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 »

Rob Simonsen has been tapped to score the comedy drama The Spectacular Now. The film is directed by James Ponsoldt (Smashed) and stars Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Bob Odenkirk and Andre Royo. The movie follows a high school senior and the mercurial introvert he attempts to “save” from life as a social outcast. The dramedy is based on a novel by Tim Tharp and has been adapted for the screen by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer, which Simonsen co-scored). Tom McNulty (Date Night) & Shawn Levy (A Night at the Museum), Michelle Krumm and Andrew Lauren are producing the 21 Laps, Global Produce and ALP production. Read the rest of this entry »

La-La Land Records has announced the details of the soundtrack release for Christopher McQuarrie’s thriller Jack Reacher. The album features the film’s original music composed by Joe Kraemer (The Way of the Gun). The soundtrack is now available to download on iTunes, where you can also check out audio clips. A CD version featuring one track not included on the digital album will be released on January 4, 2013 by La-La Land Records. Click here to pre-order the CD and listen to more audio clips. Jack Reacher stars Tom Cruise as military policeman-turned-drifter Jack Reacher, who gets sucked into the mystery surrounding the arrest of a sniper accused of killing five random people in a shooting. Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo and Robert Duvall are co-starring in the film, which will be released on December 21 by Paramount Pictures. Read the rest of this entry »

Mychael Danna will be honored with the Frederick Loewe Music Award at the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The composer will be receiving the award for his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, for which he already received a Golden Globe, as well as a Broadcast Film Critics Association Movie Award nomination. Danna composed the score and has also co-written the original song Pi’s Lullaby for the film. Past recipients of the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing include Alexandre Desplat, Danny Elfman, Howard Shore and Randy Newman. Danna will be be recognized at a gala on January 5, 2012 at the Palm Springs Convention Center along with other honorees Richard Gere, Bradley Cooper, Helen Mirren, Sally Field, Helen Hunt, Naomi Watts, Robert Zemeckis, Tom Hooper and the cast of Argo.

Decca Records will release a soundtrack album for the BBC original mini-series Dancing on the Edge. The album features the features the series’ original score composed by Adrian Johnston (Becoming Jane, Kinky Boots). The soundtrack will be released in the UK on January 14, 2013. Dancing on the Edge is written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff who has previously collaborated with Johnston a number of times and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Wunmi Mosaku, Angel Coulby and John Goodman. The five-part series produced by Nicky Kentish Barnes (Match Point, About A Boy) follows the Louis Lester Band as they find fame amongst the parties and performances of upper class society in the capital. The BBC production will premiere in January 2013 on BBC2. Read the rest of this entry »