Only one new movie is opening nationwide this weekend:

transformersGuaranteed to top the weekend box office is the sci-fi action adventure Transformers: Age of Extinction directed by Michael Bay and starring Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, Sophia Myles, Bingbing Li, Titus Welliver and TJ Miller. The film’s original music is composed by Steve Jablonsky (Ender’s GameBattleship) who previously scored Bay’s last five features, including the previous three Transformers movies. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score is expected to be announced soon. Imagine Dragons have written the original song Battle Cry for the film, which is now available to download as a single here. Also visit YouTube for a video interview with Jablonsky about his work on the film visit Hitfix for another interview with  the composer. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.

begin-againOpening in Los Angeles and New York before expanding nationwide is the musical comedy drama Begin Again written and directed by John Carney and starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden, Ceelo Green and Catherine Keener. 222 Records in partnership with Interscope Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the songs from the film written by Gregg Alexander, who also provided the film’s original score, as well as Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley, Nick Southwood, Rick Nowels, John Carney and Glen Hansard and performed by the film’s cast.  For the full album details and to learn more about the film, check out our soundtrack announcement. Read the rest of this entry »

the-best-of-meAaron Zigman has signed on to score the upcoming romantic drama The Best of Me. The film is directed by Michael Hoffman and stars James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey, Liana Liberato, Sebastian Arcelus and Gerald McRaney.  The movie is based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks and follows a pair of former high school sweethearts who reunite after many years when they both return to their small North Carolina hometown. Hoffman has also written the screenplay with J. Mills Goodloe (Pride) and Will Fetters (The Lucky OneRemember Me). Sparks is also producing the project with Ryan Kavanaugh (The FighterDear JohnLimitless), Theresa Park, Denise DiNovi (Edward ScissorhandsBatman ReturnsCrazy, Stupid, Love) and Alison Greenspan (Monte CarloRamona and Beezus). Zigman has previously scored the Sparks adaptation The Notebook. Read the rest of this entry »

imageFrank Ilfman was honored with a Saturn Award last night at the 40th annual Saturn Awards in Burbank, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The composer won the prize in the Best Music category for his score for the Israeli thriller Big Bad Wolves, which was also recognized in the Best International Film category, and accepted his award in person. The other nominated composers were Danny Elfman (Oz the Great and Powerful), John Williams (The Book Thief), Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3, Now You See Me) and Howard Shore (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug). Ilfman’s score for the thriller, which was released in the U.S. earlier this year by Magnolia Pictures, is available on MovieScore Media and Kronos Records. For the full list of Saturn Award winners, click here.

imageComposers Gustavo Dudamel, Gustavo Santaolalla and John Williams will gather at the Academy for Behind the Score: The Art of the Film Composer on Monday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bing Theater in Los Angeles. In a conversation hosted by Tavis Smiley, the trio will discuss significant musical moments in film that have inspired their work as they examine the art and process of creating a film score as well as the director-composer relationship. Dudamel who is the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic has just made his film scoring debut with The Liberator (Libertador), a biopic about Simón Bolívar. Santaolalla is a two-time Oscar winner for his scores for Brokeback Mountain and Babel. Read the rest of this entry »

wendy-lisa

Shirley Walker Award winners Wendy & Lisa

Last night, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) held its annual Film & Television Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman received the inaugural ASCAP Shirley Walker Award, which honors those whose achievements have contributed to the diversity of film and television music.  The composer duo, known for their work on such features as Dangerous Minds and Just Wright and TV shows including HeroesNurse Jackie and Touch, were presented the award by music supervisor Liza Richardson. Hans Zimmer congratulated the Emmy Award-winning composers via a video message. Read the rest of this entry »

oscarsThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Among the invited artists this year a number of film composers, including Steven Price (The World’s End, Attack the Block) who received his first Academy Award this year for Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, Steve Jablonsky who is best known for his collaborations with Michael Bay, including the Transformers movies, as well as films such as Ender’s Game, Battleship and Gangster Squad, Stanley Clarke who scored such movies as Passenger 57, The Best Man Holiday and Boyz N the Hood and Buck Sanders (Warm Bodies) who received an Oscar nomination for The Hurt Locker. Read the rest of this entry »

a-most-wanted-manGroenland Records will release a soundtrack album for the dramatic thriller A Most Wanted Man. The album features the film’s original music composed by Herbert Grönemeyer who previously collaborated with the film’s director Anton Corbijn on 2011’s The American. The album will be released digitally on July 29, 2014 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Audio clips are embedded after the jump. A Most Wanted Man is based on the novel by John le Carré and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Daniel Bruhl and Nina Hoss. The movie centers around a Chechnian Muslim who illegally immigrates to Hamburg, Germany, where he gets caught up in the international war on terror. The thriller premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and will be released in select cities on July 25, 2014 by Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate. Read the rest of this entry »

step-up-all-inMilan Records will release the score album for the dance movie Step Up: All In. The album features the film’s original music composed by Jeff Cardoni (Just Friends, Silicon ValleyCSI: MiamiWilfred). The soundtrack will be released on July 29, 2014 and is now available for pre-order on AmazonStep Up: All In is directed by Trish Sie and stars Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Misha Gabriel, Izabella Miko, Alyson Stoner and Adam Sevani. The fifth installment in the Step Up series features all-stars from the previous movies who come together in Las Vegas, battling for a victory that could define their dreams and their careers. The sequel will be released nationwide on August 8 by Summit Entertainment. Read the rest of this entry »

the-giverThe upcoming film adaptation of The Giver will feature an original song by OneRepublic. The Grammy Award-nominated rock pop band, best known for such songs as ApologizeStop and Stare and Counting Stars, is recording the original track Ordinary Human for the movie directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Swift, Cameron Monaghan, Odeya Rush, Emma Tremblay and Katie Holmes. As previously reported, Marco Beltrami (World War ZThe WolverineScream) is providing the film’s original score. The sci-fi drama based on the bestselling novel by Lois Lowry will be released nationwide on August 15, 2014 by the Weinstein Company. Read the rest of this entry »

oscarsThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a number of updated regulations for how companies and individuals may market movies and achievements eligible for the 87th Academy Awards to Academy members, including significant changes that affect the music category. The regulations state that “music branch members may not contact other Music Branch members to promote the nomination of their own song in any way, including via mail, email, telephone or social media”. In addition, “music branch members may not attend any special live performances of eligible songs unless attached to a screening”. Click here for the complete award campaign regulations.  Read the rest of this entry »