Two new movies are opening in wide release this weekend:

the-purgeExpected to top the weekend box office is the horror thriller The Purge directed by James DeMonaco, produced by Michael Bay and Jason Blum and starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. The film’s original score is composed by Nathan Whitehead. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score earlier this week. For the full album details, visit our soundtrack announcement. Also check out ASCAP’s We Create Music Blog, Film Music Media and Blumhouse Production’s official blog for interviews with the composer.

internshipAlso opening wide is the comedy The Internship directed by Shawn Levy and starring Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne and Max Minghella. Christophe Beck (The Hangover, The Muppets) who has previously collaborated with Levy on such films as Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther and Date Night has composed the film’s original score. No soundtrack album has been announced at this point. The comedy follows two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world and who talk their way into a coveted internship at Google. To learn more about the 20th Century Fox release, visit the official movie website. Read the rest of this entry »

patrick-doylePatrick Doyle is attached to score Disney’s upcoming live-action reimagining of Cinderella. Lily James (Downton Abbey) is set to star in the title role and Cate Blanchett is playing the evil stepmother. Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) has been cast as Prince Charming. Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) and Chris Weitz (About a Boy) are writing the screenplay based on the classic fairy tale. Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) and Chris Weitz (About a Boy) are writing the screenplay. Allison Shearmur (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), David Barron (Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix) and Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) are producing the project. Doyle and Branagh have previously worked together on such films as Henry V, Hamlet, Frankenstein, Much Ado About Nothing and Thor. Read the rest of this entry »

Tim Minchin has been tapped to score DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature Larrikins. The film is based on an original idea written by Harry Cripps (Supernova) and tells the story of an uptight bilby (a desert-dwelling marsupial), who has lived a sheltered life in the safety of his family burrow. When he ventures out and becomes privy to a dangerous secret, he finds himself launched on a musical adventure across the mystical and untamed Australian outback. Christina Steinberg (Rise of the Guardians, National Treasure) is producing the project. DreamWorks has announced that Minchin will likely take on a larger creative role in addition to writing the music and lyrics for the film. Minchin is best known for co-writing Matilda the Musical which was awarded a 2012 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and is currently nominated for 12 Tony Awards including Best Musical Score. Larrikins marks the Australian comedian/musician’s first major studio film project. No release date has been announced yet.

patrick-doyleThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced that composer Patrick Doyle will be honored at the 28th Annual ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards on June 23, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Doyle will receive the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award, which is awarded to composers in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. The composer made his major theatrical feature scoring debut on Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V in 1989 and has since collaborated with the filmmaker numerous times on such films as Hamlet, Frankenstein, Thor and the upcoming Jack Ryan. Doyle has also worked together with such directors as Brian De Palma (Carlito’s Way), Alfonso Cuaròn (Great Expectations), Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility), Mike Newell (Donnie Darko, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and Robert Altman (Gosford Park). Has has been honored with two Academy Award nominations for Sense and Sensibility and Hamlet. The composer’s other credits include Pixar’s Brave, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Nanny McPhee and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Read the rest of this entry »

turboRelativity Music Group will release the soundtrack album for Dreamworks Animation’s upcoming feature Turbo. The album features the songs from the film by Snoop Dogg, RUN-DMC, Tom Jones, Pitbull, Jackson 5, House of Pain, Ozomatli and Survivor. Also included are selections from the film’s original score composed by Henry Jackman (Wreck-It-Ralph, X-Men: First Class). The soundtrack will be released on June 16, 2013 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Turbo is directed by David Soren and features the voice talent of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luis Guzmán, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, Ben Schwartz, Kurtwood Smith, Snoop Dogg and Samuel L. Jackson. Read the rest of this entry »

no-place-on-earthVarese Sarabande has announced the details of the soundtrack album for the documentary No Place on Earth. The album features the film’s original score composed by John Piscitello. The soundtrack will be released digitally on July 11, 2013. Audio clips will be added to this article within the next couple of days. No Place on Earth is directed by Janet Tobias and tells the untold story of thirty-eight Ukrainian Jews who survived World War II by living in caves for eighteen months, the longest-recorded sustained underground survival. The movie premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival and was released in select theaters this past April by Magnolia Pictures. Read the rest of this entry »

paranoiaJunkie XL is currently scoring the upcoming thriller Paranoia. The film is directed by Robert Luketic and stars Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Amber Heard, Josh Holloway, Embeth Davitz, Richard Dreyfuss, Julian McMahon and Lucas Till. The movie follows a lower-middle-class kid trying to do better for his dad by getting involved in the world of corporate espionage between two rival companies. Jason Dean Hall (Spread) and Barry Levy (Vantage Point) co-wrote the screenplay. Alexandra Milchan (Street Kings, Righteous Kill), Scott Lambert of Film and Deepak Nayar (Bend It Like Beckham) are producing the project. Read the rest of this entry »

way-way-backColumbia Records will release the official soundtrack album for the indie comedy The Way, Way Back. The album features the songs from the film by artists including Edie Brickell, INXS, Ben Kweller, UFO, Robert Palmer, Mr. Mister, Young Galaxy, Army Navy, Wild Belle, Tim Myers, Eli “Paperboy” Reed and The Apache Relay. Also featured is a track from the movie’s original score composed by Rob Simonsen (500 Days of Summer, All Good Things). The soundtrack will be released on July 2, 2013 and is now available for pre-order on AmazonThe Way, Way Back is directed by Jim Rash and Nat Faxon (writers of The Descendants) and stars Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Amanda Peet, Rob Corddry and Liam James. The movie about a teen boy who struggles to find himself as he comes to terms with his unattentive mother and cheating stepfather during summer vacation premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by Fox Searchlight for a theatrical release on July 5. Read the rest of this entry »

music-from-the-star-wars-universeVarèse Sarabande Records continues their 35th anniversary celebration with a special tribute performance by the Golden State Pops Orchestra (GSPO) celebrating the Star Wars legacy on June 15, 2013. The Music from the Star Wars Universe concert will feature musical selections from various Star Wars projects including the classic scores composed by John Williams, including Star Wars: Main Title, Imperial March, Princess Leia’s Theme, and Across the Stars from Attack of the Clones. In addition, Varèse will celebrate Joel McNeely‘s release for his score to Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, which will also be performed. Also featured will be music from Star Wars video games, spin-off films and fan films. The concert will take place at the Warner Grand Theatre at 478 W 6th Street in San Pedro, CA on Saturday, June 15, 2013. To buy tickets for the concert, visit GSPO’s official website. Read the rest of this entry »

copperheadVarese Sarabande Records has announced the details of the soundtrack album for the historical drama Copperhead. The album features the film’s original music composed and conducted by Laurent Eyquem (Winnie) who recorded his orchestral score at the Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. The soundtrack will be released physically on July 9, 2013. Audio clips can be checked out after the jump. Copperhead is directed by Ron Maxwell (Gettysburg, Gods and Generals) and stars Billy Campbell, Angus MacFadyen and Peter Fonda. The movie is set during the Civil War and follows a stubborn and righteous farmer of Upstate New York, who defies his neighbors and his government in the bloody and contentious autumn of 1862. The film will be released in theaters on June 28, 2013. Read the rest of this entry »