Nick Urata has composed the music for the indie comedy A.C.O.D.. The film is directed by Stuart Zicherman (writer of Elektra) and stars Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O’Hara, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jane Lynch, Ken Howard and Clark Duke. The movie follows a man who learns he was enlisted in a study about divorced children many years ago and is ushered into a present-day follow-up study. Zicherman has also co-written the screenplay with Ben Karlin. Karlin has produced the Black Bear Pictures production with Teddy Schwarzman (Broken CityAt Any Price) and Tim Perell (Last Chance Harvey). A.C.O.D. is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month. Read the rest of this entry »

Fernando Velazquez has been tapped to score the family fantasy adventure Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box. The film is based on the novel by G.P. Taylor and stars Aneurin Barnard as a 17-year-old boy in Victorian England who is searching for his lost parents and kidnapped with his younger brother in a mysterious luxury hotel filled with villains, child-snatching creatures and a box which turns ordinary objects into gold. Michael Sheen, Lena Headey, Sam Neill, Keeley Hawes and Ioan Gruffudd are also starring. Jonathan Newman (Swinging with the Finkels)  is directing the film and Gavin Scott (Small Soldiers), Rob Sprackling & John Smith (Gnomeo & Juliet) have adapted the teen adventure novel for the screen. Peter Bevan & Karl Richards are producing for Entertainment Motion Pictures in association with Ibon Cormenzana & Ignasi Estape (Hawthorne) for Spain’s Arcadia Motion Pictures. Read the rest of this entry »

A number of lengthy video interviews with some of the composers who are considered major contenders this awards season have recently been published. David Poland from Movie City News has conducted interviews with three composers, including Mychael Danna who scored Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, Alexandre Deplat who has a number of titles in the race (Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Rise of the Guardians), as well as Thomas Newman who is joined by director John Madden of The Best Exotic Marigold and also has his music for Skyfall in contention. Check out all three full interviews after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Sony Classical will release the official soundtrack album for the action sequel A Good Day to Die Hard. The album features the film’s original score composed by Marco Beltrami (3:10 to Yuma, Scream) who previously scored the previous installment in the Die Hard series, Live Free or Die Hard. The soundtrack will be released on February 12, 2013 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. The full album details, including track list and cover art are expected to be revealed in early 2013. A Good Day to Die Hard is directed by John Moore who has previously worked with the composer on such films as Flight of the Phoenix, The Omen and Max Payne. Read the rest of this entry »

Five new movies are opening wide this week:

Opening today is the thriller Jack Reacher directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo and Robert Duvall. The film’s music is composed by Joe Kraemer who previously scored the director’s 2000 film The Way of the Gun. La-La Land Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score digitally earlier this week. The release date for the physical version is set for early January. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details.

Also opening today is the comedy drama This is 40 written and directed by Judd Apatow and starring Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, Robert Smigel, Charlyne Yi and Albert Brooks. The film’s original score is composed by Jon Brion (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). A soundtrack album featuring one score track by the composer, as well as the film’s songs by artists including Norah Jones, Fiona Apple, Graham Parker and Lindsey Buckingham (all produced by Jon Brion), Wilco and Ryan Adams has been released on Capitol Records. To check out the track list and learn more about the film and music, visit our previous article. Read the rest of this entry »

Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has announced the 15th annual Composer/Director Roundtable and 11th annual Snowball during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, slated for January 23 in Park City, Utah. BMI’s roundtable entitled Music & Film: The Creative Process will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sundance House. The conversation will be moderated by Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President, Film/TV Relations and focus on the relationship between composer and director. The participants will discuss what goes into creating a successful film score, the ingredients of an effective composer/director relationship, the Sundance film experience and more. Read the rest of this entry »

Christophe Beck and Dead Mono have composed the score for the upcoming indie romance The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman. The film is directed by Fredrik Bond and stars Shia LaBeouf in the title role of Charlie who falls for a Romanian beauty, played by Evan Rachel Wood, whose unreachable heart has its origins in her violent, charismatic ex. Mads Mikkelsen, Til Schweiger, Rupert Grint and James Buckley are co-starring. Matt Drake (Project X) has written the screenplay. Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa (Little Miss Sunshine, Cold Mountain), Craig J. Flores (300) and William Horberg (The Talented Mr. Ripley) are producing for Voltage Productions and Bona Fide Productions. Read the rest of this entry »

Joseph Bishara has signed on to score the upcoming supernatural thriller Dark Skies. The film is written and directed by Scott Stewart and stars Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyd and J.K. Simmons. The movie’s plot involves an alien disguised as a human and a boy tagged for abduction. Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity) is producing through his Blumhouse Productions company. Alliance Films is also producing. Bishara has previously scored the Blum-produced horror hit film Insidious. Stewart’s previous two films featured music by Christopher Young (Priest) and John Frizzell (Legion). Dark Skies is set to be released on February 22, 2013 by Dimension Films. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Stand Up Guys’ Score Album Details

Posted: December 19, 2012 by filmmusicreporter in Film Music Albums
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Lakeshore Records has announced a score album for the crime comedy Stand Up Guys. The album features the film’s original score composed by Lyle Workman (The 40-Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Win Win). Also included are four songs by artists Fort Knox Five, Crookers feat. Yelle and James Calvin Wilsey. The soundtrack will be released digitally on January 29, 2013. Audio clips are available after the jump. As previously reported, the label has also released a soundtrack featuring the film’s songs, including Jon Bon Jovi’s original track Not Running Anymore, which has been nominated for a Golden Globe last week. Stand Up Guys is directed by Fisher Stevens and stars Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin as retired gangster who reunite for one epic night. The film is currently playing in select theaters for an Awards-qualifying run and will be opening nationwide on February 1, 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

John Debney Scoring ‘The Hive’

Posted: December 19, 2012 by filmmusicreporter in Film Scoring Assignments
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John Debney is currently scoring the thriller The Hive. The film is helmed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Session 9) and stars Halle Berry as a 911 emergency operator who must face her own fears in order to save a teenage girl from a disturbed killer. Abigail Breslin, Justina Machado, Morris Chestnut and Michael Imperioli are co-starring. Rich D’Ovidio (Thir13en Ghosts, Exits Wounds) has written the screenplay and Robert Stein, Michael Helfant and Jeff Graup are producing the Troika Pictures production. The Hive is currently in post-production and is expected to be released in 2013. Read the rest of this entry »