Premiering tonight is the Hallmark Hall of Fame original movie The Makeover directed by John Gray (The Ghost Whisperer, The Glimmer Man) and starring Julia Stiles, David Walton, Frances Fisher, Camryn Manheim and Georgia Lyman. The movie’s screenplay is written by C. Jay Cox (Sweet Home Alabama). The drama centers on a failed congressional candidate who decides to turn a blue-collared beer vendor into the perfect candidate. Michael A. Levine (Cold Case, Close to Home) has composed the film’s original score. The Makeover premieres tonight on ABC. To learn more about the film, visit the network’s official site and click here to watch the trailer. Read the rest of this entry »
Norah Jones to Perform ‘Ted’ Title Song at Oscars
Posted: January 27, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music NewsTags: Academy Awards, Norah Jones, Ted
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced today that Norah Jones will perform the Oscar-nominated song Everybody Needs a Best Friend from Universal Pictures’ hit comedy Ted at the 85th Academy Awards ceremony. The song written by the film’s composer Walter Murphy and writer/director & Oscar host Seth MacFarlane is nominated in the Best Original Song category, along with songs from Life of Pi, Les Miserables, Chasing Ice and Skyfall. This will be Jones’s first time performing on an Oscar show. It has previously been announced that Adele will also performing her title song for Skyfall at the event. Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center.
Nathan Barr Scoring FX’s ‘The Americans’
Posted: January 27, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in TV Scoring AssignmentsTags: FX, Joe Weisberg, Nathan Barr, The Americans
Nathan Barr is scoring the new FX period drama The Americans. The show is created by Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies) and stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as two married KGB spies who are posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. Maximiliano Hernández, Keidrich Sellati, Holly Taylor, Margo Martindale and Noah Emmerich are co-starring. Weisberg is executive producing the Fox Television Studios and FX Productions project with Joel Fields and Graham Yost (Justified, screenwriter of Speed) and Amblin Television heads Justin Falvey & Darryl Frank (Smash, Terra Nova). Gavin O’Connor (Miracle, Warrior) has directed the pilot episode. Check out the full main titles sequence (introduced in the second episode) after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Sound City’ Soundtrack Details
Posted: January 27, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music AlbumsTags: Dave Grohl, Sound City, Soundtrack
Roswell Records will release the official soundtrack album for Dave Grohl’s documentary Sound City. As announced last month, the album features 24 original songs, each one composed and recorded exclusively for the film in Grohl and his Foo Fighters’ 606 Studios. The new tracks are written and performed by artists including Paul McCartney, Grohl’s former Nirvana and current Foo Fighters bandmates, Stevie Nicks, Rick Springfield, Trent Reznor, Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Lee Ving of Fear, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine. The soundtrack will be released digitally, on CD and on Vinyl on March 12, 2013 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Sound City centers on the unsung recording studio, which housed a one-of-a-kind console and features interviews and performances from the iconic musicians who recorded some classic rock albums at the studio, including Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Metallica and Nirvana. Read the rest of this entry »
James Levine Scoring NBC’s ‘Do No Harm’
Posted: January 26, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in TV Scoring AssignmentsTags: Do No Harm, James Levine, NBC
James S. Levine is scoring the new NBC drama Do No Harm. The series created by David Schulner and stars Steven Pasquale as a highly respected neurosurgeon who iswrestling with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc on his personal and professional life. Alana De La Garza, Michael Esper, Ruta Gedmintas, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phylicia Rashad, John Carroll Lynch and Samm Levine are co-starring. Schulner is executive producing the series with Peter Traugott (Samantha Who?), Rachel Kaplan and Jeffrey Reiner (The Event, Friday Night Lights). Do No Harm is set to premiere on January 31, 2013 and will be airing every Thursday night on NBC. Read the rest of this entry »
Weekly Film Music Roundup (January 25, 2012)
Posted: January 25, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music NewsTags: Atli Orvarsson, Brian Tyler, David Buckley, Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters, John Dies at the End, Knife Fight, Movie 43, Parker, Sister Bliss
Three new movies are opening wide this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the fantasy action adventure Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters directed by Tommy Wirkola and starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare. The film’s music is composed by Atli Orvarsson (Vantage Point, The Eagle, The Fourth Kind). A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music is now available digitally and will be released next month on La-La Land Records. For audio clips and more information about the release, check out our previous article. For interviews with Orvarsson about his work on the film, visit Film Music Magazine, ASCAP’s website and Film Music Media.
Also opening wide this weekend is the action thriller Parker directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte and Michael Chicklis. The film’s score is composed by David Buckley (The Town, The Forbidden Kingdom). A soundtrack album featuring Buckley’s music is now available digitally and will be released next week on Varese Sarabande. To learn more about the film and listen to audio clips from each track on the album, check out our soundtrack announcement. Read the rest of this entry »
David Sardy to Score Louis Leterrier’s ‘Now You See Me’
Posted: January 25, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring AssignmentsTags: David Sardy, Louis Leterrier, Now You See Me
David Sardy has been hired to score the upcoming heist thriller Now You See Me. The movie is directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Clash of the Titans) and stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Melanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Common. The film follows a group of the world’s greatest illusionists who pull off daring bank heists during their performances. Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans) and Edward Ricour have written the screenplay and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Transformers) are producing via their Kurtzman Orci Paper Products company. It has been reported last year that The Chemical Brothers were previously attached to score the film. Read the rest of this entry »
T-Bone Burnett Reuniting with the Coen Brothers on ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’
Posted: January 24, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring AssignmentsTags: Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen, T Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett has reunited with Ethan and Joel Coen on their upcoming music-themed drama Inside Llewyn Davis. The movie based on the memoir of folk singer Dave Van Ronk, a friend of Bob Dylan’s and other famous musicians, stars Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham and John Goodman. The movie is set in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk music scene and follows a struggling musician from Queens who, despite being a talented singer and guitarist, can’t make ends meet. The Coens are producing the project with Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men, The Social Network). Read the rest of this entry »
James Horner to Receive Max Steiner Award
Posted: January 24, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music EventsTags: Hollywood in Vienna, James Horner, Max Steiner Award
James Horner has been chosen as the recipient of this year’s Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award, which will be presented at the annual Hollywood in Vienna Concert at Vienna Concert Hall on October 4, 2013. The Max Steiner Award honors extraordinary achievements within the genre of film music by the musical capital of Austria, Vienna. Previous recipients of the honor include Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore, Lalo Schifrin and John Barry. Horner has written over 100 film scores including the scores for the two biggest box office hits of all time, Titanic and Avatar. His other credits include Braveheart, A Beautiful Mind, Aliens, Apollo 13, Legends of the Fall, Field of Dreams, The Perfect Storm, House of Sand and Fog and The Amazing Spider-Man. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Life of Pi’ Music Featurette
Posted: January 24, 2013 by filmmusicreporter in Composer InterviewsTags: Ang Lee, Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
20th Century Fox has published a short video featurette about the music for Ang Lee’s 3D adventure drama Life of Pi. The video features composer Mychael Danna talking about his musical approach and his collaboration with the director, as well as footage from the recording sessions at the Newman Scoring Stage on the Fox lot in Los Angeles. Check out the video after the jump. The composer has received a Golden Globe for his music and is nominated for two Academy Awards for his score and the original song Pi’s Lullaby. The film’s soundtrack is now available on Sony Classical. Read the rest of this entry »
