Two new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the comedy Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa directed by Jeff Tremaine and starring Johnny Knoxville who punks strangers while in character as senior citizen Irving Zisman. The film’s original musis is composed by Sam Spiegel whose music has previously been featured in some of the other Jackass features and Koool G Murder who is the brother of the film’s co-writer and producer Spike Jonze. No soundtrack album has been announced. To learn more about the comedy, check out our previous news article.
Also opening wide is the thriller The Counselor directed by Ridley Scott, written by Cormac McCarthy and starring. Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt. Daniel Pemberton (The Awakening) has composed the film’s original score. Milan Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details. Also click here to check out a video featurette about Pemberton’s work on the project and visit ASCAP’s We Create Music blog and The Hollywood Reporter for interviews with the composer and to listen to a couple of tracks from the score. Read the rest of this entry »
Lucas Vidal has been hired to score the upcoming action thriller Tracers. The film is directed by Daniel Benmayor (Bruc, The Manhunt) and stars Taylor Lautner as a New York City bike messenger who is in debt to an organized crime gang and escapes into the world of parkour after meeting a beautiful stranger. Marie Avgeropoulos and Adam Rayner are co-starring. The movie’s screenplay is written by Leslie Bohem (Dante’s Peak, Daylight), Matt Johnson (Into the Blue), Kevin Lund and T.J. Scott. Mary Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (Twilight series, Dear John, Safe Haven) are producing the project for Temple Hill Entertainment. 
Quartet Records will release a soundtrack album for the political satire Quai d’Orsay. The album features the film’s original music written by Academy Award-nominated composer Philippe Sarde (Tess, The Tenant). The soundtrack will be released next month and is now available for pre-order on the 
Daniel Pemberton has composed the score for the upcoming British comedy Cuban Fury. The film is directed by James Griffiths and stars Nick Frost, Chris O’Dowd, Olivia Colman, Rashida Jones, Ian McShane, Rory Kinnear, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Alexandra Roach. The movie follows a down-on-his-luck man who reignites his long-dormant passion for salsa dancing after falling for his gorgeous American boss. Jon Brown (Misfits, Fresh Meat) has written the screenplay. James Biddle and Nira Park (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul) are producing the project for Big Talk Productions. Pemberton has previously collaborated with the producers on Big Talk’s In Fear, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and which will open in British theaters next month. Cuban Fury is set to be released on February 14, 2014 in the UK. 
This past Saturday night, film music record label Varèse Sarabande hosted their 35th Anniversary Halloween Concert Gala at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California. The concert was hosted and produced by Robert Townson and performed by the Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) and Chorale. Highlights included a suite from the comic book film adaptation of Ghost Rider, which Golden Globe-nominated composer Christopher Young (The Shipping News, Spider-Man 3) arranged specifically for the concert and which featured a full orchestra, chorus and a heavy metal band led by Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. The performance was received with a standing ovation by the audience. Additionally, Oscar nominee Marco Beltrami (3:10 to Yuma, World War Z) made his concert conducting debut with a suite of his scores for Alex Proyas’ I, Robot and Knowing, as well as Guillermo del Toro’s Mimic and Hellboy. 
The details for the soundtrack album for Alexander Payne’s comedy drama Nebraska have been revealed. The album features the film’s original music composed by Mark Orton (The Good Girl) of the Californian acoustic chamber music group Tin Hat. The soundtrack will be released on November 19, 2013 by Milan Records and is now available for pre-order on 
Quartet Records has announced a soundtrack album for the horror thriller Patrick. The album features the film’s original score composed by Pino Donaggio (Dressed to Kill, Carrie, Blow Out) and performed by the City of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra. The soundtrack is set to be released in January of 2014. Patrick is directed by Mark Hartley and stars Charles Dance, Sharni Vinson, Jackson Gallagher and Rachel Griffiths. The film is a re-imagining of the 1970’s Australian feature of the same title about a comatose hospital patient who harasses and kills through his powers of telekinesis to claim his private nurse as his own. The premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival this past summer and was just released in Australia. Phase 4 and Uncork’d Entertainment have recently picked up domestic distribution rights and are planning a release on VOD and in theaters in early 2014. 
Metropolis Movie Music will release a soundtrack album for the sci-fi thriller The Last Days on Mars. The album features the film’s original music composed by Max Richter (Disconnect, Waltz With Bashir). The soundtrack will be released overseas on October 28, 2013. Check back on this page for the U.S. release date info and audio clips. The Last Days on Mars is directed by Ruairi Robinson and stars Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai, Elias Koteas, Olivia Williams, Johnny Harris, Goran Kostic and Tom Cullen. The movie follows a group of astronauts on an exploratory mission to Mars who discover colonies of bacteria living deep within the permafrost. The thriller premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and was picked up for domestic distribution by Magnolia Pictures. 
Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau have been tapped to score the upcoming indie romantic comedy A Many Splintered Thing. The film is directed by Justin Reardon and stars Chris Evans, Michelle Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Aubrey Plaza, Giovanni Ribisi, Topher Grace, Luke Wilson, Ashley Tisdale and Philip Baker Hall. The movie follows a young man disillusioned by love who meets an engaged woman and feigns a platonic relationship in order to keep seeing her as he tries to conquer her heart. Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair have written the Black List screenplay. McG (Charlie’s Angels, Terminator Salvation) and Mary Viola are producing the project with Voltage Pictures’ Nicolas Chartier (The Hurt Locker, The Company You Keep) & Craig Flores (Charlie Countryman). 
The details of the soundtrack album for the French comedy Attila Marcel have been revealed. The album features the film’s original music composed by director Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belville) and Franck Monbaylet. Chomet previously wrote the music for his Academy Award-nominated feature The Illusionist. The soundtrack will be released in France on November 4, 2013 (