diane) who is also producing the project with Alex Lipschultz, Johnny Mac and David Hansen. Read the rest of this entry »