Four new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the action comedy Ride Along directed by Tim Story and starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter, Bryan Callen and Laurence Fishburne. The film’s original music is composed by Christopher Lennertz (Revolution, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief) who previously scored Story’s Think Like a Man and will also score its sequel. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week and a CD version will be coming out on January 28 by Varese Sarabande. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to listen to audio clips.
Also opening wide is the action thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit written and directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, as well as Branagh himself. The director’s regular musical collaborator Patrick Doyle (Thor, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sense and Sensibility) has composed the film’s original score. Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music digitally earlier this week and a CD version will be coming out in a few weeks. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and click here to listen to audio clips. Also visit YouTube for a video from the scoring sessions featuring an interview with Doyle. Read the rest of this entry »
Danny Elfman has been tapped to score the upcoming film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy) and stars Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Luke Grimes, Eloise Mumford, Jennifer Ehle, Max Martini, Rita Ora and Marcia Gay Harden. The movie based on the bestselling book by E.L. James follows the relationship of 27-year-old billionaire Grey and college student Anastasia Steele. Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr. Banks) has adapted the material for the screen. Michael De Luca (Captain Phillips, Moneyball) and Dana Brunetti (The Social Network, 21) are producing the Focus Features and Universal Pictures production. 
Audio clips from the soundtrack album of the animated feature The Lego Movie have been published. The film’s music is composed by Mark Mothersbaugh (The Royal Tenenbaums, 21 Jump Street) whose previous scores for animated movies include both Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball installments, Hotel Transylvania and The Rugrats features. The soundtrack also features the song Everything Is AWESOME!!! by Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island. Visit 
Christopher Lennertz is set to score the upcoming comedy sequel Horrible Bosses 2. The film is directed by Sean Anders (Sex Drive) and stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey who reprise their characters from the original film. They are joined by Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz. In the sequel, Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business. Anders & John Morris (We’re the Millers) have written the screnplay with John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2). Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand) is producing the project with Jay Stern (After the Sunset), John Morris, John Rickard and Chris Bender (We’re the Millers, The Butterfly Effect). 
Milan Records will release the official soundtrack album for Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi drama The Zero Theorem. The album features the film’s original music composed by George Fenton (Dangerous Beauty, Groundhog Day, Hitch) who previously scored the director’s The Fisher King. Also included is the song Creep by Argentine jazz singer Karen Souza. The soundtrack will be released digitally on January 28, 2014 and is now available for pre-order on 
Audio clips of the soundtrack album for Akiva Goldsman’s fantasy romance Winter’s Tale have been published. The film’s music is composed by Hans Zimmer (Inception, The Dark Knight, Gladiator) and Rupert Gregson-Williams (Over the Hedge, Bee Movie). WaterTower Music will release a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music, as well the song Miracle performed by KT Tunstall on February 11, 2014. Visit 
This morning, the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards were announced. Here are the music-related nominations:
Academy Awards producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today that William Ross will return as music director for this year’s 86th Oscar ceremony. He previously served as music director on the 79th, 83rd and 85th Academy Awards. Ross whose film scoring credits include Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ladder 49, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas and The Tale of Despereaux has also worked on the opening ceremonies of several Super Bowls, as well as the opening and/or closing ceremonies of five Olympic Games. The composer/arranger has earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Direction for his work on the 85th Academy Awards show. 
Abel Korzeniowski has been tapped to score the upcoming Showtime original series Penny Dreadful. The horror drama is created by John Logan (Hugo, Gladiator, The Aviator) and stars Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Reeve Carney, Rory Kinnear, Harry Treadaway, Billie Piper and Danny Sapani. The eight-episode series follows some of literature’s most famously terrifying characters – including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and iconic figures from the novel Dracula – as they become embroiled in Victorian London. Logan is also executive producing the series with Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, The Road to Perdition) and Neal Street’s Pippa Harris (Call the Midwife, The Hollow Crown). 