George Fenton has passed away unexpectedly today at the age of 76. The British composer has written numerous scores for film, television, and theater over a career spanning more than four decades. He earned five Academy Award nominations, receiving nods for his original scores for Richard Attenborough’s historical epic Gandhi (shared with Ravi Shankar), Attenborough’s Cry Freedom (shared with Jonas Gwangwa), Stephen Frears’ Dangerous Liaisons, and Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King, as well for the title song from Cry Freedom. His other notable feature film scoring credits include Harold Ramis’ Groundhog Day, Andy Tennant’s Ever After, Anna and the King & Sweet Home Alabama, Nora Ephron’s romantic comedies You’ve Got Mail & Lucky Numbers and Michael Caton-Jones’ Memphis Belle.
Tag: George Fenton
George Fenton Scoring Trudie Styler’s ‘Up Against It’
George Fenton (Dangerous Liaisons, Groundhog Day, The Blue Planet, Anna and the King, Hitch, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, The Lady in the Van) has recently recorded his score for the upcoming British comedy Up Against It. The film is directed by Trudie Styler (Freak Show, The Sweatbox) and stars Antonio Banderas, Forest Whitaker, Úrsula Corberó, Eva Birthistle, Eden Hamilton and Arinzé Kene. The movie follows a a long-divorced and estranged couple who must reunite for an unexpected mission: having another child to save their teenage daughter’s future.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (December 26, 2025)
Opening in theaters nationwide this weekend following special 70mm presentations last week is the comedy drama Marty Supreme co-written and directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Tyler Okonma, Fran Drescher, Kevin O’Leary and Abel Ferrara. The film’s original music is composed by Danie Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) (Uncut Gems, Good Time, Hurry Up Tomorrow, The Bling Ring,The Mountain). A24 Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score yesterday. Check out our previous article for the full album details and to learn more about the A24 release.
Also opening wide is the horror comedy Anaconda co-written and directed by Tom Gormican and starring Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn and Selton Mello. David Fleming (Superman, The Last of Us, Eternity, Damsel, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Alto Knights, Jim Henson: Idea Man, Americana) has composed the film’s original music. Madison Gate Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score yesterday. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and for more information about the Sony Pictures Classics release.
George Fenton Scoring Nicholas Hytner’s ‘The Choral’
Composer George Fenton (Dangerous Liaisons, Groundhog Day, Anna and the King, The Blue Planet, Hitch) is reuniting with director Nicholas Hytner on the upcoming British comedy drama The Choral. The film is written by Alan Bennett and stars Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and Simon Russell Beale. The movie takes place in Ramsden, Yorkshire, 1916 and follows a group of teenage boys and girls who join the ambitious local Choral and discover the joys of singing and the urgency of desire as the new boys come to terms with their imminent conscription into the army.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (May 9, 2025)
Opening in theaters nationwide this weekend is the action thriller Shadow Force co-written and directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Kerry Washington, Omar Sy, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Mark Strong and Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The film’s original music is composed by Craig DeLeon (Strange Darling, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, A Man in Full, Fatal Attraction, End of the Road, Velma, Music, Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul). Lionsgate Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score today. Check out our previous article for the full album details and to learn more about the Lionsgate release.
Also opening wide is the action thriller Fight or Flight directed by James Madigan and starring Josh Hartnett, Katee Sackhoff, Marko Zaror, Charithra Chandran and Julian Kostov. Paul Saunderson (Trying, Love at First Sight, Three Identical Strangers, Starfish, The More You Ignore Me, Picture This, The Grand Duke of Corsica) has composed the film’s original music. Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as a song performed by Stephen Warwick this past March when the movie premiered in the UK. Click here for the full album details and for more information about the movie, which is being distributed stateside by Vertical.
‘Gandhi’ Digital Soundtrack Album Released
Sony Classical has released a digital version of the soundtrack album for the Academy Award-winning 1982 epic Gandhi directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, John Mills, Trevor Howard and Martin Sheen. The album features the film’s original music composed by Ravi Shankar (Apu Trilogy, Charyly) and George Fenton (Dangerous Liaisons, The Blue Planet, Anna and the King, Groundhog Day, Hitch, Ever After) who received their first Academy Award nomination for their score. Visit Amazon or any other major digital music services to stream/download the soundtrack. Also listen to the first two tracks (31st January 1948 & South Africa – The Beginning) below.
‘The Jewel in the Crown’ Digital Soundtrack Album Released
Shogun Music has released a digital version of the soundtrack album for the 1984 British miniseries The Jewel in the Crown created by Christopher Morahan, Jim O’Brien, Ken Taylor & Irene Shubik and starring Art Malik, Geraldine James, Saeed Jaffrey, Charles Dance, Tim Pigott-Smith and Peggy Ashcroft. The album features selections of the show’s original music composed by Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner George Fenton (Dangerous Liaisons, Anna and the King, The Blue Planet, Groundhog Day, Hitch, Ever After, Gandhi). The soundtrack is now available to stream/download on Amazon and any other major digital music services. Also listen to the composer’s main title track below. Chrysalis has previously released the original soundtrack album on vinyl in 1985, while EMI Records has released a CD version a couple of years later.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (April 5, 2024)
Opening in theaters nationwide this weekend is the supernatural horror prequel The First Omen co-written and directed by Arkasha Stevenson and starring Nell Tiger Free, Tawkeef Barhom, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga and Bill Nighy. The film’s original music is composed by Mark Korven (The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Black Phone, Cube, Night Swim, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, The Peripheral). Hollywood Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score today. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to learn more about the 20th Century Studios release.
Also opening nationwide is the action thriller Monkey Man directed by Dev Patel and starring Patel himself, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sobhita Dhulipala, Adithi Kalkunte and Ashwini Kalsekar. Jed Kurzel (Alien: Covenant, The Babadook, Overlord, Macbeth, The Oxford Murders, The Pope’s Exorcist, The Mustang, Assassin’s Creed) has composed the film’s original music. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as songs by Sneha Khanwalkar today. Click here for the full album details and for more information about the movie, which is being released by Universal Pictures.
‘Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts’ Soundtrack Album Released
Shogun Music has released a soundtrack album for the British documentary Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts. The album features the film’s original score composed by Academy Award nominee George Fenton (Dangerous Liaisons, Anna and the King, Groundhog Day, The Blue Planet, Hitch, Gandhi, Ever After). The soundtrack is now available to stream/download on all major digital music services, including Amazon. Also listen to the composer’s closing titles track after the jump. Elizabeth: A Portrait in Parts marks the final movie of director Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Changing Lanes) and chronicles the great monarch’s life, honoring her playful and joyous spirit while also diving into many of the biggest political, social and personal issues that she dealt with in her reign.
‘Dangerous Beauty’ Digital Soundtrack Album Released
Shogun Music has released a digital version of the soundtrack album for the 1998 biographical drama Dangerous Beauty directed by Marshall Herskovitz and starring Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, Oliver Platt, Moira Kelly, Fred Ward, Naomi Watts and Jacqueline Bisset. The album features the film’s original music composed and conducted by Academy Award nominee George Fenton (Gandhi, Groundhog Day, Dangerous Liaisons, The Blue Planet, Anna and the King, Hitch). Visit Amazon or any other major digital music services to stream/download the soundtrack. Restless Records has previously released a (now out-of-print) CD version when the movie opened in theaters in 1998.