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Soundtrax: Episode 2025-6
June-July, 2025

By Randall D. Larson

Feature Interviews:

Interview with Marcelo Zarvos – NONNAS and GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY
• Interview with Dominic Lewis on YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS

News:

• Film & TV Music News
• New Soundtrack News
• Non-Film Music Works by Film Composers
• Documentary Film & Soundtrack News
• Vinyl & Video Game Soundtracks

With NONNAS, Marcelo discussed working with Director Stephen Chabosky to create a score that reflects Italian American culture, particularly in New York, while also capturing the universal theme of cultural transmission through food and love. They used instruments like strings, accordion, mandolin, clarinet, and nylon guitar to evoke an Italian experience, with piano added for emotional scenes. Marcelo noted that Stephen, who is a musician himself, was very involved in the music selection process, providing feedback and contributing to the collaborative effort.

Watch the NONNAS Trailer:

Q: How did you work with director Stephen Chabosky in creating the score and its style of music?

Marcelo Zarvos: We talked a lot about Italian music, generally and specifically Italian American music, which is very similar. But also, there are some differences, and a lot of the film is about the American experience, particularly here in New York and Staten Island and Brooklyn, and what would be some ways we could honor that. But also, to honor the heart of the story, which is a universal story of just the passing of culture through food and love from generation to generation. I’m always very interested in films when we can, in an almost more mythological way, get to what is at the heart of the story, you know, or what could have been. A different version of the story could happen in Japan, with a Japanese grandmother, in my native Brazil, or anywhere. It’s this idea of feeling that love. Do you know that many of us have been lucky to feel this in some way or another? You know what that feels like when you know how food brings you back to that moment, and you feel love and all of that. That was something that I talked about with Stephen; he is somebody I’ve worked with very closely in the past. We worked on his film, WONDER, quite a few years ago; Stephen is one of my favorite directors to work with. He loves music. He’s a musician himself. He wrote the end title song for this film. He’s very, very knowledgeable. He loves to get in there, and I’ll be playing things, and he’s one of those directors that I’ll have sessions where I’m playing, and he says, “I love that chord, I love that part.” There’s this collaborative thing with him and this enthusiasm that is very infectious.

Q: What instrumental palette did the project’s budget permit for this series?

Marcelo Zarvos: We were okay with it. We knew it would not be a giant orchestral score; we could use strings, but the strings are more of a backing thing. They’re never really at the forefront of the score. They’re giving more weight and emotion. But we wanted a palette for the soloistic instruments that would reflect culturally more of an Italian experience. We had a lot of accordions, mandolins, clarinets, and nylon guitars. Those would be the main elements. I always tend to have a piano in my scores because Steven loves piano, and I play it, and it always finds its way there somehow, especially for emotional scenes and all of that. But the basic idea was to have them plucked, with string instruments like guitar and mandolin, accordion, and clarinet as the instruments we wanted to get some juice out of.

Q: How did the aspect of the Italian restaurant and the chefs play into your score?

Marcelo Zarvos: The restaurant makes the character, played by Vince Vaughn, capture the family. I mean, that’s what he’s trying to do, that idea of sharing food. So, I would say it was. It was emotional. There’s nostalgia that would. That was very strong, like what he’s trying to connect with this time through food; hopefully, the music helps make that connection. The story’s arc is in the very beginning; it’s not really a spoiler, but his grandmother passes away. You never see her in the past; it is only at the movie’s start when he serves his mother in the restaurant.  At home, he is trying to cook one of the recipes that she did, but he doesn’t quite get it. I was very proud of that because we used this theme for that scene, where he’s trying to cook the sauce, which is the gravy, the heart of the dishes, and he doesn’t quite get it, and the theme ends in this kind of unresolved way. And we also resolved it at the end of the film, after many trials and tribulations, when he finally nails that recipe, and the theme has its logical conclusion. That was an enjoyable thing to do; I always feel like those little surprises and those little hidden things are fun to have in a score. And so, it was a lot about, you know, the enthusiasm of trying to get this restaurant going.
So, the characters of the Nonas – it’s like grandma, you know, in Italian. It’s the practical way that you would call your grandmother, Nono for Grandfather, Nona for Grandma – and there are 4 of them in this film. One is a little crankier. The other is very sexy. Susan Sarandon is very sexy, and they bicker with each other. And so, there was that aspect of them, you know, because they are. An integral part of this restaurant is the desire to honor them and their traditions. They’re not his Nonnas; they’re somebody else’s Nonnas. So, the music needed to capture their individual spirits. One of them is from Sicily, and she has this dish called The Capuzzelle, which is like a goat’s head. And I think for a lot of people, it’ll be Whoa! That’s quite intense, you know, but we dove into a little bit of one of my favorite sub-styles of music, which is Italian jazz. Film music, you know, is kind of like – you know, the stuff that Nino Rota and Morricone did so great in many of those movies, especially Nina Rota. Of course, they were both great trumpet players, and they understood jazz. But I always loved that kind of Italian jazz. It’s a little different. Also, you can’t help but put a smile on your face with this swing Italian jazz theme.

Q: What can you tell me about the performance artists (i.e., your piano music and Pink Martini’s China Forbes on “Hyatt Street”?)

Marcelo Zarvos: In the film, the restaurant is called Enoteca Maria. It’s on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs there, and it’s quite an impractical place for somebody to go to, being that it’s an island and for somebody to open a restaurant. But that’s kind of the charm of the story, and it is a true story; everything that you see did happen. So, he sees a storefront, an abandoned, old restaurant. And he decides to make a new restaurant there. He’s like, I’m gonna make a restaurant here. He goes on a romantic whim, like, I want to connect with my past this way. It’s not a smooth ride at first, but ultimately, it’s very satisfying for him and everybody. And now, of course, getting a reservation in this place is impossible!

Q: What can you tell me about the musical performances in the film? Artists such as your piano music in the film and Pink Martini’s China Forbes on Hyatt Street are really wonderful pieces.

Marcelo Zarvos: Stephen wrote the piano music piece, and the piano, for me, is an extension of how I experience music. My dialogue with music is primarily through the piano. The piano is the place that I always come back to. That was my first instrument and still is my first love, and it’s always wonderful to reconnect differently. One of my favorite score pieces is when the Nonnas are sitting around the day before the opening and get a little drunk, and they start talking about their lives, the happy things in their lives, sad things, and they all kind of really bond. That was a perfect place to have a solo piano piece. Those are the queues where I would look at the scene and play along with it – and try to be in the room with them. It’s something that I would enjoy doing, and it’s something that I know that Steven enjoys having in his scores.
Marcelo has also recently scored the Hulu original GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY. The drama is inspired by the disturbing stories surrounding a Midwestern couple who adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism. But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, mystery emerges around her age and background, and they slowly start to suspect she may not be who she claims.

Watch the GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY Trailer:



Q: Moving on to the GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY score. Tell me about that and how you got involved with it.

Marcelo Zarvos: With GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY, the showrunner, Katie Robbins, is somebody I had worked with on a show called THE AFFAIR that I did many moons ago. She was one of the writers. She was not the showrunner of THE AFFAIR, but she was one of the leading writers. We knew each other, and we were very friendly. She’s highly talented and has been doing great stuff. She did a fantastic show before GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY called SUNNY, which was an excellent show with Rashida Jones. She called me and asked if I was interested in it. I took a look at the story, and the story is quite wild. It’s a disturbing story of what happens in the film. The one element in common with these two projects is that they deal with family and what people will do to connect with a family. And in the case of GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY, this family has three biological children, and now they’ve adopted a young girl that has a sporadic form of dwarfism. And, as soon as they adopt her, they think that maybe there’s something wrong with her, and perhaps she’s not who she’s saying she is, and that’s how the story unfolds. I’m not saying much about where it goes because I think that would be a real spoiler, and suffice it to say, it’s not what you think it is. One of the fascinating things about that score was what I learned from reading the scripts. They warned me that we would change the characters’ perspective halfway through the season.
So, in the first four episodes, you see it from the family’s point of view, receiving this girl. You don’t know the girl on her own; it’s always through their eyes because, later, there’s a trial that happens. And there’s a lot of testimony about this happening or that happened, and you realize how flawed memory can be. People, even when they have the best intentions – and, frankly, some of the characters in the show did not have the best intentions. But what was interesting is that in this previous show that I had worked on with Katie, THE AFFAIR, every episode used to have a different perspective. Halfway through the episode, you will see these two characters and different perspectives on the same events. So, in this case, during the fifth episode, we knew we were shifting perspectives, and the whole time, I was preparing to. How are we going to do that? We’d change all the music, and it would become a completely different score that felt like that would break the unity. So, we decided on instrumentation, and I kept that process throughout the score. This is probably one of the most disciplined scores I’ve written in terms of laying a theme for the main titles and sticking with it. When we get to the different perspective by the fifth episode, we change the instrumentation radically from a chamber orchestra to more of a family drama and to sort of an electronic texture – a lot of sense and distortion. Everything gets a little warped, but the same theme and the same melodies are still very present.
That was interesting because you felt for this girl when you finally experienced her story from her point of view. It’s heartbreaking what happens with her, but then, like you want to make somebody cry, you pull on the strings and the heartstrings. But in this case, we found that using electronics and going with a colder sound, in contrast with her situation, made it even more heartbreaking. So, it was a learning thing for me, too. Sometimes, we have this preconception of what music does, but it’s always at the counterpoint with what’s happening in a film. And that was a great discovery that, by making the music, on some accounts, colder and less human, it made us feel more for this girl.

Q: Yeah. I also like your piano use throughout much of the score. What brought this into your palette?


Marcelo Zarvos: The piano is like my instrument, and I use it often. With many scores, composers will say this is the one I’m not going to use the piano at all, and then, you know, the directors or the showrunners will say, “Oh, can you just try piano cue?” And, of course, I oblige. I feel like the piano can go in many different directions, but it’s mostly, for me, a direct translation of my musical ideas. There is no separation. It’s just me going straight in, and I think in the case of Natalia, the character in this film, the piano tends to be more treated. The piano is a lot more electronic and treated, sometimes dreamier, or sometimes scarier, and not as a straight-ahead piano sound. The music itself is pretty different. It’s a little bit more complex and a little bit more psychological. In some ways, the feelings are complicated feelings of love or fear and despair, and it runs the gamut.

Q: The “Suspicious Agency” cue is one that I liked to listen to. How did this piece come about?

Marcelo Zarvos:
That was from early in the story because of how it is told, and it’s a true story; it’s not like they just invented this. There is somebody that is well-meaning in the story, that is, or so you think, but turns out to be quite of a very dubious agency that they find this girl through. But the music had to have a certain sense of intrigue but not be too heavy. That was part of this. The challenge with the story was that you know, ultimately, it was a family with a child. There are no monsters; there are no people with guns. You see, the tension is psychological, and we always tried to keep a certain lightness to the music in the textures and also in the momentum of the music, and a sense of child, whether you are looking at a child or a child looking at themselves; that piece was about intrigue, but always not getting too heavy with it, and being light on its feet.

Q: I felt the growing power of “Entering the Courtroom” was especially moving. What can you tell me about that cue, and how it concludes your score?

Marcelo Zarvos: That was the grand finale, and, in a very transformative way, the original theme in the title sequence, but in a much more energetic and climactic way. Also, the score goes back to a much more orchestral sound, but more of a chamber orchestra. We were lucky to record in Los Angeles with LA’s finest players. In the last episode and this conclusion, you’re mentioning, the score almost departs from itself, and we gave ourselves permission to take it to a different level. Sometimes, showrunners and directors say, okay, let’s go to the next level now, and that’s what that was, but still using the melodic and harmonic cells that were planted in from the beginning of the story, but much more like a montage kind of way. It pushes the music along.

Q: As the film progresses, what other musical cues are particularly intriguing for you and your music without any spoilers for the audience?

Marcelo Zarvos:
We divided the more or less between the family perspective, and then the girl’s perspective, and then in some of the last two episodes, where it’s sort of everybody’s perspective, and the stuff that happens with Natalia, alone, looking for food and some of the stuff that is in the middle of the album. These are the places where, as I mentioned, I went for that more electronic sound. And we’re using this kind of old synth and pulsating kind of sequencers and things like that. One sound that the director loved that we used throughout was a single-string pizzicato, like the plucked strings of the violin. She liked that a lot. The first time I wrote that, she really loved something about it, particularly because it was a single violin. It’s a very small, sound, and very kind of childlike, and that is throughout. Many cues will have pizzicato sounds, which is another kind of element that I’ve enjoyed, and I think it is an integral part of the score.

Q: Is there anything coming up that you can talk about at this point?


Marcelo Zarvos:
Sure. I’m working on the 3rd season of THE DIPLOMAT, a Netflix show, and their second season. It’s a fantastic show with Keri Russell; it’s pretty different. It’s kind of a thriller, but with some humorous elements, about the world of diplomacy and a lot of pomp and circumstance in the sets because of where it happens and deals with Presidents and Prime Ministers and the machine of government. And it’s a lot of fun, and I enjoy it. Debora Cahn is the showrunner. I’m also working on a documentary about Nelson Mandela, the South African leader, with my long-time collaborator, Antoine Fuqua. We’ve done many movies, like THE EQUALIZER, EMANCIPATION, and many others, and he is working with me on this very special documentary about Mandela. It’s a very different view of Mandela’s life that I think people haven’t seen, and I’m very excited for the world to see this.

Special thanks to Ray Costa, Sam DeFrank, and Marcelo Zarvos for facilitating this interview!

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A hedge fund manager resorts to burglary after losing his job, targeting wealthy neighbors to maintain his family’s lifestyle. However, he makes a fateful error, breaking into the wrong home.
Andrew “Coop” Cooper is coming to terms with his divorce. He’s also a hedge fund manager who was recently fired in disgrace from his job. So, to maintain his lifestyle, Coop resorts to stealing from his neighbors’ homes in the exceedingly affluent Westmont Village, only to discover that the secrets and affairs hidden behind those wealthy facades might be more dangerous than he ever imagined - written by Brianfabulous. He lost his job, his family, and his money. What else is there to lose? Jon Hamm stars in Your Friends & Neighbors — Now Streaming on Apple TV+
Trailer:


Jonathan Tropper created the series, which Stephanie Laing, Greg Yaitanes, Craig Gillespie, and Tropper directed. Dominic Lewis composed the music. Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee, Mark Tallman, Lena Hall, Aimee Carrero, Eunice Bae, Isabel Gravitt, and Donovan Colan star alongside Hamm.
Lewis’s other recent projects include KARATE KID: LEGENDS (to be released in theaters on May 30). He has also recently scored Apple TV+’s DOPE THIEF, which premiered last month, with new episodes dropping every Friday.
FilmMusicReporter

Q: What brought you to scoring YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS?

Dominic Lewis:
I’d previously worked with Brad Carpenter on the Netflix show KALEIDOSCOPE [2023, Action/Crime], and Brad is married to Chris Arruda, the producer on FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. They’d asked me to demo for it, and I’m not one to demo, but I said, “can I read the script?” So, I’d read the first script, adored it, read the second script, and then I’d emailed them and asked if I could get more! So, they sent me two more, and I read up to four, but then they said they couldn’t send me any more! I fell in love with it at the script stage, and I decided to demo it because I loved it.

Q: How did you and Hamilton Leithauser work to create the series theme song, “The Joneses” (Main Title Theme from Your Friends & Neighbors)

Dominic Lewis: I went over to New York for the first spotting session of episode one, and whilst talking about music and what we would do, it came up that Dom writes songs; why don’t we give him a crack on the main title? I don’t think they were sure they would do a main title at that time. So, I came back to L.A., wrote a song, and everyone loved it, and then it was who we would get to sing this. There were a bunch of names thrown out. Jon Hamm (series star) was a big fan of Hamilton Leithauser, so we wondered if we could get Hamilton involved. And then Hamilton said yes, and, at first, it was just Hamilton who was supposed to sing it, but he came into the fray and was like, well, I think we could change this a little bit. We could do that, and Apple opened to him changing some of the lyrics and making them more poetic, so what was a done deal just became this workshop, which was great; he came in, he changed a bit of the verse, and he rewrote the lyrics, and then I went back to New York to record it with him, and then even we were still working on second verse lyrics and second chorus lyrics and how we could make it better, so it was just this constant, evolving thing. I think it ended up in a great place. We kept the earworm of CAN’T KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES that was initially there in my original song, and I think it’s cool.

Q: Would you describe your musical pallet(s) for the series, and how did you develop it during the show?

Dominic Lewis: From the beginning, Jonathon (Tropper) was adamant that it needed to be piano based. That was my starting point. So that’s where the opening motif of the main title came from; I was mucking around with chords and what encapsulated Coop and YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. That first chord sequence is what allowed me to jump off the deep end and let sucked in. And then I’ve been listening to a bunch of 1990s Brit pop, The Eels, XTC, the kind of quirky stuff that I thought would fit, and kind of the things that maybe Coop would listen to in his spare time, just channeling that, so, from that very primitive piano that is always going to be emotional and was a great tool throughout the whole thing. I built in a kind of cooler soundscape, the stuff I’ve been listening to, and inspiration there, whether it was Brit Pop or Trip Hop or just a cooler, more production sound around it. And then, around the season, those tracks got stripped away because as everything gets more chaotic and serious, those instruments took a back seat until they came barreling in in that last episode. So, when I needed to keep it kind of quirky and cool, I would bring in those extra elements from the pallet, and then when I needed to make it more serious, it was more of a piano-based, emotional journey.

Q: What was the process of spotting music for the episodes?

Dominic Lewis:
It changed. I went over it initially because I hadn’t met anyone in person, and it was all over the phone and zoom. So, I went over to New York for the first episode, and we spotted it fairly traditionally, everyone in a room and playing the episode, and we want music here, and we don’t like the temp here, and we do like the temp there, and all the usual things. And then on episode two, I think we did it on zoom, and it was fairly quick, and then we just came to the feeling that, you know, they’ll make spotting notes there of what they like or what they don’t like, and they’ll send them to me, and then I’ll just have a crack at the episode. Sometimes, I’ll agree with the spotting notes. Sometimes I didn’t, sometimes I felt that we didn’t need music there, sometimes I’d put it where there wasn’t music in the temp. It worked great because when you do these things, you’re always going to get notes, and someone’s always going to think about something, so you might just as well give them your first impression of what the music should be. And, on the whole, it worked out great. There were a few moments in the season that I had to do three or four times, but it was a really good way of doing it.

Q: What types of characters were involved in the series, and how did you treat them musically across the episodes?

Dominic Lewis: Well, Coop is the lynchpin; he’s the main theme, and he’s got kind of two elements – he’s got that piano chord sequence that happens at the beginning of the main title, and then he’s got that tri-tone that occurred in the chorus. That was really useful for me, moving through the season, because whenever he’s in trouble or whenever we don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s an unstable musical interval, and that was the goal, to use it in the first place, is when he’s in trouble if we don’t what’s going to happen, or he’s having issues or whatever it may be. So that tri-tone, or that figure, evolves throughout the whole season. Mel’s theme is based on Coop’s notes. Still, it’s more of a question because we never really know where she stands and where she is emotionally, and that one’s really interesting, so I wanted to keep the melody open, and it never resolves. And then, everyone else is a motif or a certain area of the pallet, and it was all related to Coop. It was his journey, and he’s the lynchpin, so that was sort of; how do I change his theme and the YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS theme and guide that through the whole season? But it was Coop and Mel who were the strongest melodic themes.

Q:  How did you treat the comedic musical elements of the series?


Dominic Lewis:
That’s a really good question! With comedy, I’m always one for staying away! I don’t score comedy because it lands better when you’re not extenuating it. The comedy of this embraces its quirkiness. That was important for Jonathan. That’s not scoring comedy, and that’s not answering your question, but answering your question, I tried to stay away from comedy with the music as much as possible. And it was more embracing his quirky nature, like in his friend’s houses stealing stuff, and that was… whether it was processed pizzicato strings, because pure pizzicato strings would have been way too on the nose. So, I would do that and then mess it up a lot cooler, pitch them down, or stretch them. And, more often than not, it was a rhythmic thing – fun rhythms that would keep it quirky, that stopped it from getting too dark or getting bogged down in the seriousness of burglary, essentially! So, yeah, that was the main device I used: rhythmic stuff and fun rhythms, making sure the harmony wasn’t too serious when he was going through these houses and stealing stuff! As I said, it was really important for Jonathan to keep it quirky and whimsical.

Q: What other kinds of music did you use throughout the series?

Dominic Lewis: When we got to episode seven, with Paul’s wake, Jonathan called me and said, “I think it would be cool if we used the soundscape of the quartet playing at the wake and work that into this nine- or ten-minute section. So, we go from diegetic to non-diegetic and back, so we’re scoring the dramatic moments and making our own pastiche quartet for the wake. So, I mean, I love all that stuff, and honestly, it was so fun to do! My dad played in the Medici quartet for 30 years, so I grew up with quartet music, so I got fully stuck into that; I was pastiching Mozart and Schubert and having such fun with it and then going a bit darker when we had the raid of his house, and they find a gun in the back of his car. Eventually, he gets arrested at the end. So that would be the stand-out piece that was very different from the rest of the score. Several people reached out to me and said, “I don’t know what was going on, but I loved it; it was so dramatic, and it was cool.” That was super fun to do.

Q: How did you create the music for the show’s finale?

Dominic Lewis: How DID I do that? I think I was running on adrenalin! I knew it had to be bigger; it had to be climatic. I tracked up for that sequence when he walks out of Sam’s house, and the voiceover starts, and you see the embrace of the children and all of that stuff. I tracked myself up, so I almost had a pop choir going on to give it more of an epic feel for the ending and to put a big hug around everybody at the end after all the madness. But, essentially, throughout the episode, just those themes are elaborated on, trying to evolve and push them to the climax. I think I’ve taken most of the themes, almost, to where you can’t do any more of them, so Season 2 is going to be fun to make up new stuff because I think I’ve… actually, Jonathan called me at Episode 5, and he said “I think we need to do something different! For the main theme and the chords because people will get bored!” I’m excited for Season 2 and to create more stuff!

Q: What was most difficult, fun, and appreciated about scoring the show?


Dominic Lewis:
Well, I remember having to do that first sequence with Coop when he starts out as a young hedge fund and living in an apartment, and then you get house one, house two, house three; I remember having to do that a few times. It was originally a song, and everyone was attached to the energy of that song, but they had all signed off on the fact that it needed to be scored. It took me a few go-rounds because that was the second or third piece of writing at the time. I was still figuring stuff out, so I did that three or four times because it was so long. It was tough to keep the material because we didn’t have a main title in the pilot; they didn’t do the main title until episode two. So, I had to use all those themes, but you’ve also got essentially got verse-bridge-chorus, and to stretch that out of four-and-a-half minutes or whatever was tricky! I got there in the end, so that was probably the hardest thing I had to do. But the most fun, as I said, was the quartet. I loved every minute of that and getting to record that. And that was just the most fun, and probably the most appreciated, just everyone. I got so many calls from the dub station, “It sounds amazing!” and I got much praise for that. I think that’s probably my baby on the one, my favorite one to mention.

Q: What’s coming up for you next that you can talk about?


Dominic Lewis:
Well, Season Two! I can mention that! And I will also score David Leitch’s new movie, HOW TO ROB A BANK. There’s nothing else on the horizon at the moment, I don’t think. I’ll be busy with that and Season 2 for a good part of the end of the Summer and the Fall. So, hopefully, I’ll talk to you then and tell you what’s going on after that!
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Special thanks to Alix Becq-Weinstein for facilitating this interview and Dominic Lewis for providing a great chat!

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LATEST SOUNDTRACKS COMING UP FROM THE MAJOR LABELS

LA-LA LAND RECORDS and Paramount Pictures present UNION PACIFIC: THE PARAMOUNT WESTERNS COLLECTION, VOL 2, a deluxe 4-CD soundtrack collection of original film score recordings from Paramount Pictures’ big-screen westerns: UNION PACIFIC (1939), THE VIRGINIAN (1946), BLUE (1968), CALIFORNIA (1947), THE PALEFACE (1948), THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962), RED MOUNTAIN (1951), THE LONELY MAN (1957), and THE TIN STAR (1957), and suites from TEXAS RANGERS RIDE AGAIN (1940), TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE (1942), WHISPERING SMITH (1948), THE REDHEAD AND THE COWBOY (1951) and RUN FOR COVER (1955). Meticulously restored from Paramount Pictures’ vault elements, this exciting compilation features original score recordings from fourteen of the studio’s western features spanning the course of three decades. Several of these recordings are making their world premiere here, others are expanded beyond previous releases, and many contain material not heard in their respective films. It’s a vast frontier of musical treasures, revealing Hollywood’s top Golden Age maestros at the peak of their powers, working in a legendary genre. Produced by John Takis and Frank K. DeWald, with audio restoration by Chris Malone, this special 4-disc collection is limited to 1000 units and features a 36-page booklet with exclusive, in-depth liner notes written by the producers. Dan Goldwasser’s art design lassos the packaging together in classic fashion.
Price: $59.99 (Pre-Order Due late June 2025)
La-La Land Records 

LAKESHORE RECORDS has released ROSARIO - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally, featuring music by Brooke and Will Blair (BLUE RUIN, I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE). The duo’s evocatively ominous score augments key aspects of the film in their choice of instruments that enhance the characters as well as reflects their deep knowledge of the film’s details such as the Palo Mayombe religion. ROSARIO is available on all major digital platforms. Note the Blair brothers: “Before any compositional work began, we worked closely with Felipe Vargas (the director) to absorb as much as we could about Palo Mayombe — the Afro-Caribbean religion that many of the rituals and hauntings in the movie are based on. Practitioners of Palo often communicate with the dead through offerings made of deeply organic materials: sticks, stones, thorns, worms, and dirt. So, the first thing we did was build a foundation of percussion across most of the film with these elements in mind. Each offering, so to speak, had its own percussive tone and movement, ranging from soft and discreet to completely chaotic.” Wall Street stockbroker, Rosario Fuentes, returns to her grandmother's apartment after her sudden death. While sorting through her grandmother’s belongings, Rosario uncovers a horrifying secret: a hidden chamber filled with occult artifacts tied to dark generational rituals. As supernatural occurrences plague her, Rosario must confront her family’s buried secrets and face the truth about the sacrifices and choices they made. 12-page CD booklet with French and English liner notes by Sylvain Pfeffer.
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2025 marks the 100th anniversary of Georges Delerue's birth. In collaboration with SND and TF1 Studio, MUSIC BOX RECORDS proudly presents on the same CD two original motion picture soundtracks composed and conducted by Georges Delerue: L’ÉTÉ MEURTRIER (ONE DEADLY SUMMER, 1983) and LA REINE BLANCHE (THE WHITE QUEEN, 1991). Adapted from Sébastien Japrisot’s eponymous novel, ONE DEADLY SUMMER (a box-office success in 1983), starring Isabelle Adjani and Alain Souchon, marks the return of director Jean Becker to cinema, after a break of almost twenty years. Georges Delerue composed a dark and tormented score for the movie, including some pieces that are reminiscent of his scores for François Truffaut’s last films (THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR and CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS). The dark gem of the score is the jazz theme associated with Éliane (Elle),which accentuates the young woman’s aura of sensuality. In order to characterize the mechanical piano, a central element of the plot, Georges Delerue and Jean Becker chose an arrangement of the love song Roses de Picardie, becoming the obsessive and disturbing reminiscence of the rape. The score was nominated for the César Awards in 1984. Jean-Loup Hubert’s fifth film THE WHITE QUEEN, starring Catherine Deneuve, Bernard Giraudeau and Richard Bohringer, is set in the post-war era, in the Nantes area in Western France, three years after the critical and popular success of THE GRAND HIGHWAY (1987). Delerue provided a nostalgic score, filled with restrained emotion. The main theme, heard as early as the opening credits, develops a simple folk-like melody reminiscent of the sea shanties of sailors gone to face the open seas. The second theme (Jean), with a sadder tone, conveys the regrets of characters faced with the consequences of their past choices. Supervised by Colette Delerue, this present edition features the two remastered original soundtrack albums. The package includes a 12-page booklet with liner notes by Sylvain Pfeffer, discussing the films and the scores. The CD release is limited to 750 units.
Music Box Records

MOVIESCORE MEDIA has provided the original score from the 2025 horror feature film DETECTIVE KIEN: THE HEADLESS HORROR, directed by Victor Vu, starring Quoc Huy, Tran Quoc Anh and Dinh Ngoc Diep, produced by Galaxy Studio and released by 3388 Films (USA).THE STORY: Detective Kien investigates a headless body found in a rural Vietnamese village during the Nguyen Dynasty. As supernatural elements emerge, he faces chilling twists in this 19th-century mystery. THE SCORE: “Victor Vu and I have done a lot of suspense movies together, but one thing that makes this score unique from our previous efforts is the prominent use of the Vietnamese 2-stringed fiddle, the Dan Co,” write’s compose Christopher Wong. “We came upon this idea organically, while working on the earliest teaser trailer – Victor knew that he wanted a string solo in a certain moment, but nothing I was doing on the cello was working for him.  On a whim, I decided to try the Dan Co and he liked it so much that we started looking for places to put it in the actual film.  It ended up musically representing a lot of the supernatural moments in the film and was a lot of fun to incorporate.”
Moviescore Media

QUARTET RECORDS, Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Universal Music Special Markets and Geffen Records present an expanded and remastered 2-CD edition of Elmer Bernstein’s adaptation of Bernard Herrmann’s music for CAPE FEAR, the 1991 remake directed by Martin Scorsese from the 1962 Universal classic film noir for which Herrmann composed the original score. Starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis—with special appearances by the main actors of the original film, Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck—the film is a harrowing thriller about a convict released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, who then stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him. Both Scorsese and producer Steven Spielberg were clear from the start that they wanted to use Herrmann’s iconic score from the original film in their new version, knowing that Herrmann’s music could still move audiences in 1991 as it had three decades earlier. Elmer Bernstein, a close friend and scholar of Herrmann, was the best choice to adapt the score to the needs and editing of the new film. Parts of Herrmann’s rejected score for his last collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock, TORN CURTAIN, as well as some original music by Bernstein in Herrmann’s style, were incorporated here and there to give the new score more consistency. This expanded collection has been produced by GRAMMY nominee Mike Matessino and Neil S. Bulk and mastered by Mike Matessino from original 6-track mixes by engineer Shawn Murphy recorded in New York and London. Disc 1 includes the film score presentation with never-before-released material and additional bonus tracks. The remastered original MCA album, which features performance variations and alternate mixes in some tracks, appears on Disc 2. The package includes an in-depth essay by film music writer Jeff Bond.
Quartet Records

SILVA SCREEN RECORDS releases the Original Television Soundtrack Album for REUNION, a four-part revenge thriller told through the unique point of view of a deaf man isolated from society, both physically and emotionally. We meet Brennan, a convicted murderer, as he leaves prison after serving ten years. Upon leaving prison, Brennan has a clear mission: revenge. Filmed in and around Sheffield, features both British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English. Creating the score for this story proved to be a great opportunity for composer Jeremy Warmsley. “I was delighted to score the BBC 1 / Warp Films (Adolescence, Submarine) TV series REUNION, a groundbreaking revenge drama about a Deaf man leaving prison determined to right his wrongs. Unique in its bilingual use of English and British Sign Language, scoring this show was a real challenge – there are huge stretches of silence, punctuated by some extremely dramatic moments, so the music always had to be subtle yet effective.” Further inspiration came from Sheffield’s famous musical artist. “Instrumentally, I was inspired by the work of Richard Hawley whose original song "Nowhere to Sign My Name" provides the series' theme, with Western-inspired acoustic and slide guitars decorating much of the soundtrack. As the drama develops, so does the score: I used a lap steel with an Ebow to create some of the mysterious drones that can be heard in the more subtle sequences, with melancholic piano and heavy strings providing the intensity. I wanted to avoid a traditional cinematic sound, so I recorded almost all the strings myself in my home studio, overdubbing multiple cellos to create an intimidating wall of sound. Violinist Quinta sweetened the session for the more emotional moments, and Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders provided some pounding drums for some of the more energetic sequences. Finally, I also created some original electronic dance music with a huge, pounding kick drum, to score a Deaf house party.”
Silva Screen Records

 

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Film & TV Music News

In FIGHT OR FLIGHT, a mercenary tracks a high-value asset known only as "The Ghost" on an international flight. Realizing the plane is filled with assassins assigned to kill them both, the pair must work together in a fight for their lives. FIGHT OR FLIGHT is a 2025 action-comedy film directed by James Madigan, written by Brooks McLaren and D. J. Cotrona, musical score by Paul Saunderson, a British composer with over 80 credits. The film stars Josh Hartnett as a man recruited to identify and protect a wanted criminal aboard a commercial airline; Charithra Chandran, Marko Zaror, and Katee Sackhoff also star. FIGHT OR FLIGHT was released in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2025, and in the United States on May 9. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised Hartnett's performance. Watch the trailer:

MANTOPUS: "In his quest to make the most realistic monster movie ever made, an insane movie director begins production on a film about a half-man, half octopus!" The restored historic Citrus Theatre is ready for tomorrow's World Premiere of Joshua Kennedy's epic MANTOPUS! Shot entirely in 16mm! MANTOPUS is an enormous love letter to the deliciously wacky performances of classic horror icon Michael Gough. I chose April 29 to announce this as it is also the 65th anniversary of HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM (1959), which contains one of my favorite Michael Gough performances. MANTOPUS is monstrous (pun intended) and has taken me, my cast, and my crew FIVE(!) years to complete. The entire thing is being shot on actual 16mm film stock, and I am very proud of the results; they are breathtaking… authentic grain, scratches, wobble, and all. I also had the terrific chance to record some dialogue for my film with the legendary Jess Conrad, Gough's co-star in one of the great motion pictures of our time: KONGA (1962). Featuring the MANTOPUS mask itself created by Mitch Gonzales, poster artwork by Mark Maddox, and music by composer extraordinaire Reber Clark

GODFATHER OF HARLEM Season 4 is playing now on MGM+ and climbing the streaming charts on Hulu, Apple TV, and Amazon! The show is deep into Season 4, with episode 7 of 10 releasing Sunday! About Season 4: "In season 4, Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker) continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York's Mafia families while contending with the emergence of a potential rival in newly arrived Black gangster Frank Lucas. After Malcolm X's (Jason Alan Carvell) tragic death, Bumpy must also grapple with his daughter Elise's (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) involvement with the Black Panthers." This season is such an iconic moment in history, including music. The Black Panthers had a band, and jazz, soul, rhythm, and blues were very influential during this movement. GRAMMY Winner Mark Isham creates GODFATHER OF HARLEM'S Iconic Score. "Being a jazz musician from New York, you can imagine what a treat it is scoring this show, with classic orchestral elements, a bit of jazz, such as in Bumpy's Club - and of course, hip-hop for which the show is well known. I can't speak highly enough of this Godfather of Harlem team. There is so much talent across the boards, and I'm thrilled to see how much the audience loves it!"
Watch the trailer:
 

Coming soon from Amazon MGM Studios, THE PICKUP brings together two generations of comedy for an explosive and hilarious partnership that showcases the chemistry between old-school experience and new-wave energy. The film is directed by Tim Story, known for his work on THE BLACKENING, BARBERSHOP, and RIDE ALONG, and the film blends high-octane action with sharp humor.? In addition to Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, and Keke Palmer, the film features a diverse cast, including Eva Longoria, Marshawn Lynch, Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i, Andrew Dice Clay, and Ismael Cruz Córdova, with musical score by Christopher Lennertz. In the action-comedy THE PICKUP, a routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when two mismatched armored truck drivers, Russell (Eddie Murphy) and Travis (Pete Davidson), are ambushed by ruthless criminals led by a savvy mastermind, Zoe (Keke Palmer), with plans that go way beyond the cash cargo. As chaos unfolds around them, the unlikely duo must navigate high-risk danger, clashing personalities, and one terrible day that worsens.
Watch the trailer:
 

BLACK PHONE 2 is coming to theaters on October 17. The phone is ringing again. Following the blockbuster success of Blumhouse's 2022 horror phenomenon, which earned more than $160 million worldwide and global critical acclaim, Universal Pictures announces the launch of a sinister new franchise with the release of Black Phone 2. Music by Atticus Derrickson (V/H/S/95, WANTED MAN short; SHADOWPROWLER short). Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death … and the phone is ringing again. As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.  Four-time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn's younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). From returning visionary writer-director Scott Derrickson, Black Phone 2 is written again by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill, based on characters created by Joe Hill. The film is produced by Jason Blum, Derrickson, and Cargill. The executive producers are Joe Hill, Adam Hendricks, and Ryan Turek. Watch the trailer for BLACK PHONE 2:

Stuart Hancock (KENSUKE'S KINGDOM, ATLANTIS, DISORDER, HIROSHIMA: 75 YEARS LATER) has scored the short comedy film, A FRIEND OF DOROTHY, directed by Lee Knight, with Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Lee Knight himself. The film is about a lonely widow's quiet life, which is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden. The new movie explores LGBTQ+ themes, loneliness in old age, and intergenerational friendship. The film is Knight's first directorial gig, and he is known as an actor in films such as THE STOLEN GIRL, VIGIL, THE NORTH WATER, and THE TRIAL OF CHRISTINE KEELER. THE SPIRITUALIST.

The murderous doll M3GAN, who captivated pop culture in 2023, is back. And this time, she's not alone. The original creative team behind that phenomenon—led by horror titans James Wan for Atomic Monster, Jason Blum for Blumhouse, and director Gerard Johnstone—reboot an all-new wild chapter in A.I. mayhem with M3GAN 2.0. Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a murderous (and impeccably choreographed) rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN's creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of A.I. Meanwhile, Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now 14, has become a teenager, rebelling against Gemma's overprotective rules. Unbeknownst to them, the underlying tech for M3GAN has been stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno; Ahsoka, Pacific Rim: Uprising), the ultimate killer infiltration spy. However, as Amelia's self-awareness increases, she becomes less interested in taking orders from humans or keeping them around. With the future of human existence on the line, Gemma realizes that the only option is to resurrect M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) and give her a few upgrades, making her faster, stronger, and more lethal. As their paths collide, the original AI bitch is about to meet her match. Directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone, with music from Chris Bacon (HERETIC, WEDNESDAY, MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL, THE TICK,  BATES MOTEL). 
Watch the M3GAN 2.0 trailer:
   

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 will be streaming globally on Prime Video June 5, 2025. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) applies his brilliant mind and illegal methods to reconstruct the unsolved puzzle of a Treasury chief's murder. Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal), to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried. Bryce Dessner (CYRANO, THE TWO POPES, C’MON C’MON, SHE CAME TO ME) scored the film’s soundtrack.
Watch the film’s trailer:

Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) and U.S. President Will Derringer (John Cena) have a not-so-friendly and very public rivalry that jeopardizes their countries’ “special relationship.” But when they become the targets of a powerful and ruthless foreign adversary—who proves more than a match for the two leaders’ security forces—they are begrudgingly forced to rely on the only two people they can trust: each other. Ultimately allied with the brilliant MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), they must go on the run and find a way to work together long enough to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens the entire free world. The film also stars Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid and Sarah Niles and is directed by Ilya Naishuller, with music by Steven Price (WILLIAM TELL, LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, SUICIDE SQUAD, GRAVITY, ATTACK THE BLOCK, BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS). HEADS OF STATE is now available on Prime Video from AmazonMGMStudios.
Watch the film’s trailer:

Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, WICKED, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in WICKED: FOR GOOD. Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).  WICKED: FOR GOOD also stars Emmy nominee Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s fawning assistants, Pfannee and ShenShen and BAFTA and Grammy nominee Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba’s childhood nanny, Dulcibear. The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars® for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide. WICKED: FOR GOOD is based on the generation-defining musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack is Now Available to Pre-Save HERE.
Watch the WICKED: FOR GOOD Trailer:


Coming your way on July 17th, is STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 3, in case you were wondering. Watch the latest trailer:

Composer Michael Yezerski is known for Guillermo del Toro's CABINET OF CURIOSITIES (2022), THE DEVIL'S CANDY (2015) and Mr. Inbetween (2018); he’s now scored the latest shark-serial-killer horror movie, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, released June 7th. When Zephyr, a savvy and free-spirited surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
Watch the toothy trailer:

While we’re looking at shark movies, check this one, FEAR BELOW, now on digital on demand. This Australian action-adventure-horror film, by Matthew Holmes, and starring Hermione Corfield, Jake Ryan, Jacob Junior Nayinggul, and Arthur Angel. Set in 1946 Australia, a struggling team of divers from the Sea Dog Diving Company are hired to locate and retrieve a sunken car from a river. When their efforts are thwarted by a highly aggressive female bull shark, the team soon discover they are working for a ruthless criminal gang attempting to recover their stolen gold bullion, who prove to be as treacherous as the beast lurking beneath the surface. Music composed by Angela Little (A STITCH IN TIME, EVERYBODY'S OMA, NEVER TOO LATE, WALLBANGER, STREAMLINE DIVE CLUB).

And yet another shark thriller, from January, is INTO THE DEEP, as pirates on the hunt for sunken drugs kidnap a boat of tourists and force them to dive into shark infested waters to retrieve the contraband. Interesting: During the closing credits roll, Richard Dreyfuss gives a speech about shark conservation. The film is composed by Andy Fosberry (THE PLANTATION, MIDNIGHT PEEPSHOW, CROC!, WRATH OF VAN HELSING , THE LEGEND OF JACK AND JILL), a UK based media composer with over 15 years of production, recording and touring as an artist, he followed his love of film into scoring for picture.

From three-time Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise. On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; THE BLACK PHONE, FOR ALL MANKIND) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. John Powell (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, WICKED, SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, JASON BOURNE) provides the music.
The film opens on June 13, 2025. Watch the official trailer:

SHE RIDES SHOTGUN (Greece, Jul. 31, 2025) is directed by Nick Rowland (CALM WITH HORSES, FLOODLIGHTS, RIPPER STREET). An adaptation of Jordan Harper's award-winning novel; a girl marked for death must fight and steal to stay alive, learning from the most frightening man she knows – her father. Blanck Mass (CALM WITH HORSES, CENSOR, CUFFS).
Watch the trailer:


Lakeshore Records has released the Brazilian film VIAJE DE FIN DE CURSO: MALLORCA (GRADUATION TRIP: MALLORCA) , about high school seniors on a graduation trip to Mallorca when teachers find their plans derailed when they are forced into hotel quarantine due to a new COVID-19 outbreak. The music is by Clara Aguilar, a Barcelona-based composer and performing artist. With a background in music, journalism, humanities, and gender studies, she brings a rich interdisciplinary perspective to her work.
Buy/Stream the soundtrack album:

Apple TV+ unveiled the thrilling trailer for the third season of FOUNDATION, the epic, hit saga from storyteller David S. Goyer. Based on Isaac Asimov’s award-winning stories and led by Emmy-nominated actors Jared Harris and Lee Pace and star Lou Llobell, the 10-episode season will debut globally with one episode on Friday, July 11 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday through September 12. FOUNDATION has captivated audiences with its intricate world-building, stunning visuals, bold storytelling, and compelling performances. Season three continues the epic chronicle of a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. Set 152 years after the events of season two, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled. As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as “The Mule” whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force, as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess  who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess. Season three of FOUNDATION introduces new characters and stars, including Emmy-winner Cherry Jones, Brandon P. Bell, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern, Tómas Lemarquis, Alexander Siddig, Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur and Pilou Asbæk. The 10-episode season will debut globally with one episode on Friday, July 11 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday through September 12. The Apple Original drama is produced for Apple TV+ by Skydance Television.
Watch the Official Season 3 Trailer:

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New Soundtrack News

Hollywood Records has released the central theme from Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated film THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, with a score by Academy®, Emmy®, and Grammy® Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (UP, INCREDIBLES, COCO, LOST, STAR TREK, THE BATMAN, CLOVERFIELD). “The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme,” featuring striking and dynamic orchestration, was unveiled in August 2024 at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. The digital single is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and other digital platforms. Giacchino comments, “I first discovered the Fantastic Four as a kid while digging through a treasure trove of old comics at the Columbus Mart flea market in South Jersey. When I opened that first issue, I was captivated by this extraordinary family of Super Heroes who embodied the boundless optimism of the 1960s vision of tomorrow – a future full of scientific marvels and a belief that anything could be achieved with determination and heart. My 10-year-old self would be thrilled to know I have been allowed to create a theme for that family. I hope it captures that same spirit of wonder and limitless potential.” Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing, as they face their most daunting challenge yet. The original motion picture soundtrack is set for release on July 18. Pre-order the Collectible 7-inch LP on Translucent “Galactic Blue” Vinyl HERE

Watch THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Main Theme trailer:
 

Lakeshore Records has released the original soundtrack of the SUITS LA – Original Series Digitally today, featuring music by award-winning composer Christopher Tyng (FUTURAMA). The emotive piano and string-based score provide an atmospheric backdrop to the Drama series.  SUITS LA, created by Aaron Korsh, stars Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg. Former federal prosecutor from New York, Ted Black, reinvents himself as a lawyer for LA’s mighty. His firm’s crisis compels an ethical compromise to stay afloat. The series is airing new episodes on NBC, and available episodes are streaming on Peacock. Purchase / Stream

“If you loved Golden Age scores for noir classics by Elmer Bernstein or Alex North, or Silver Age scores for romantic crime comedies set to music by Alan Silvestri, all imbued with jazz/swing notes and sentimental symphonism, with a few flashes of Glenn Miller and Leonard Bernstein, then this score by the duo Susan DiBona & Salvatore Sangiovanni is for you.” - Massimo Privitera, Colonne Sonore Magazine. In FREE LUNCH, Sam Gardner, a latchkey kid, strait-laced honors student, and his best buddies, Omar and Justin, are the favorites in Mrs. Stackhouse’s class. Sam’s life is disrupted when the mysterious Sadie transfers to his school. She catches Sam’s eye and convinces him to sneak into Mrs. Stackhouse’s desk and steal lunch tickets so they can eat for free. As Sam and Sadie grow closer, it becomes clear that Sadie is more trouble than he bargained for as Sam struggles with his clashing identities of rule-breaker, wannabe detective, and “good boy.”

POSTER REVEAL for LOVE IS THE MONSTER - And now, for your viewing pleasure, the poster for the soon-to-be-released film starring Madeline Zima from Hulu’s HIGH POTENTIAL & NCIS: Hawaii and Leonardo Nam from HBO’s WESTWORLD & Disney’s DESCENDANTS: THE RISE OF RED. One of many additions to this film that needs some praise is our fabulous clients, composer Andrew Scott Bell and Vikki Virkajärvi!

BALLERINA, from Lionsgate, Only in Theaters, June 6, 2025.  The world of John Wick expands with BALLERINA, as Ana de Armas stars as an assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma. Lionsgate presents a Thunder Road Films / 87eleven production. ?Directed by Len Wiseman, written by Shay Hatten, and Based on Characters by Derek Kolstad. Cast: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves. Synopsis: Taking place during the events of JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma: Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard (both: JOHN WICK 1, 2, 3,4).
Purchase/Stream

Watch the BALLERINA Trailer:
 

SUPERMAN, DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor, and heart, delivering a Superman driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. Composer John Murphy and composer David Fleming provide the series’ new music, in which Superman must reconcile his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. As the embodiment of truth, justice, and the human way, he soon finds himself in a world that views these as old-fashioned. Watch the new Superman trailer now:

LAKESHORE RECORDS is set to release the score to POP MUSICAL JULIET & ROMEO. The Briarcliff film, written & directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, is in theaters now. ABOUT THE MUSIC: To craft the score and the film’s original songs, GRAMMY-winning songwriter and Executive Music Producer Evan “Kidd” Bogart (Beyonce’s “Halo” and Rhianna’s “SOS”), and award-winning songwriter/producer Justin Gray (Mariah Carey, John Legend), collaborated with writer/director Timothy Scott Bogart to assemble and lead an A-team of chart-topping co-writers. Bogart and Gray employed a few techniques unique to movie musicals to give the music that “leave the theatre humming” vibe. For one, they strategically introduced core melodies and themes from the original songs throughout the film’s score before their full performances, creating a subtle sense of familiarity and leading viewers to associate melodies with characters or themes (think the effect of reprises). Beyond the initial songwriting, Bogart and Gray were also deeply involved throughout filming in Italy, working directly with the director, recording actors on set, and continuously adapting the music with their team to enhance the on-screen action. The result? A genre-spanning soundtrack with a signature, smash-hit pop sensibility courtesy of some of the industry’s top hitmakers. The score album is now available: Purchase/Stream the score album:

Renowned French composer Maxence Dussère brings his signature sound to the original score of director Anna Cazenave Cambet’s highly anticipated second feature. LOVE ME TENDER has been officially selected for the prestigious Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. For her second feature film, LOVE ME TENDER, director Anna Cazenave Cambet brings to the screen an adaptation of the 2020 novel of the same name by Constance Debré. At the end of summer, the story follows Clémence, who tells her ex-husband that she is now in a relationship with a woman. Her world is turned upside down when he retaliates by taking custody of their son. Clémence must fight to remain a mother, a woman, and, above all, a free individual. To capture the emotional and psychological journey of a woman striving to reclaim her freedom, the director turned to composer Maxence Dussère. Both alumni of La Fémis and their artistic collaboration took shape during the film’s editing phase, marking the beginning of a powerful creative partnership. It’s a modern, electronic sound that creates a dramatic and unrestrained atmosphere—like an escape toward renewal. “I drew a lot of inspiration from reading the script and from the main character, who is both radical and pragmatic. She finds herself through swimming, and I imagined an underwater ambiance reflecting her many facets,” says Maxence Dussère. Indeed, the music conveys a powerful ambivalence—at times soft and suffocating, and others erupting to release Clémence’s emotions fully. Maxence Dussère’s original score subtly accompanies this woman as she embraces her desire to live. “The collaboration with the director and the entire team was exceptional. I had the opportunity to express myself freely, which isn’t always easy, as film music ultimately serves another work. I’m proud of this creation because it’s as close as possible to what I had envisioned.” - Maxence Dussèr

Diego Baldenweg, with Nora Baldenweg & Lionel Baldenweg, have completed their third soundtrack release this year – for the film AIMING HIGH: A RACE AGAINST THE LIMITS, coming out on June 27 via MovieScore Media/Reality Bytes. The film is a mixture of Cinematic/Hybrid Orchestral/and  Electronic. The film consists of jaw-dropping images of skiing montages, emotional stories, and nature shots in a race against time, and the score is a blend of hybrid orchestral-electronic music with a pulsing drive. Inspired by high-speed mountain skiing, it blends epic strings and modern synths. At its core is a driving, cinematic anthem from which we developed melodies and harmonies that move between contrasting emotional worlds: from delicate, intimate passages featuring felted grand piano and solo cello to bold, dynamic sections with analog synths and sweeping orchestral textures. THE FILM: The ambitious plan to hold the world’s first transnational and highest ski race at the foot of the Matterhorn becomes a harrowing tale of disaster and climate struggle, forcing participants to confront the emotional highs and lows of preparation and the crucial question: What are the future limits of ski races? A team of seven DOPs captured a fantastic backdrop of the Swiss Mountains in this authentic and touching portrayal of the events surrounding a big dream that never came to fruition.
Watch the Trailer, music medley, movie, and music description HERE

Emmy Award-nominated composer Ruth Barrett and composer Steffen Thum have together co-scored Victoria Mahoney’s THE OLD GUARD 2, starring Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman and Chiwetel Ejiofor, which premieres July 2 on Netflix. Emmy Award-nominated composer Ruth Barrett is one of the UK’s most sought-after film and television composers. Her music is unmistakably original and eclectic, spanning feature films and high-end TV dramas. Ruth’s notable credits include PBS’ VICTORIA, for which she received an Emmy nomination in 2017 in the “Outstanding Music Composition for a Series” category; Netflix’s Golden Globe-nominated drama series BODYGUARD; NBC’s LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME, among others. Composer Steffen Thum’s notable credits include Mikael Håfström’s historical action epic STOCKHOLM BLOODBATH, which was a finalist for “Best Original Score” at the 2024 Music and Sound Awards, and the claustrophobic sci-fi thriller SLINGSHOT; Matt Routledge’s action-packed indie horror breakout TRIBAL - GET OUT ALIVE, which won “Best Original Score” at the 2020 UK Motion Picture Festival; and Alexandre Aja’s horror feature CRAWL, which he co-scored with Max Aruj; and more. In THE OLD GUARD 2, Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors are back with renewed purpose in their mission to protect the world. With Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) still in exile after his betrayal and Quynh (Veronica Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years. Watch the Trailer for THE OLD GUARD 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyivgZ074PY.

Lakeshore Records has released NBC’s GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY: SEASON ONE – Original Series Soundtrack digitally, featuring music by Ian Hultquist (ASSASSINATION NATION) and Sofia degli Alessandri (RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE). AKA Drum and Lace, the duo utilizes synth, strings, and tympani to evoke shifting moods and tension within the series’ murder mystery. The whole season of GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY is currently streaming on Peacock; the series follows four members of a suburban garden club who find their lives intertwined by scandal, mischief, and a shared secret – a murder no one wants to talk about. As dark truths begin to rot their lives under the surface, they struggle to remain as perfect as the flowers blooming in their garden above. The series is co-created by Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs, who serve as executive producers alongside Casey Kyber for Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
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After its successful release in Belgian and Dutch theaters, GANGSTAS (Original Title: PATSERS), the latest film by the directing duo Adil & Bilall, is now available worldwide on Amazon Prime. As of today, you can completely immerse yourself in the movie with the phenomenal soundtrack by Hannes De Maeyer. Seven years after ‘Patser’ / ‘Gangsta’ (2018), we find out how the four “Patsers” fared in the follow-up film. While Adamo is still involved in the Antwerp cocaine trade, Junes, Volt, and Badia are trying to go straight. ‘Patsers’ will be a “kickass gangster movie full of action, love, and humor,” said director duo Adil & Bilall. After ‘Patser’ and ‘Rebel,’ Adil & Bilall were happy to call on their in-house composer Hannes De Maeyer again, who was excited to inhabit the Patser universe again. This time, however, it did not intend to rely on the ‘fun’ factor and the ’80s vibe of the previous film. The assignment was to give the sound a new, darker look without losing the unique ‘Patser’ vibe: The atmosphere in ‘Patsers’ has completely shifted and so has the music. This sequel has many more gloomy and thrilling scenes, so we went for more darkness in the music. Since working with existing songs for these kinds of scenes was harder, I created about 90 minutes of original music, equivalent to 3 feature films.”Directors Adil & Bilall on working with Hannes: “The music that Hannes composed for ‘Patsers’ works for us like a character in the film. The atmosphere, rhythm, and emotion he puts into all his work ensures that the audience is completely captivated by the movie, which guarantees its success. A perfect combination of 80s vibe, video games, and epic cinema!”

Executive Produced and Starring Alexander Skarsgård, MURDERBOT: SEASON 1 is Streaming Now on Apple TV+ Emmy-nominated composer Amanda Jones has scored Apple TV’s MURDERBOT, starring Alexander Skarsgård. Amanda Jones is the first African American female nominated in the Primetime Emmy score category with MAINE from Apple TV’s Documentary Series HOME. The orchestra merges with propulsive vintage and modern synths, creating an exhilarating backdrop to the comedic thriller series. Notes Jones: “MURDERBOT is a thrilling comedic sci-fi adventure where the score is fresh air and welcome addition to the sci-fi canon. Blending vintage and modern synths with a full live orchestra, the score soars back and forth between lyrical melodies and avant-garde pitch-bending dissonance. A rogue security robot (Alexander Skarsgård) secretly gains free will in a high-tech future. To stay hidden, it reluctantly joins a new mission protecting scientists on a dangerous planet, even though it just wants to binge soap operas.
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Watch the Trailer Here:

From Lakeshore Records, we have FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, featuring music by composer Tim Wynn (FREAKS, MARVEL’S MIDNIGHT SUNS videogame, SUPERNATURAL, MECH-X4, TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER videogame). The soaring orchestra conjures intense soundscapes that provide an ominous backdrop to the sixth installment of the iconic horror franchise.  The New Line Cinema film based on characters created by Jeffrey Reddick is in theaters now. Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all. Notes Wynn: “Scoring Final Destination: Bloodlines was a thrilling challenge. I wanted the music to feel like a heartbeat—always present, sometimes calm, but ready to race when the fear hits. Working with Zach and Adam pushed me creatively, and I’m proud of how the score deepens the film’s tension and mystery.”
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Everyone’s favorite felons are back; they’ve got company this time. In the new action-packed chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed comedy smash about a crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, our now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls. Based on the New York Times best-selling book series by Aaron Blabey, THE BAD GUYS 2 stars the stellar original cast, led by Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf, SAG award nominee Marc Maron as safe-cracker Mr. Snake, SAG award nominee Craig Robinson as master-of disguise Mr. Shark, Grammy winner Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha and Emmy winner Awkwafina as hacker Ms. Tarantula, aka “Webs.” The returning voice cast is joined by a new trio of comedic powerhouses as The Bad Girls: Oscar® nominee Danielle Brooks (THE COLOR PURPLE) as Bad Girls leader Kitty Kat, a dangerously clever snow leopard; Oscar® nominee Maria Bakalova (BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIE FILM) as Pigtail, a brilliant Bulgarian wild boar engineer; and Emmy nominee and comedy icon Natasha Lyonne (RUSSIAN DOLL, POKER FACE) as Doom, a wry raven with a knack for deception. THE BAD GUYS 2 is co-directed by JP Sans, who served as head of character animation on the first film. The music is by Oscar®-nominated returning composer Daniel Pemberton
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In AMERICANA, the lives of local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwine when a rare Lakota Ghost shirt falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town. After the artifact falls onto the black market, a shy waitress with big dreams (Sydney Sweeney) teams up with a lovelorn military veteran (Paul Walter Hauser) to gain possession of it, putting them in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal (Eric Dane) working on behalf of a Western antiquities dealer (Simon Rex). Bloodshed ensues when others join the battle, including the leader of an Indigenous group (Zahn McClarnon) and a desperate woman fleeing her mysterious past (Halsey). Score by David Fleming (THE LAST OF US, MR. & MRS. SMITH, DUNE: PART TWO, JIM HENSON: IDEA MAN)

SILVA SCREEN RECORDS releases the Original Film Soundtrack Album for MR. BURTON. The film, which tells the true story of the relationship between Welsh schoolmaster Philip Burton and a wild young schoolboy called Richard Jenkins, later to become the world-famous actor Richard Burton, features an intense and lyrical original score by Welsh composer John Hardy and is performed by the BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES. The story, directed by Marc Evans, details the early life of Richard Jenkins (HARRY LAWTEY). He dreamed of becoming an actor, but his ambitions were in danger of being derailed by family trouble, the pressure of war, and his lack of discipline. Mr. Burton (TOBY JONES) recognized the raw talent in his pupil and made it his mission to fight for him, becoming his tutor, strict taskmaster, and eventually his adoptive father. Actor Burton would go on to be nominated for seven Oscars. John Hardy is an international composer and collaborator who has always worked to create art, including film, opera, and theatre, in Wales and worldwide.

The Soundtrack from the Netflix Series DEPT. Q, composed by 3x Emmy-winner Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queen’s Gambit, GODLESS), is now available on all major digital platforms, launching in tandem with the Netflix premiere of the highly anticipated crime drama. Reuniting with acclaimed filmmaker Scott Frank, Rivera crafts a propulsive score that anchors the show’s brooding atmosphere and emotional depth. Rivera says, “As we were getting started on Dept. Q, Scott sent me a playlist featuring bands like Flogging Molly, The Tartan Rockers, and Dropkick Murphys. There was aggression and muscularity in that music that Scott wanted to be translated into our story. Alongside that, we have our main character, DCI Carl Morck - a man whose life is in free fall - so the melody of the main Title keeps descending. But my favorite part of the process was that the harmonic bed was built on a set of chords Scott himself had written. It made perfect sense to connect all these ideas into what became the main Title of Dept. Q. 
Play/Download the soundtrack:
Watch the film’s Trailer:

In association with Media Capital Technologies, Lionsgate presents a Vertigo Entertainment, THE LONG WALK, directed by Francis Lawrence, screenplay by JT Mollner, based on the novel by Stephen King. Synopsis: A group of teenage boys compete in an annual “The Long Walk” contest where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot. From the highly anticipated adaptation of master storyteller Stephen King’s first-written novel and Francis Lawrence, the visionary director of THE HUNGER GAMES franchise films, comes THE LONG WALK, an intense, chilling, and emotional thriller that challenges audiences to confront a haunting question: how far could you go? Starring Garrett Wareing, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer. Music by Jeremiah Fraites (UNEARTH, HERE. IS. BETTER., THE LUMINEERS series).

The feature film STAND YOUR GROUND (2025) is composed by Danish-born Los Angeles-based composer Lasse Elkjaer. The action thriller is directed by Fansu Njie and stars Michael Bay favorite Peter Stormare (FARGO,1996), Eric Roberts (THE DARK KNIGHT, 2007), and the Norwegian bodybuilder champion Daniel Stisen (THOSE ABOUT TO DIE - TV Series 2024).  Main Title from the feature film STAND YOUR GROUND (2025) The film was released on May 27 via digital and on demand.
Listen to Elkjaer’s Main Title music:

Plaza Mayor Company has released a soundtrack album for the animated feature A TOOTH FAIRY TALE. The album features the film’s original music composed by Aldo Shllaku (THE COMEBACK TRAIL, THE PRICE WE PAY, THE DOORMAN, KILL’ EM ALL, THE HILL WHERE LIONESSES ROAR). The soundtrack is now available to stream/download on Amazon and most other primary digital music services. The movie tells the story of a rebellious teenage tooth fairy, a rebellious tooth fairy, a cuddly troll, and a brilliant goblin scientist who unite to save their magical worlds from menacing spiders.
- FilmMusicReporter

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Composer Florencia Di Concilio joins forces with emerging Chilean director Diego Céspedes on his debut feature film, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo. Selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, this first feature unveils a compelling synopsis: “In the early 1980s, young Lidia grows up in a loving and marginalized queer family in a remote Chilean village, far from the world. As a mysterious illness spreads, a man falls in love with another man.” Florencia Di Concilio delivers a captivating original score where jazz, western, and fantasy elements gently intertwine, coil, and diverge. The soundscape subtly captures the film’s ethereal and uncanny atmosphere. The composer speaks of a close and intimate collaboration with the director: “We were constantly together, and I composed by his side. We quickly found a balance.”

Both South Americans quickly agreed on the direction of a modern, universal sound: “We wanted to move away from traditional Chilean music as well as from the typical Western sound. We searched for something organic and unique to reflect the film’s mood best.” The tracks “Venganza” and “Super 8” offer a subtle homage to Ennio Morricone, where a man’s whistle weaves through guitar, percussion, and trumpet. Through a recurring theme presented in multiple variations, trumpeter Jason Palmer delivers a delicate and powerful performance, perfectly echoing the film’s enigmatic tone: “Jason’s sound feels deeply human. We didn’t want to alter the recordings so the trumpet would remain as alive as the characters.  Winner of the inaugural Michel Legrand Award, Florencia Di Concilio is a leading voice in contemporary film music, both in France and internationally. Her critically acclaimed scores include Stranded (Sundance), Dark Blood (Berlinale), and Calamity (Annecy – Best Feature Film), with Télérama ranking the latter among the 15 best soundtracks of the decade.

The official SOUNDTRACK for JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is REVEALED! Get your first sneak peek at JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH’s score by Alexandre Desplat and the album artwork. Five years post-Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), an expedition braves isolated equatorial regions to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough. The new film stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend. Five years after JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION, Earth’s environment has largely proven inhospitable to dinosaurs and other de-extinct prehistoric animals. The surviving creatures now reside in remote, tropical locales reminiscent of the environments where they once flourished. Zora Bennett, a covert operative, is recruited by a pharmaceutical company to collaborate with paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis and team leader Duncan Kincaid on a top-secret mission. They infiltrate Ile Saint-Hubert, a forbidden island in the Atlantic Ocean, once used by InGen as a dinosaur research facility. The team aims to locate the three largest remaining prehistoric species from land, sea, and air. The biomaterials of these creatures hold the key to a revolutionary drug capable of saving countless human lives. Along the way, the team encounters a shipwrecked civilian family, and both groups find themselves stranded.
Listen here.  

440Hz is proud to have executive-produced the music for the MALDITOS series, available on the MAX platform. Original Music by Frank Williams, Stephane CochetMartin Mahieu. In the south of France, the leader of a gypsy community and her two sons fight to save their clan, threatened with eviction by rising waters. To survive, they must cross the lines of legality and fight in a dark and dangerous world... all while hiding the unspeakable secret that has haunted their family for seven years. A series by Jean-Charles Hue and Cécilia Verheyden, written with Olivier Prieur and Maya Haffar, A White Lion Films production (Mediawan).
Soundtrack from the series.

Watch the trailer here:

Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack to THE LIFE OF CHUCK – music by Andy Grush and Taylor Newton Stewart, AKA The Newton Brothers (X-MEN’ 97). Also included on the album is the song “Joy” by Pocket Queen. The luminescent score provides an uplifting and atmospheric backdrop to the poignant story of the lead character. THE LIFE OF CHUCK opens everywhere on June 13. From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes THE LIFE OF CHUCK, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. This unforgettable, genre-bending tale celebrates the life of Charles’ Chuck’ Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us. Note Grush and Stewart: Working on ‘The Life of Chuck’ has been one of the most meaningful and emotionally resonant experiences in our careers. We wanted the music to feel fragile, sweeping, and full of wonder while also remaining honest and vulnerable. With his unparalleled heart and storytelling intuition, Mike Flanagan invited us into a world where Stephen King’s words became universal and deeply personal all at once.”  Buy/Stream the Album.  
Watch the Trailer:

Sometimes, the most dangerous place for a dad is a family vacation. Bob Odenkirk returns as suburban husband, father, and workaholic assassin Hutch Mansell in the new chapter to NOBODY, the hit 2021 bare-knuckle action-thriller that opened at number one at the U.S. box office. Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob, Hutch remains $30 million in debt to the criminal organization. He is working it off with an unending string of hits on international thugs. Much as he likes the slam-bang action of his “job,” Hutch and his wife Becca (International Emmy nominee Connie Nielsen) find themselves overworked and drifting apart. So, they decide to take their kids (Gage Munroe and Paisley Cadorath) on a short getaway to Wild Bill’s Majestic Midway and Waterpark, the only place where Hutch and his brother Harry (Grammy and Emmy nominee RZA) went on a vacation as kids. With Hutch’s dad (Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd) in tow, the family arrives in the small tourist town of Summerville (“Plummerville is Summerville!”), eager for some fun in the sun. But when a minor encounter with some town bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz; FAST AND FURIOUS FRANCHISE, BUMBLEBEE) and his shady sheriff (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Colin Hanks), Hutch finds himself the focus of the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he (or anyone) has ever encountered (Emmy winning and Oscar® nominated screen icon, Sharon Stone).

The LILO & STITCH Original Soundtrack is out now via Walt Disney Records, featuring a new score by Dan Romer (LUCA, STATION ELEVEN). Romer brings heart and island-inspired energy to this reimagining of the beloved classic. For the soundtrack in the live-action remake, the filmmakers wanted to honor the music people remember from the animated film, which included bringing back Mark Keali?i Ho?omalu, the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus, and, of course, Elvis Presley songs. Once again, the Kamehameha Chorus performs on “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride,” this time joined by Iam Tongi and reunited with Mark Keali?i Ho?omalu on “He Lei P?pahi No Lilo me Stitch.”  Chorus Director Lynell K. Bright returns to lead this new generation of the Kamehameha Chorus, which is comprised of 40 children from grades four through six. Says Bright, “What makes this project so special for these kids is that they are all of Native Hawaiian descent, so it was a tremendous honor to be involved with this beloved story once again.”

Lakeshore Records releases FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH – A digital soundtrack from Apple Original Film, with music composed by Academy and BAFTA Award-winner Chris Benstead (The GENTLEMAN). In crafting the score, Benstead designed a rich musical landscape where sound becomes a key—literally. A specific sequence of notes is the secret to unlocking the hidden entrance to the fabled fountain, embedding the music directly into the film’s mythology. Also included is a Thai pop cover version of the iconic hit “Bang Bang” produced by Benstead and featuring Jayce.  Directed by Guy Ritchie and starring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman, Fountain of Youth debuts today, May 23, and is streaming globally on Apple TV+. Notes Benstead: “I wanted the music to capture the mystery and wonder surrounding the Fountain of Youth. There’s a mix of grandeur and playfulness as the story develops, and I tried to reflect that in the score. The organ plays a key role – it brings a deep, solemn, and sacred feeling that helps ground the fantasy in something older and more timeless. The music isn’t just there to support the story; it’s part of the adventure as its melody becomes woven into the narrative itself.”
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Documentary Film Scores

The award-winning documentary SANIBEL (a port named by Juan Ponce de León after Queen Isabella I of Castile, in southern Florida) is about seashells, storms, and the strength of Southwest Florida, opened today at The Little Theatre in Rochester, New York. Quirky comedy in seashell-obsessed Florida community pivots after Hurricane Ian’s devastation. The crew finds a transformed landscape, and the story shifts to the community’s resilience and ability to heal and rebuild amidst grief over coastal destruction. The production included the music of composer Corey Wallace (SUPERCELL, CURSED FRIENDS, UNSHELTERED, CLAW), who was honored to score this impactful documentary, which had a limited engagement in April 2025 in the US and hopefully will have additional runs in the short future.

Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for THE WILD ONES. This six-part documentary adventure series follows a team of elite wildlife experts as they journey into the world’s most remote and unforgiving environments to find, film, and help protect critically endangered species. Featuring former Royal Marines Commando and expedition leader Aldo Kane, wildlife and camera trap expert Declan Burley, and ecological storyteller and wildlife cinematographer Vianet Djenguet, the trio travels to six countries—Malaysia, Mongolia, Armenia, Indonesia, Canada and Gabon—capturing rare footage of elusive and endangered species, including the Malayan tiger, Gobi bear, Caucasian leopard, Javan rhino, North Atlantic right whale and Western lowland gorilla. By deploying over 350 custom-built remote cameras, thermal drones, wearable underwater tags, and AI-powered imaging technology, the team is breaking new ground in wildlife filmmaking—capturing intimate animal behavior never seen before while supporting active conservation missions on the ground. The team’s discoveries have already contributed to identifying a new individual rhino, protecting a new tiger cub litter, and advancing anti-poaching efforts. All series episodes premiered globally on Friday, July 11, on Apple TV+.
Watch the trailer:

 


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Vinyl and Video Games

Ace-audiophiles take note. Here's a playlist to add to your favorites — TOWERBORNE'S Original Soundtrack. Check it out on YouTube  or Spotify
We're no stranger to the symphonic skills of Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory — who perfectly sums up TOWERBORNE'S score as one with "a clear vision [with a] beautiful outlook." Whether you're grinding for glory or kicking back for calm, we'll let these Belfry beats speak for themselves – we hope you enjoy these tantalizing tower-tunes!

FUBSkydance's BEHEMOTH—Original Game Soundtrack, has been released digitally on May 16, 2025.  Featuring music by composer Andrea Bellucci (LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, SMITE), Bellucci conjures ominous soundscapes with an orchestra accentuating the dark and atmospheric. Of the game's next-level engagement, Road to VR notes: "In VR though, there are precious few that provide such a monster-sized offering and do it in a way that feels oh-so-satisfying." Skydance's BEHEMOTH is available now.  Notes Bellucci: "Writing the score for Behemoth was an enriching experience. Bringing its immersive world to life through music was pure joy, and I feel honored to have been part of one of the best VR games out there." Listen to "Behemoth" below.
SKYDANCE'S BEHEMOTH (Original Series Soundtrack):
Watch the game's Trailer:

Milan Records announces the release of the Original Game Soundtrack for Funcom's DUNE: AWAKENING, with music by award-winning composer Knut Avenstroup Haugen. "Composing the soundtrack for DUNE: AWAKENING has been an epic journey – one that challenged and inspired me in equal measure," says Haugen. "I wanted the score to reflect the depth and mystery of the lore, as well as the haunting majesty of Arrakis. The music is rich, colorful, and emotionally resonant. The orchestra – beautifully recorded at AIR Studios – along with synthesizers and a wide array of unique and amazing soloists and instruments, formed the fabric of a score full of contrasts: intimate and vast, dreamlike and raw. To contribute to the legacy of Dune in this way has been a true adventure—an experience I will always treasure." 

Developed by Funcom and inspired by Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece and Denis Villeneuve and Legendary Entertainment's award-winning films, DUNE: AWAKENING introduces a parallel Dune timeline where Paul Atreides was never born. Witness the world of Dune come to life unlike ever before in the Launch Trailer, which premiered today at Summer Game Fest. Experience a brand-new Dune story in the first-ever open-world, multiplayer survival game set in Arrakis. DUNE: AWAKENING sets players free on Arrakis's vast and deadly sands, the most dangerous planet in the Known Universe and the sole source of the spice. Explore a world ruled by sun, storm, and sandworms and rise alongside hundreds of other players from survival to greatness. Survival is only the beginning. Control the spice and seize the Landsraad to impact every player of your chosen faction, be it Atreides or Harkonnen. 
Get the soundtrack now.

Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. (KONAMI) and Laced Records again teams up to bring long-time SILENT HILL series composer Akira Yamaoka's reworked soundtrack for 2024's SILENT HILL 2 to vinyl. Pre-orders are open via the Laced store for the Limited Edition 6LP box set, which features the complete 93-track soundtrack specially mastered for the vinyl format. The set boasts Laced-exclusive opaque brown + red A-side/B-side effect heavyweight LPs and a 32-page art booklet with exclusive liner notes written by Akira Yamaoka. The artwork is by Bloober Team. Also available to pre-order is a double LP set featuring 27 tracks sequenced by the composer. Laced-exclusive milky clear heavyweight LPs come in printed inner sleeves housed in a wide-spined outer sleeve.  Akira Yamaoka completely reworked the soundtrack for Bloober Team's critically lauded remake. Brand new and re-recorded cues for 2024's SILENT HILL 2 perfectly capture the eerie atmosphere of the titular town, fusing elements of trip-hop and industrial rock with dark ambiance and musique concrète. This new soundtrack will feel familiar and fresh to ardent fans of the beloved survival horror series. SILENT HILL 2 composer Akira Yamaoka says: "After nearly a quarter of a century, SILENT HILL 2 has been revived. I've poured much thought and passion into this thing called SILENT HILL. Touching it again evoked a special emotion I had never felt before—as if I was touching the breath of God. Writing this music was a personal challenge, but I feel a deep gratitude towards the people worldwide who have loved this series for so long."

London, May 20, 2025, ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS—Ubisoft and Laced Records have renewed their adherence to the brotherhood to bring the music to vinyl. Pre-orders are now open for the ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS—Soundtrack Collection Limited Edition 4LP box set (exclusive to www.lacedrecords.com) featuring 44 specially mastered tracks on translucent red and black splatter discs. The set includes three albums created for the game: the original score and two sets of songs focused on the game's protagonists, blending psychedelic rock with Japanese sounds and instruments.
• 2LP – Assassins's Creed Shadows – Original Score (by The Flight)

• 1LP – The Naoe-focused Kage No Iro (by Japanese-Canadian psych-rock band TEKE::TEKE)
• 1LP – The Yasuke-focused UKOMBOZI (by composition team Thunderdrum featuring Tiggs Da Author)
Each album in the box set is also available separately in Limited Edition disc variants.

Composer duo The Flight (Joe Henson and Alexis Smith) return to the ASSASSIN'S CREED series to deliver a dark, modern score, fusing traditional Japanese instrumentation with orchestral and electronic elements. The resulting blend of contemporary production techniques and traditional music reflects the series' fusion of science fiction and popular history. The dual protagonists of Assassin's Creed Shadows are represented with different instruments and musical approaches: Naoe by her in-game instrument of choice, the clay flute (tsuchibue) and disembodied whispering during stealth moments; and Yasuke with the sharper sounds of the stringed Shamisen and rhythmic intensity. The Flight turned to master players for the performances of Japanese instruments, including Keiko Kitamura (Koto) and Hibiki Ichikawa (Shamisen). Other performers include vocalist Akari Mochizuki; flutists Kristin Naigus, Oriol Singh, and Andy Findon; and The Flight's musical collaborator on Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Michael Georgiades.
Where to buy Assassin's Creed Shadows soundtrack vinyl:
Available from:
USA and Canada store — www.lacedrecords.com
Rest of World outside of USA — www.lacedrecords.co
Estimated shipping: October 2025
Milan Records offers a highlight of new Anime x Gaming Soundtracks to listen to and/or purchase: https://fireforce.lnk.to/highflameEC -
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/ghost-of-yotei/
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https://helldivers2.lnk.to/illuminatecult - https://sololeveling.lnk.to/arisefromtheshadows -
https://fireforce.lnk.to/highflameEC - and more.

Lakeshore Records, in partnership with Ubisoft, is celebrating the digital release today of RAINBOW SIX: SIEGE X--ORIGINAL GAME SOUNDTRACK, featuring music by BAFTA-nominated composer Henry Jackman (Red One).  Jackman's soaring orchestral score is exhilarating, tension-filled, taut, and ominous, providing a multi-faceted backdrop to the latest edition of Ubisoft's tactical shooter game.  RAINBOW SIX: SIEGE X is a new update for the popular tactical shooter, boasting over 85 million registered players.  With X, Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Siege begins its next chapter by pushing the game's limits and celebrating its legacy and the gameplay formula that established it as a unique offering in the competitive shooter domain 10 years ago. The soundtrack for SIEGE X embodies this. It leverages the dark, gritty, and oftentimes unconventional musical language that defined the sound of Siege but, at the same time, updates it and breathes new life into it, bringing new tones, textures, and motifs that are decidedly SIEGE X. The new soundtrack delivers tense atmospheres. These musical textures border on sound design and highly dynamic structures and forms.  

Bethesda Softworks and Laced Records are bringing the carnage as Finishing Move's original soundtrack for id Software's DOOM: THE DARK AGES lands on vinyl and CD. Pre-orders are open now for a 4LP box set containing all 35 tracks from the game's original soundtrack and a double LP set containing 17 tracks carefully sequenced by the game's composers, Finishing Move. Two exclusive color variants for the 2LP and 4LP box set are available via the Laced Records store and the Bethesda Gear Store. The Laced-exclusive sets contain red and black marble-effect heavyweight LPs, while the Bethesda Gear Store exclusives contain translucent red heavyweight LPs. Pre-orders are also open for a 35-track double CD presented in a deluxe triple gatefold sleeve.  Estimated shipping: October 2025
Price: 4LP box set GBP £85 | USD $110, Double LP GBP £36 | USD $42, Double CD GBP £14 | USD $16   https://lnk.to/DOOM-The-Dark-Ages
DOOM: The Dark Ages 4LP vinyl box set, double LP, and CD set can be pre-ordered now.
Available from: USA and Canada store — www.lacedrecords.com ,
Collection — www.lacedrecords.com/collections/doom ,
Rest of World outside of USA — www.lacedrecords.com .
Listen to the DOOM: The Dark Ages Original Game Soundtrack:

 


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Randall D. Larson was for many years publisher of CinemaScore: The Film Music Journal, senior editor for Soundtrack Magazine, and a film music columnist for Cinefantastique magazine. A specialist on horror film music, he is the author of Musique Fantastique: 100+ Years of Fantasy, Science Fiction & Horror Film Music and Music from the House of Hammer. He currently writes essays on film music and sf/horror cinema, and has written liner notes more than 300 soundtrack CD or digital releases. He can be contacted via https://musiquefantastique.com/ or follow Musique Fantastique on Facebook. Follow Randall on Twitter at https://twitter.com/randalldlarson and https://twitter.com/MusiqueFantast1