Thomas Newman is currently scoring the upcoming drama Saving Mr. Banks. The film is directed by John Lee Hancock and follows Walt Disney’s 14-year effort to persuade Australian author P.L. Travers to sell him the film rights to her book Mary Poppins. Tom Hanks stars as in the lead role as Disney and Emma Thompson portrays Travers. The cast also includes Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Annie Buckley, Bradley Whitford, Paul Giamatti and Kathy Baker. Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak are portraying Mary Poppins composers Richard and Robert Sherman in supporting roles. Kelly Marcel (Terra Nova) wrote the screenplay and Alison Owen (Elizabeth, Jane Eyre) is producing the drama with Ian Collie and Philip Steuer (The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy). The project marks the first collaboration between Newman and Hancock.
Tag: Thomas Newman
Thomas Newman to Score Pixar’s ‘The Good Dinosaur’
Thomas Newman revealed at a recent event at Le Moyne and Syracuse University as part of their Film Talk Series (via The Dolphin) that he will be reteaming with Pixar on next year’s animated feature The Good Dinosaur. The movie is directed by Bob Peterson and is set in a world where the cataclysmic asteroid that changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct. Pixar and Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter and John Walker (The Incredibles) are producing the film. Peterson previously co-directed Pixar’s Up, which featured an Academy Award-winning score by Michael Giacchino. Newman has previously scored two animated films for Pixar, Finding Nemo and Wall-E, both directed by Andrew Stanton.
SCL Hosts Annual Oscar Nominees Reception
This afternoon, the Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL) hosted its annual reception honoring the Academy Award-nominated composers and songwriters in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song category at the home of composer John Cacavas in Beverly Hills. All five nominated composers in the score category attended the event: John Williams (Lincoln), Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina), Alexandre Desplat (Argo), Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) and Thomas Newman (Skyfall). Among the attendants in the Best Original Song category were J. Ralph (nominated for the song Before My Time from Chasing Ice), Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer & Alain Boublil (nominated for the original song Suddenly from Les Miserables), Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri (who received a nomination for Pi’s Lullaby from Life of Pi), Walter Murphy (nominated for the song Everybody Needs a Best Friend from Ted with Seth MacFarlane) and Paul Epworth (nominated for the title song of Skyfall with Adele).
Oscar-Nominated Composers in Conversation
John Williams was featured today in a news segment on CNN about his 48 Academy Award nominations. The five-time Oscar-winning who is up for the award this Sunday for his score for Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln talks about his nomination, his past work and his collaboration with the director. The Academy has also published short videos interviews with three of the nominated composers: first time nominee Mychael Danna who received a nod for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, Alexandre Desplat who is nominated for his music for Ben Affleck’s Argo and Thomas Newman who received his 11th nomination for Sam Mendes’ James Bond film Skyfall. Check out all videos after the jump.
Thomas Newman Wins BAFTA for ‘Skyfall’
Thomas Newman has received his second BAFTA for his score for the latest James Bond film Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig in the Original Music category. Newman accepted the award in person at the awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London. He was nominated alongside Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina), Alexandre Desplat (Argo), Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) and John Williams (Lincoln). The composer has previously received the award for his music for American Beauty in 2000, his first collaboration with Mendes. Newman is also up for an Academy Award for his Skyfall score.
UPDATE (February 11, 2013): Check out Newman’s acceptance speech, as well as a backstage interview with the composer after the jump.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (February 8, 2013)
Two new movies are opening in wide release this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the crime comedy Identity Thief directed by Seth Gordon and starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Robert Patrick and Eric Stonestreet. The film’s music is composed by Christopher Lennertz (Horrible Bosses, NBC’s Revolution). A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, as well as a cover of James Brown’s The Payback performed by Amanda Brown and a song by Ty Taylor has been released digitally earlier this week on Back Lot Music. A CD version will be released next month by La-La Land Records. To learn more about the soundtrack and to listen to audio clips, check out our previous article.
Also opening wide is the psychological thriller Side Effects directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Thomas Newman has composed his third score for the director following Erin Brockovich and The Good German. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music is now available digitally and will be released in March on CD by Varese Sarabande. For the full album details, check out our soundtrack announcement.
‘Side Effects’ Soundtrack Details
Varese Sarabande has announced the details of the soundtrack album for Steven Soderbergh’s psychological thriller Side Effects. The album features the film’s score composed by Thomas Newman who previously collaborated with the director on Erin Brockovich and The Good German. Newman’s music for the movie has been singled out by numerous major film critics including Roger Ebert over the past few weeks. The soundtrack is now available digitally and the CD version is scheduled to be released on March 5, 2013 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Audio clips can be checked out after the jump. Side Effects starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones follows a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug intended to treat anxiety has unexpected side effects.
Cutting Edge Group Acquires Varèse Sarabande Record Label
The New York Times and Variety are reporting that the Cutting Edge Group and its partner Wood Creek Capital Management have acquired the soundtrack record label Varèse Sarabande. With the purchase of the label, Cutting Edge will extend its portfolio that includes the management of music rights, the representation of composers and upfront investment in the music for films. According to the article, the plan for Varèse Sarabande is to increase its output by half to at least 60 soundtracks a year under the new ownership. It is expected that the label will release most or all of the soundtracks for the films that Cutting Edge will be working on. Among the upcoming projects that Cutting Edge is involved in are Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects, which features a score composed by Thomas Newman, as well as Taylor Hackford’s Parker scored by David Buckley. Both scores will be released on the Varèse label.
Awards Contenders in Conversation
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.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (November 9, 2012)
Only one movie is opening wide this weekend:
Opening nationwide today after an IMAX pre-release yesterday is the 23rd James Bond movie Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw. The film’s title song is performed by Adele and is available to download here. Thomas Newman has composed the movie’s score. Sony Classical has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. For audio clips and the full album details, check out our previous article. Also click here for a short video from the recording sessions at Abbey Road and check out a video with the composer on the red carpet world premiere on YouTube. Another interview with Newman is available on Film Music Magazine.
Opening in limited release is the biographical drama Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, David Strathairn, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, Jeremy Strong, Bruce McGill and Joseph Crosmarks. The film’s music is composed by John Williams. Sony Classical has released a soundtrack album featuring Williams’ score. Check out our soundtrack announcement for audio clips and the full album details. Also check out a short video interview with the composer from yesterday’s Hollywood premiere at AFI Fest and click here for another interview.