The awards took place at the closing night of Film Fest Gent.
Volker Bertelmann has won the film composer of the year at the 23rd World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), which took place tonight (October 21), at the closing night of Film Fest Gent.
Bertelmann was nominated for his scores for War Sailor, All Quiet On The Western Front and Memory Of Water. Other nominees in this category included Carter Burwell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Catherine Called Birdy and To Catch A Killer and Hildur Guðnadóttir for Women Talking and Tár.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Nicholas Britell took...
Volker Bertelmann has won the film composer of the year at the 23rd World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), which took place tonight (October 21), at the closing night of Film Fest Gent.
Bertelmann was nominated for his scores for War Sailor, All Quiet On The Western Front and Memory Of Water. Other nominees in this category included Carter Burwell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Catherine Called Birdy and To Catch A Killer and Hildur Guðnadóttir for Women Talking and Tár.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Nicholas Britell took...
- 10/21/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The Weeknd is continuing to boycott the Grammys, but two of his projects — his Avatar: The Way of Water theme song and Emmy-nominated Live at SoFi Stadium concert film — are on the Grammy ballot.
Disney Music Group confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that they submitted “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from Avatar for best song written for visual media, while HBO confirmed they submitted the singer’s concert special for best music film.
“Nothing is Lost,” released in Dec. 2022, was shortlisted for best original song at this year’s Academy Awards. The Weeknd co-wrote the song with Grammy-winning composer Simon Franglen and Swedish House Mafia members Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. If nominated, Franglen and the electronic trio would receive nominations alongside The Weeknd.
Live at SoFi Stadium was filmed across two nights in Inglewood in Nov. 2022 as The Weeknd performed on his After Hours til Dawn Tour.
Disney Music Group confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that they submitted “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from Avatar for best song written for visual media, while HBO confirmed they submitted the singer’s concert special for best music film.
“Nothing is Lost,” released in Dec. 2022, was shortlisted for best original song at this year’s Academy Awards. The Weeknd co-wrote the song with Grammy-winning composer Simon Franglen and Swedish House Mafia members Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. If nominated, Franglen and the electronic trio would receive nominations alongside The Weeknd.
Live at SoFi Stadium was filmed across two nights in Inglewood in Nov. 2022 as The Weeknd performed on his After Hours til Dawn Tour.
- 10/12/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nominees in the categories of discovery of the year, public choice award and the new game music award have been revealed.
Film Fest Gent and The World Soundtrack Academy has unveiled the second and final wave of nominations for the 2023 World Soundtrack Awards, which will take place on October 21 at the Film Fest Gent in Belgium, with Golda, Avatar: The Way Of Water and The Menu among the additional titles represented.
Nominations for discovery of the year, public choice award, Wsa game music award, best original score for a Belgian production and the Sabam Award for best original composition by...
Film Fest Gent and The World Soundtrack Academy has unveiled the second and final wave of nominations for the 2023 World Soundtrack Awards, which will take place on October 21 at the Film Fest Gent in Belgium, with Golda, Avatar: The Way Of Water and The Menu among the additional titles represented.
Nominations for discovery of the year, public choice award, Wsa game music award, best original score for a Belgian production and the Sabam Award for best original composition by...
- 9/5/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be launching 10 new scientific and technical investigations in 2023. The investigations will be completed by an Academy committee ahead of the upcoming Scientific and Technical Awards on Feb. 23, 2024.
Investigations currently underway cover the following areas: onboard remote driving apparatus; reusable cable-cutting devices for motion picture squibs; post-process depth of field software; mathematically lossless encoding of motion picture camera raw files; motor-stabilized motion picture camera support systems for hand/body-supported operation; interactive renderers that provide a representative approximation of final offline renders during post-production; volumetric surface reconstruction; pattern-based 3D clothing creation software; layerable hierarchical 3D scene description frameworks; and digital image processing film restoration software utilized for theatrical re-release and archival preservation.
Individuals and companies with devices or claims of innovation that fall under the umbrella of any of these categories are welcomed by the Academy to submit their achievements for review. The...
Investigations currently underway cover the following areas: onboard remote driving apparatus; reusable cable-cutting devices for motion picture squibs; post-process depth of field software; mathematically lossless encoding of motion picture camera raw files; motor-stabilized motion picture camera support systems for hand/body-supported operation; interactive renderers that provide a representative approximation of final offline renders during post-production; volumetric surface reconstruction; pattern-based 3D clothing creation software; layerable hierarchical 3D scene description frameworks; and digital image processing film restoration software utilized for theatrical re-release and archival preservation.
Individuals and companies with devices or claims of innovation that fall under the umbrella of any of these categories are welcomed by the Academy to submit their achievements for review. The...
- 7/13/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay, Charna Flam, Sophia Scorziello and McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
Thirteen years after Academy Award®-winner James Cameron introduced viewers to a world unlike any they had ever seen with his breathtaking film Avatar, Disney+ Hotstar is now streaming the eagerly awaited sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. This groundbreaking cinematic odyssey unveils a new underwater adventure that promises to mesmerise viewers again.
Returning to reprise their iconic roles, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña portray Jake Sully and Neytiri, devoted parents doing everything possible to protect their family. Joining them are Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet and other esteemed actors Sigourney Weaver, Cliff Curtis and Stephen Lang.
Many were surprised to learn about Stephen Lang’s return to the sequel after the death of his character Colonel Miles Quaritch, in Avatar, who played the human antagonist. However, this time with the Resources Development Administration (Rda) returning to the moon with reinforcement, Lang returns as a recombinant, or recom, of his character.
Returning to reprise their iconic roles, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña portray Jake Sully and Neytiri, devoted parents doing everything possible to protect their family. Joining them are Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet and other esteemed actors Sigourney Weaver, Cliff Curtis and Stephen Lang.
Many were surprised to learn about Stephen Lang’s return to the sequel after the death of his character Colonel Miles Quaritch, in Avatar, who played the human antagonist. However, this time with the Resources Development Administration (Rda) returning to the moon with reinforcement, Lang returns as a recombinant, or recom, of his character.
- 6/19/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
“Avatar: The Way of Water” and “E.T.” were just some of the films recognized at the 16th Krakow Film Music Festival in Krakow, Poland. The festival concluded on Monday, wrapping up the celebration of this year’s celestial lineup.
“Faced by the challenges posed by the pandemic, as well as the war that broke out at our doorstep, many of us have taken refuge in cinematic works – either trying to glimpse into the future or relive the amazing films from our childhood,” said Carolina Pietyra, director of the Krakow Festival office, in a statement. “The headline of this year’s edition of the Krakow Film Music Festival – Out of Space – stands for everything that takes us to other spaces and responds to our longing to explore realms unknown.”
The festival’s Space Gala featured otherworldly film scores including Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival,” Cliff Martinez’s “Solaris,” Steven Price’s “Gravity...
“Faced by the challenges posed by the pandemic, as well as the war that broke out at our doorstep, many of us have taken refuge in cinematic works – either trying to glimpse into the future or relive the amazing films from our childhood,” said Carolina Pietyra, director of the Krakow Festival office, in a statement. “The headline of this year’s edition of the Krakow Film Music Festival – Out of Space – stands for everything that takes us to other spaces and responds to our longing to explore realms unknown.”
The festival’s Space Gala featured otherworldly film scores including Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival,” Cliff Martinez’s “Solaris,” Steven Price’s “Gravity...
- 5/31/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Scores for ‘Nope,’ ‘White Lotus,’ ‘God of War: Ragnarok’ Win Top Honors at ASCAP Screen Music Awards
Some of today’s most talked-about film and TV composers walked off with Composers Choice Awards at Tuesday night’s annual Screen Music Awards of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in West Hollywood.
Michael Abels won Film Score of the Year for Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror movie “Nope.” Cristobal Tapia de Veer and Kim Neundorf won Television Score of the Year for HBO’s black comedy “The White Lotus” And Bear McCreary won Video Game Score of the Year for Sony Interactive’s acclaimed “God of War: Ragnarok.”
In a tie, Documentary Score of the Year went to both Amanda Jones for the National Geographic nature series “Super/Natural” and Jeff Cardoni for HBO Max’s skateboarding doc “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off.” Cristobal Tapia de Veer also won a second award for Television Theme of the Year for “The White Lotus.”
Composers Choice...
Michael Abels won Film Score of the Year for Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror movie “Nope.” Cristobal Tapia de Veer and Kim Neundorf won Television Score of the Year for HBO’s black comedy “The White Lotus” And Bear McCreary won Video Game Score of the Year for Sony Interactive’s acclaimed “God of War: Ragnarok.”
In a tie, Documentary Score of the Year went to both Amanda Jones for the National Geographic nature series “Super/Natural” and Jeff Cardoni for HBO Max’s skateboarding doc “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off.” Cristobal Tapia de Veer also won a second award for Television Theme of the Year for “The White Lotus.”
Composers Choice...
- 5/17/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Ninety-year-old John Williams received his 53rd nomination, and a team of composers was nominated for original score for only the eighth time in Oscar history during this morning’s Academy Awards nominations.
Yet, despite the presence of two women and three African-American composers on this year’s 15-film shortlist, none made the final five. So Chanda Dancy (“Devotion”) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Women Talking”) were left off, as were Michael Abels (“Nope”) and Terence Blanchard (“The Woman King”).
With his nomination for “The Fabelmans,” the venerable Williams, scoring his 29th film over the past 50 years for director Steven Spielberg, retains his record as the most-nominated composer and most-nominated living person.
He already has five Oscars, including three for Spielberg, and according to Academy statistics is also believed to be the oldest nominee in a competitive award category.
Son Lux’s nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is especially interesting as...
Yet, despite the presence of two women and three African-American composers on this year’s 15-film shortlist, none made the final five. So Chanda Dancy (“Devotion”) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Women Talking”) were left off, as were Michael Abels (“Nope”) and Terence Blanchard (“The Woman King”).
With his nomination for “The Fabelmans,” the venerable Williams, scoring his 29th film over the past 50 years for director Steven Spielberg, retains his record as the most-nominated composer and most-nominated living person.
He already has five Oscars, including three for Spielberg, and according to Academy statistics is also believed to be the oldest nominee in a competitive award category.
Son Lux’s nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is especially interesting as...
- 1/24/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
"Avatar: The Way of Water" once again solidified the franchise as a pop culture mainstay through breathtaking visual effects, but James Cameron had one more trick up his sleeve. The "Avatar" sequel introduced more than just a new water-filled side of Pandora: The Weeknd was brought in to create brand-new music for the blockbuster movie. The composer of the musical score, Simon Franglen, collaborated with The Weeknd to create the theme song "Nothing is Lost." The song plays during the end credits of the film, but it can now be experienced outside the theater in the official music video.
The Weeknd is no stranger to providing his musical talents to the film industry. Previously, he did a song with Kendrick Lamar for "Black Panther" called "Pray for Me." He is also working on "The Idol," an HBO series starring Lily-Rose Depp that will also feature the award-winning singer in front of the camera.
The Weeknd is no stranger to providing his musical talents to the film industry. Previously, he did a song with Kendrick Lamar for "Black Panther" called "Pray for Me." He is also working on "The Idol," an HBO series starring Lily-Rose Depp that will also feature the award-winning singer in front of the camera.
- 1/17/2023
- by Marcos Melendez
- Slash Film
The Weeknd released his latest music video for “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” the theme song from the Avatar: The Way of Water soundtrack.
Directed by Quentin Deronzier, the visual offers a brief glimpse of the singer shrouded in a blue haze before diving into a burst of fire and taking viewers through Pandora’s landscape — a fictional Earth-like moon in the Avatar sequel. In the video, the Na’vi (a humanoid species from Pandora) are forced into the water by a fire.
The track was penned by Abel Tesfaye (A.
Directed by Quentin Deronzier, the visual offers a brief glimpse of the singer shrouded in a blue haze before diving into a burst of fire and taking viewers through Pandora’s landscape — a fictional Earth-like moon in the Avatar sequel. In the video, the Na’vi (a humanoid species from Pandora) are forced into the water by a fire.
The track was penned by Abel Tesfaye (A.
- 1/16/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
The second weekend of January saw another four-day holiday weekend to celebrate the life and work of the late Martin Luther King Jr., and things continue to do well at the box office with a number of strong films.
As expected, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” remained on top, bringing in an estimated 31.1 million over the three-day weekend (down 32) and a projected 38.5 million for the four-day weekend. That helped Cameron’s movie cross the 570 million mark, which puts it ahead of Disney’s 2019 “The Lion King” remake, as it heads towards the 600 million milestone. Disney now has 16 of the 20 all-time highest-grossing movies domestically.
See Best Picture Oscar: How will box office play into this year’s race, if at all?
Overseas, “Way of Water” added another 88.6 million through Sunday, which puts its global total to 1.89 billion. China is the big international winner with 211.8 million just from the Middle Kingdom,...
As expected, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” remained on top, bringing in an estimated 31.1 million over the three-day weekend (down 32) and a projected 38.5 million for the four-day weekend. That helped Cameron’s movie cross the 570 million mark, which puts it ahead of Disney’s 2019 “The Lion King” remake, as it heads towards the 600 million milestone. Disney now has 16 of the 20 all-time highest-grossing movies domestically.
See Best Picture Oscar: How will box office play into this year’s race, if at all?
Overseas, “Way of Water” added another 88.6 million through Sunday, which puts its global total to 1.89 billion. China is the big international winner with 211.8 million just from the Middle Kingdom,...
- 1/15/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
David Byrne, “This Is a Life”
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The former Talking Heads frontman, who won the best original score Oscar 35 years ago for The Last Emperor, teamed with Son Lux’s Ryan Lott (who curated Everything’s soundtrack) and the Grammy-nominated Japanese artist Mitski for this end-credits tune.
Drake,”Time”
Amsterdam
Drizzy penned the closing number of David O. Russell’s film, on which he was a producer, in collaboration with rising star Giveon Evans (who sings it), 2020 song Oscar nominee Daniel Pemberton (who also scored the film) and Grammy-winning producer Jahaan Akil Sweet.
Lady Gaga, “Hold My Hand”
Top Gun: Maverick
This Oscar’s winner for A Star Is Born’s “Shallow” is back with another power ballad — written with Michael ‘BloodPop’ Tucker — for the year’s biggest blockbuster. Already up for Critics Choice, Golden Globe and Grammy awards, Tom Cruise has called it “the heartbeat of our film.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The former Talking Heads frontman, who won the best original score Oscar 35 years ago for The Last Emperor, teamed with Son Lux’s Ryan Lott (who curated Everything’s soundtrack) and the Grammy-nominated Japanese artist Mitski for this end-credits tune.
Drake,”Time”
Amsterdam
Drizzy penned the closing number of David O. Russell’s film, on which he was a producer, in collaboration with rising star Giveon Evans (who sings it), 2020 song Oscar nominee Daniel Pemberton (who also scored the film) and Grammy-winning producer Jahaan Akil Sweet.
Lady Gaga, “Hold My Hand”
Top Gun: Maverick
This Oscar’s winner for A Star Is Born’s “Shallow” is back with another power ballad — written with Michael ‘BloodPop’ Tucker — for the year’s biggest blockbuster. Already up for Critics Choice, Golden Globe and Grammy awards, Tom Cruise has called it “the heartbeat of our film.
- 1/15/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Three of the composers who made it onto the 2023 Oscars shortlist for Best Score recently sat down with Gold Derby to talk about their films: Volker Bertelmann (Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”), Simon Franglen (Disney’s “Avatar: The Way of Water”) and Nathan Johnson (Netflix’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”). Among other topics, the men reveal what iconic movie scores from their childhoods helped influence their decisions to become composers, what film genres they would love to work on in the future, and how the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on their production schedules.
We talked with Bertelmann, Franglen and Johnson as a part of Gold Derby’s Film Composers Oscar Shortlist Panel Q&a event. Watch our exclusive video interview above. Click on each name above to watch that person’s individual chat.
SEEWatch hundreds of Gold Derby interviews with 2023 awards contenders
Bertelmann grew up...
We talked with Bertelmann, Franglen and Johnson as a part of Gold Derby’s Film Composers Oscar Shortlist Panel Q&a event. Watch our exclusive video interview above. Click on each name above to watch that person’s individual chat.
SEEWatch hundreds of Gold Derby interviews with 2023 awards contenders
Bertelmann grew up...
- 1/13/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“First of all, I’m astonished,” Simon Franglen reveals about the mega-success of Disney’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” at the box office and with awards groups, where it’s one of the 15 films on the Oscar shortlist for Best Score. The composer and co-writer of “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” adds, “I’ve been working on this for five years, so there’s a sense of relief as well. There were 3,800 people working on this film. For my team, I had a 105-piece orchestra, which we recorded in Los Angeles. There’s three hours of finished score in this film and close to five hours that I actually finished because of editing and revisions. I’m so just relieved that people are liking the film. It’s hugely satisfying. I’m astonished by the millions of people that are listening to the soundtrack — it really just flabbergasts me.
- 1/13/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Three top film composers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Thursday, January 12, at 4:00 p.m. Pt; 7:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Marcus Dixon and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar contenders on the 2023 shortlist:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)
Synopsis: A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Bio: Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka) was an Oscar nominee for “Lion.” Other...
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar contenders on the 2023 shortlist:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)
Synopsis: A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Bio: Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka) was an Oscar nominee for “Lion.” Other...
- 1/9/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The Weeknd remembers seeing Avatar for the first time in 2009 — he was 19 and feeling blue. Watching the film was like a ray of light.
“That was probably the darkest time of my life,” the Canadian singer tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I was homeless, pretty much. I had dropped out of school. I didn’t know if I was going to succeed as a musician. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to live to see tomorrow. And I remember I somehow got to see the film in theaters. I don’t know how I got in. It was such an escape from my real life that the film is tattooed in my brain.”
Two years after Avatar‘s release, The Weeknd marked a major breakthrough with his critically acclaimed alternative R&b mixtape, House of Balloons. That was followed by a major-label deal, countless No. 1 hits on the pop charts,...
“That was probably the darkest time of my life,” the Canadian singer tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I was homeless, pretty much. I had dropped out of school. I didn’t know if I was going to succeed as a musician. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to live to see tomorrow. And I remember I somehow got to see the film in theaters. I don’t know how I got in. It was such an escape from my real life that the film is tattooed in my brain.”
Two years after Avatar‘s release, The Weeknd marked a major breakthrough with his critically acclaimed alternative R&b mixtape, House of Balloons. That was followed by a major-label deal, countless No. 1 hits on the pop charts,...
- 1/9/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" is over three hours long. That's more than 190 minutes of screen time in which every frame of every second demands a high fidelity of CGI. It also requires music because movies are eerie without an underscore to inform the emotional current. For Cameron's first excursion into Pandora, James Horner composed. With prior credits such as "Braveheart" and Cameron's own "Titanic," Horner's involvement was practically guaranteed. Unfortunately, Horner lost his life in a tragic plane crash back in 2015, making any further work on the "Avatar" series impossible.
In his stead, Simon Franglen became the composer of "The Way of Water." Franglen, too, shares a long history of musical employment with Cameron, including "Titanic" and the first "Avatar." Taking over a project from another artist is difficult at the best of times, but few things are trickier to balance than continuing the work of a late,...
In his stead, Simon Franglen became the composer of "The Way of Water." Franglen, too, shares a long history of musical employment with Cameron, including "Titanic" and the first "Avatar." Taking over a project from another artist is difficult at the best of times, but few things are trickier to balance than continuing the work of a late,...
- 12/28/2022
- by Cameron Roy Hall
- Slash Film
Before "Avatar: The Way of Water," composer Simon Franglen was intimately familiar with the "Avatar" universe. Franglen collaborated with the late, great James Horner on the first film and composed music for Walt Disney World's Avatar theme park land. With "Avatar: The Way of Water," the composer expands the musical landscape of Pandora while also honoring the work of Horner, whose scores for "Titanic" and several other films were produced by Franglen.
For James Cameron's sequel, the composer brought in musicians and instruments from all over the world to continue to define Pandora and its characters. It's a sweeping score that's as majestic as the images, both familiar and otherworldly. It's "relentless," as Franglen puts it -- just the way Cameron wanted it. The composer's career outside of "Avatar" is another epic story for another day, but he's worked with the likes of Pink Floyd, Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston,...
For James Cameron's sequel, the composer brought in musicians and instruments from all over the world to continue to define Pandora and its characters. It's a sweeping score that's as majestic as the images, both familiar and otherworldly. It's "relentless," as Franglen puts it -- just the way Cameron wanted it. The composer's career outside of "Avatar" is another epic story for another day, but he's worked with the likes of Pink Floyd, Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston,...
- 12/27/2022
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
This interview with “Avatar: The Way of Water” composer Simon Franglen first appeared in a special section of the Below-the-Line issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Composer Simon Franglen had worked on the first “Avatar” on what he called “the non-orchestral side: the glowing textures, the synthetic stuff, the rhythms.” So when his close friend and original “Avatar” composer James Horner died in a plane crash in 2015, Lightstorm asked Franglen to write music for the Disney theme park attraction Pandora—The World of Avatar. He then began work on “The Way of Water” by coming up with a Na’vi-language song to fit a line at the beginning of the script: “Neytiri sings the song cord.”
“The idea is that you have a string of beads and you trace the history of your family almost like a rosary as you sing,” the British composer said. Cameron liked what he heard,...
Composer Simon Franglen had worked on the first “Avatar” on what he called “the non-orchestral side: the glowing textures, the synthetic stuff, the rhythms.” So when his close friend and original “Avatar” composer James Horner died in a plane crash in 2015, Lightstorm asked Franglen to write music for the Disney theme park attraction Pandora—The World of Avatar. He then began work on “The Way of Water” by coming up with a Na’vi-language song to fit a line at the beginning of the script: “Neytiri sings the song cord.”
“The idea is that you have a string of beads and you trace the history of your family almost like a rosary as you sing,” the British composer said. Cameron liked what he heard,...
- 12/26/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“I was moving into a world of virtual creation. And that was brand new for me,” reveals “Avatar: The Way of Water” cinematographer Russell Carpenter. Unlike many key creatives on the film, he did not work on the first movie in this series, so he entered into a world where the visual language had been established. Though he had previously collaborated with director James Cameron on movies like “Titanic” and “True Lies,” Carpenter found himself presented with an entirely new set of puzzles to solve in order to make the visual effects heavy film work. “Jim is the grand provocateur,” he notes, “He’ll just lay a challenge at your feet.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
See Simon Franglen interview: ‘Avatar: The way of Water’ composer
“It’s a layer cake,” says Carpenter of the complex creative process for “The Way of Water.” He started working a full year before live action photography began,...
See Simon Franglen interview: ‘Avatar: The way of Water’ composer
“It’s a layer cake,” says Carpenter of the complex creative process for “The Way of Water.” He started working a full year before live action photography began,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“It’s like if I spent so much time making a gift for someone and then someone beautifully wraps it in a present box,” describes Jack Champion of watching “Avatar: The Way of Water” for the first time. The actor spent a major part of his teenage years steeped in an unconventional filming process, where the second and third films in the “Avatar” saga were shot back-to-back. His extended stay in Pandora granted him the opportunity to work alongside legendary performers and work inside one of the most unique filmmaking processes in history. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
See Gwendolyn Yates Whittle interview: ‘Avatar the Way of Water’ sound
Champion portrays Spider, a human boy and son of the villainous Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Spider was left behind when most humans retreated from Pandora and was subsequently adopted by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He grows...
See Gwendolyn Yates Whittle interview: ‘Avatar the Way of Water’ sound
Champion portrays Spider, a human boy and son of the villainous Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang). Spider was left behind when most humans retreated from Pandora and was subsequently adopted by Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). He grows...
- 12/22/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
It could be a star-studded musical evening at the Academy Awards come March 12, as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rhianna and the Weeknd are all up for best-song Oscar nominations following today’s announcement of the shortlists in music.
Fifteen songs and 15 scores from 2022 movies were selected by the 389 voting members of Oscar’s music branch, and there were few surprises in the song category. The score category made history, however, with two women and three African-American composers on the list.
The music branch will vote again in January to select five nominees in each category.
Taylor Swift could, at long last, become an Oscar nominee, for her song “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and Rhianna could score with her song “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Gaga, already an Oscar winner for “Shallow” from 2018’s “A Star Is Born,” could score again with her “Top Gun: Maverick” anthem “Hold My Hand.
Fifteen songs and 15 scores from 2022 movies were selected by the 389 voting members of Oscar’s music branch, and there were few surprises in the song category. The score category made history, however, with two women and three African-American composers on the list.
The music branch will vote again in January to select five nominees in each category.
Taylor Swift could, at long last, become an Oscar nominee, for her song “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and Rhianna could score with her song “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Gaga, already an Oscar winner for “Shallow” from 2018’s “A Star Is Born,” could score again with her “Top Gun: Maverick” anthem “Hold My Hand.
- 12/21/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Rrr” are among the films advancing to the next round of the Oscars shortlist, while Rihanna and Taylor Swift are among the music performers still running for their chart-topping songs.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlists for nine categories at the upcoming Oscars. They include documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (10), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), sound (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (10), live action short film (10) and visual effects (10).
The shortlist voting period concluded on Dec. 16, and the remaining films will move on to the phase one voting period, which will take place from Jan. 12-17.
Read the list of the remaining films in their respective categories below. The official nominees have not yet been determined and will be announced by the Academy when nominations are named on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Makeup and Hairstyling
“All Quiet on the Western Front...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlists for nine categories at the upcoming Oscars. They include documentary feature (15), documentary short subject (10), international feature (15), makeup and hairstyling (10), sound (10), original score (15), original song (15), animated short film (10), live action short film (10) and visual effects (10).
The shortlist voting period concluded on Dec. 16, and the remaining films will move on to the phase one voting period, which will take place from Jan. 12-17.
Read the list of the remaining films in their respective categories below. The official nominees have not yet been determined and will be announced by the Academy when nominations are named on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Makeup and Hairstyling
“All Quiet on the Western Front...
- 12/21/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Shortlists have been revealed for the music categories for the 95th Academy Awards, and 15 semifinalists each for the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories will compete for nominations that will be announced on Jan. 24, 2023.
As expected, the song category shortlist is chock-full of pop superstars such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Selena Gomez among the 15; however, last year’s Best Original Song victors Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell did not make the cut for their contribution of “Nobody Like U” to Pixar’s “Turning Red.”
Also Read:
As Holidays Arrive, Oscars Screening Room Fills Up With Everything But ‘Avatar’ and ‘Babylon’
And while she was the recipient of an honorary Oscar just this year after 13 nominations in the Best Original Song category, superstar pop songwriter Diane Warren could sneak in for No. 14 with “Applause,” her shortlisted song from the under-the-radar movie “Tell It Like a Woman.
As expected, the song category shortlist is chock-full of pop superstars such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Selena Gomez among the 15; however, last year’s Best Original Song victors Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell did not make the cut for their contribution of “Nobody Like U” to Pixar’s “Turning Red.”
Also Read:
As Holidays Arrive, Oscars Screening Room Fills Up With Everything But ‘Avatar’ and ‘Babylon’
And while she was the recipient of an honorary Oscar just this year after 13 nominations in the Best Original Song category, superstar pop songwriter Diane Warren could sneak in for No. 14 with “Applause,” her shortlisted song from the under-the-radar movie “Tell It Like a Woman.
- 12/21/2022
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
“Clarity is king” is the most important mantra that Gwendolyn Yates Whittle has learned in her time working with James Cameron. “You have to make sure that you have the sound that supports the picture narratively, and very very precisely,” she explains. After designing major films like “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” “Titanic,” and “Avatar,” she served as a supervising sound editor on Cameron’s latest trip to Pandora with “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
See Simon Franglen interview: ‘Avatar: The way of Water’ composer
Yates Whittle has an affinity for dialogue and Adr work. “I really really like getting out from underneath a computer sometimes,” she confesses, “I love words, and I love dealing with human interaction.” Given that the sound team on a film is often doing much of their work in post production, supervising Adr allows her to peek into the actor’s creative process.
See Simon Franglen interview: ‘Avatar: The way of Water’ composer
Yates Whittle has an affinity for dialogue and Adr work. “I really really like getting out from underneath a computer sometimes,” she confesses, “I love words, and I love dealing with human interaction.” Given that the sound team on a film is often doing much of their work in post production, supervising Adr allows her to peek into the actor’s creative process.
- 12/20/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“I hope James is looking down on me and he approves of what I’ve done,” confesses Simon Franglen, referring to the late composer James Horner. The pair collaborated on the first “Avatar” film, but Franglen has assumed scoring duties for “Avatar: The Way of Water” after Horner’s passing in 2015. The opening segment of the sequel beautifully honors Horner’s original themes, but as the movie transitions to its seaside destination, he charts a new path with his music. One steeped in indigenous music and traditions, which bring the new location and Na’vi tribe to life. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
See Deborah L. Scott interview: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ costume designer
When James Cameron shared the scripts for his intended “Avatar” sequels with Franglen, the composer was struck by a few words on page one: “Neytiri sings The Songchord.” This original song would become a core ingredient for his score.
See Deborah L. Scott interview: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ costume designer
When James Cameron shared the scripts for his intended “Avatar” sequels with Franglen, the composer was struck by a few words on page one: “Neytiri sings The Songchord.” This original song would become a core ingredient for his score.
- 12/20/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Buttressing the 441.6M global opening of Avatar: The Way of Water this past weekend –the 11th best ever– is a curated promo partner campaign assembled by Disney; a lineup that reflects the eco-friendly and technologically advanced sensibilities of the James Cameron directed epic.
All in, the value of media which advertisers paid for here is estimated to be 170M+ per sources, a figure that’s higher than the 100M promo campaigns of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Eternals, but lower than that of last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home which counted over 220M in media value from its ad partners. This, of course, doesn’t include any direct marketing spend by Disney for trailers or TV/digital ad spots.
Unlike other tentpole promo partner campaigns, the filmmaking team behind Avatar 2, read director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau, were intimately involved here. And while this...
All in, the value of media which advertisers paid for here is estimated to be 170M+ per sources, a figure that’s higher than the 100M promo campaigns of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Eternals, but lower than that of last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home which counted over 220M in media value from its ad partners. This, of course, doesn’t include any direct marketing spend by Disney for trailers or TV/digital ad spots.
Unlike other tentpole promo partner campaigns, the filmmaking team behind Avatar 2, read director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau, were intimately involved here. And while this...
- 12/19/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The recently released James Cameron sci-fi movie ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ has unleashed a storm on the global box-office. Now, Hollywood Records is excited to announce the release of Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) now available on all streaming platforms. Featuring music by Grammy® Award-winning composer Simon Franglen.
The 22-track soundtrack also exclusively includes the original song “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” written and performed by The Weeknd and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) will also be available on vinyl in early 2023.
Additionally, Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Score) will release Tuesday, December 20th and will include 11 additional score cues from the film not available on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Franglen, who worked with composer James Horner on the original “Avatar” film, picked up where Horner left off...
The 22-track soundtrack also exclusively includes the original song “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” written and performed by The Weeknd and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) will also be available on vinyl in early 2023.
Additionally, Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Score) will release Tuesday, December 20th and will include 11 additional score cues from the film not available on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Franglen, who worked with composer James Horner on the original “Avatar” film, picked up where Horner left off...
- 12/19/2022
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Click here to read the full article.
The Weeknd’s latest song is out, and it’s a stunning musical tribute to James Cameron’s Avatar sequel.
Titled “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” the more than four-minute track is featured during Avatar: The Way of the Water‘s end credits (after being featured in its trailer) and arrives a day ahead of the movie’s official domestic Dec. 16 wide release. Written and performed by The Weeknd, and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen, the track is a pounding battle call celebrating life, death and resilience.
The Weeknd teased the song Dec. 4, posting to his Instagram and Twitter a post featuring the Avatar logo with the movie’s release date as the post caption. One of the film’s producers, Jon Landau, also tweeted a photo of himself with the singer. “As the Na’vi say,...
The Weeknd’s latest song is out, and it’s a stunning musical tribute to James Cameron’s Avatar sequel.
Titled “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” the more than four-minute track is featured during Avatar: The Way of the Water‘s end credits (after being featured in its trailer) and arrives a day ahead of the movie’s official domestic Dec. 16 wide release. Written and performed by The Weeknd, and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen, the track is a pounding battle call celebrating life, death and resilience.
The Weeknd teased the song Dec. 4, posting to his Instagram and Twitter a post featuring the Avatar logo with the movie’s release date as the post caption. One of the film’s producers, Jon Landau, also tweeted a photo of himself with the singer. “As the Na’vi say,...
- 12/16/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weeknd Releases ‘Avatar: The Way of Water”s Lead Single ‘Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)’
The Weeknd’s new song, part of the original motion picture soundtrack for “Avatar: The Way of Water”, has arrived.
The full length version of the film’s lead single, “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”, has been released after it was teased earlier this month in a teaser trailer for the upcoming film.
Read More: Review: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Is A Big Screen Blast
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)
The Canadian singer shows off his impressive vocals in the dramatic track featuring the lyrics “It’s war we’re facin’/ I know that if I die my only choice is still defending/ No matter what they say/ My love for you is greater than their powers and their armies from above.”
The new song, written by the Weeknd was produced by Swedish House Mafia alongside Grammy Award-winning composer Simon Franglen,...
The full length version of the film’s lead single, “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”, has been released after it was teased earlier this month in a teaser trailer for the upcoming film.
Read More: Review: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Is A Big Screen Blast
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)
The Canadian singer shows off his impressive vocals in the dramatic track featuring the lyrics “It’s war we’re facin’/ I know that if I die my only choice is still defending/ No matter what they say/ My love for you is greater than their powers and their armies from above.”
The new song, written by the Weeknd was produced by Swedish House Mafia alongside Grammy Award-winning composer Simon Franglen,...
- 12/16/2022
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
December 15, 2022 – Hollywood Records/Universal Music Canada is excited to announce the release of Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) now available on all streaming platforms (Listen Here). Featuring music by Grammy® Award-winning composer Simon Franglen, the 22-track soundtrack also exclusively includes the original song “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” written and performed by The Weeknd, and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) will also be available on vinyl in early 2023, pre-order link Here.
Additionally, Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Score) will release Tuesday, December 20th and will include 11 additional score cues from the film not available on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Franglen, who worked with composer James Horner on the original Avatar film, picked up where Horner left off following his tragic death in 2015, spending a large portion of the last...
Additionally, Avatar: The Way of Water (Original Score) will release Tuesday, December 20th and will include 11 additional score cues from the film not available on the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Franglen, who worked with composer James Horner on the original Avatar film, picked up where Horner left off following his tragic death in 2015, spending a large portion of the last...
- 12/15/2022
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
The Weeknd released his new song “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” the theme song from the upcoming blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water.
The track was penned by Abel Tesfaye and produced by his frequent collaborators Swedish House Mafia along with composer Simon Franglen, who provides the score for the film.
Recently, the Weeknd hinted at his involvement in the long-in-the-works sequel when he shared a 12-second clip, featuring a chorus sings as a visual of a watery, blue “A” with a bird in the middle of the letter appears.
The track was penned by Abel Tesfaye and produced by his frequent collaborators Swedish House Mafia along with composer Simon Franglen, who provides the score for the film.
Recently, the Weeknd hinted at his involvement in the long-in-the-works sequel when he shared a 12-second clip, featuring a chorus sings as a visual of a watery, blue “A” with a bird in the middle of the letter appears.
- 12/15/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
December 7, 2022 – Announced via a new trailer released today The Weeknd will release “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from the Avatar: The Way of Water Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Hollywood Records) on December 15, 2022 at 12pm Pt. Written by The Weeknd and Produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen, the track speaks to the epic scope, breathtaking action, and thrilling drama of the film itself. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will also feature an original score from Grammy® Award-winning composer Simon Franglen.
- 12/8/2022
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
December 7, 2022 – Announced via a new trailer released today The Weeknd will release “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from the Avatar: The Way of Water Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Hollywood Records) on December 15, 2022 at 12pm Pt. Written by The Weeknd and Produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen, the track speaks to the epic scope, breathtaking action, and thrilling drama of the film itself. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will also feature an original score from Grammy® Award-winning composer Simon Franglen.
- 12/8/2022
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
The Weeknd is releasing new music for “Avatar: The Way Of Water”.
The artist released the newest teaser for the much-anticipated sequel on Wednesday, and it features a new song titled “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”.
Read More: Sigourney Weaver Says She Wouldn’t Want To Be A Teen Again After Playing A 14-Year-Old In ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’
It’s written by The Weeknd and Produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. The song aims to “speak to the epic scope, breathtaking action, and thrilling drama of the film itself” according to the press release.
“I thought I could protect you from paying for my sins / You give me strength / I would do either way / Nothing’s lost,” he sings in the 45 second teaser.
Read More: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Cast Talks Acting Underwater: ‘Those Scenes Are Hard Enough To Do On Dry...
The artist released the newest teaser for the much-anticipated sequel on Wednesday, and it features a new song titled “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”.
Read More: Sigourney Weaver Says She Wouldn’t Want To Be A Teen Again After Playing A 14-Year-Old In ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’
It’s written by The Weeknd and Produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. The song aims to “speak to the epic scope, breathtaking action, and thrilling drama of the film itself” according to the press release.
“I thought I could protect you from paying for my sins / You give me strength / I would do either way / Nothing’s lost,” he sings in the 45 second teaser.
Read More: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Cast Talks Acting Underwater: ‘Those Scenes Are Hard Enough To Do On Dry...
- 12/7/2022
- by Anita Tai
- ET Canada
The Weeknd will release “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from the soundtrack to the film “Avatar: The Way of Water” on Hollywood Records on December 15.
The song, which was teased last week, was written by the Weeknd and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. The album will also feature an original score from Grammy-winning composer Simon Franglen; the film opens in theaters on Friday, December 16.
Last month, the Weeknd completed the North American leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour — belatedly, as the originally scheduled final date of the tour had to be postponed when he lost his voice a few minutes into the show. It was rescheduled for Nov. 26 and another show was added for the 27 th.
Last week the Weeknd announced his initial 2023 dates, in Europe and Latin America. Next year’s dates begin on June 10 in Manchester, UK at Etihad Stadium.
The song, which was teased last week, was written by the Weeknd and produced by Swedish House Mafia along with Simon Franglen. The album will also feature an original score from Grammy-winning composer Simon Franglen; the film opens in theaters on Friday, December 16.
Last month, the Weeknd completed the North American leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour — belatedly, as the originally scheduled final date of the tour had to be postponed when he lost his voice a few minutes into the show. It was rescheduled for Nov. 26 and another show was added for the 27 th.
Last week the Weeknd announced his initial 2023 dates, in Europe and Latin America. Next year’s dates begin on June 10 in Manchester, UK at Etihad Stadium.
- 12/7/2022
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
James Cameron brought a little of Pandora — and a lot of his starry cast — to London for the “Avatar: The Way of Water” world premiere on Tuesday night. The long-promised, eagerly-awaited sequel has been 13 years in the making, and now it’s finally set to debut in cinemas in just a few days, a moment the director wasn’t always sure would come.
“I had a lot of doubt when the pandemic hit,” Cameron told Variety on the blue carpet in Leicester Square. “We got shut down for six months. We didn’t know if there were going to be any movie theaters left to release the movie into. But we’ve survived all that. The theaters are full again. It’s all back. We’re all sold out for the first few weeks. So yeah, pretty happy!”
“The Way of Water” reunites Cameron with his “Titanic” star Kate Winslet,...
“I had a lot of doubt when the pandemic hit,” Cameron told Variety on the blue carpet in Leicester Square. “We got shut down for six months. We didn’t know if there were going to be any movie theaters left to release the movie into. But we’ve survived all that. The theaters are full again. It’s all back. We’re all sold out for the first few weeks. So yeah, pretty happy!”
“The Way of Water” reunites Cameron with his “Titanic” star Kate Winslet,...
- 12/7/2022
- by Amon Warmann
- Variety Film + TV
James Cameron and Disney would like to show you one more travel brochure in the hopes you’ll commit to buying that ticket and returning to Pandora on December 16. A new and final trailer for “Avatar: The Way of Water” is out, and it’s got more leaping Na’vi, more digital water, more of Simon Franglen’s score, and more portentous dialogue about protecting your family and “getting it done.”
Oddly, there still isn’t much known about the plot specifics for what the trailer calls “the motion picture event of a generation.” Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) have a family and seem to enjoy swimming and riding around on enormous blue creatures. They move to a new community but don’t seem all that welcome at first. There are some baddies in mech suits at some point, probably looking for unobtanium. Sigourney Weaver is back,...
Oddly, there still isn’t much known about the plot specifics for what the trailer calls “the motion picture event of a generation.” Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) have a family and seem to enjoy swimming and riding around on enormous blue creatures. They move to a new community but don’t seem all that welcome at first. There are some baddies in mech suits at some point, probably looking for unobtanium. Sigourney Weaver is back,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Thirteen years ago, composer Simon Franglen worked with James Cameron and composer James Horner on “Avatar.”
But Horner’s 2015 death left a big hole for the music team to fill for the upcoming sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
“In the gaping absence that Horner left, we kept the core of his ‘Avatar’ music team together, completing James’ work on Dis- ney’s Pandora — The World of Avatar [themed area Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom] and so, I was more than ready in late 2017 when Jim [Cameron] asked me to read the scripts for the sequels,” Franglen says.
Bringing the composer into the production early allowed the score to evolve with the films. “One of the unexpected delights was being able to design unique Pandoran musical instruments for the film, then having the prop department bring them into reality,” he says.
Family is very much the heart of the movie and the heart of the score. “Avatar: The Way of Water...
But Horner’s 2015 death left a big hole for the music team to fill for the upcoming sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
“In the gaping absence that Horner left, we kept the core of his ‘Avatar’ music team together, completing James’ work on Dis- ney’s Pandora — The World of Avatar [themed area Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom] and so, I was more than ready in late 2017 when Jim [Cameron] asked me to read the scripts for the sequels,” Franglen says.
Bringing the composer into the production early allowed the score to evolve with the films. “One of the unexpected delights was being able to design unique Pandoran musical instruments for the film, then having the prop department bring them into reality,” he says.
Family is very much the heart of the movie and the heart of the score. “Avatar: The Way of Water...
- 11/9/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Director James Cameron’s long-awaited “Avatar: The Way of Water” closed out the Marvel, Lucasfilm and 20th Century panel at the D23 Expo Saturday by handing out 3-D glasses to everyone in the audience and showing off six extended scenes from the movie.
The new clips weren’t released online, but stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang and producer Jon Landau were there in person to introduce the footage. Cameron appeared virtually to debut the exclusive D23 clips, which were richly detailed and made extensive and impressive use of 3-D technology. Surprisingly, however, Cameron did not provide any advance context for what the D23 Expo audience was about to see: No explanation about who the new characters are, what their relationships are to each other, or how each scene connects to the larger story. Indeed, whatever the larger story is for “The Way of Water” remains rather unclear after the presentation,...
The new clips weren’t released online, but stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang and producer Jon Landau were there in person to introduce the footage. Cameron appeared virtually to debut the exclusive D23 clips, which were richly detailed and made extensive and impressive use of 3-D technology. Surprisingly, however, Cameron did not provide any advance context for what the D23 Expo audience was about to see: No explanation about who the new characters are, what their relationships are to each other, or how each scene connects to the larger story. Indeed, whatever the larger story is for “The Way of Water” remains rather unclear after the presentation,...
- 9/10/2022
- by Adam B. Vary and EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
After experimenting with his form of boundary-pushing, cinema-as-memory films to great, succesful lengths with his last three narrative features–not to mention Voyage of Time, which we’re still awaiting an actual U.S. release for–Terrence Malick will return to more of a traditional script with his WWII drama Radegund, hopefully releasing later this year. But first, after splicing in avant-garde and experiential touches with his last few films, he’s making the natural step into virtual reality.
Premiering at South by Southwest Festival–where he gave a rare public talk last year–on March 13 is the Vr experience Together, which is directed by Malick and shot by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Silence, The Wolf of Wall Street, Brokeback Mountain). Clocking in at 5 minutes and 46 seconds and featuring music by Simon Franglen, see the synopsis below, as well as the first look above.
“Together” is a Vr experience about the power of human connection.
Premiering at South by Southwest Festival–where he gave a rare public talk last year–on March 13 is the Vr experience Together, which is directed by Malick and shot by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Silence, The Wolf of Wall Street, Brokeback Mountain). Clocking in at 5 minutes and 46 seconds and featuring music by Simon Franglen, see the synopsis below, as well as the first look above.
“Together” is a Vr experience about the power of human connection.
- 2/8/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Merry Christmas, SCOREcasters! Just in time for your snowbound cross-country jaunt to Grandma’s house, Deane and Brian play Santa and deliver this year’s holiday episode in conversation with The Magnificent Seven composer Simon Franglen. Grab a hot cup of nog and a slice of that pumpkin pie and settle in for a terrific discussion with Simon as he walks you through working on several of the highest-grossing pictures of all-time, including Titanic and Avatar, plus the complete behind-the-scenes story of the score to his newest film, The Magnificent Seven, where he took up the mantle of his dear friend James Horner and turned out one of 2016’s most notable musical achievements.
Where to Listen iTunes Stitcher Radio
Shownotes The Magnificent Seven: James Horner and Simon Franglen — iTunes Store download
On-Air Questions
Have a question, a comment, or a reaction to something from this episode? Send Deane and...
Where to Listen iTunes Stitcher Radio
Shownotes The Magnificent Seven: James Horner and Simon Franglen — iTunes Store download
On-Air Questions
Have a question, a comment, or a reaction to something from this episode? Send Deane and...
- 12/25/2016
- by SCO Editorial Staff
- SCOREcastOnline.com
Sean Wilson Oct 11, 2016
From Star Trek and Field Of Dreams to The Rocketeer and Krull: we salute the film scores of the late, great James Horner.
When composer James Horner died in a plane crash in June 2015, cinema lost one of its most profoundly emotional voices, and the final chapter on Horner's astonishing career has now closed with his last work: Antoine Fuqua's Western remake The Magnificent Seven. Horner actually wrote the score based on the script before the film even started production, such was his passion for it, and it's been posthumously completed by his longtime collaborator Simon Franglen.
To mark the occasion, here are the 25 most seminal scores from a lamented, legendary figure of film music.
1. Legends Of The Fall (1994)
Despite his reputation as a composer of melodrama, throughout much of the eighties and early nineties Horner had largely been pegged as a bold composer of action,...
From Star Trek and Field Of Dreams to The Rocketeer and Krull: we salute the film scores of the late, great James Horner.
When composer James Horner died in a plane crash in June 2015, cinema lost one of its most profoundly emotional voices, and the final chapter on Horner's astonishing career has now closed with his last work: Antoine Fuqua's Western remake The Magnificent Seven. Horner actually wrote the score based on the script before the film even started production, such was his passion for it, and it's been posthumously completed by his longtime collaborator Simon Franglen.
To mark the occasion, here are the 25 most seminal scores from a lamented, legendary figure of film music.
1. Legends Of The Fall (1994)
Despite his reputation as a composer of melodrama, throughout much of the eighties and early nineties Horner had largely been pegged as a bold composer of action,...
- 10/6/2016
- Den of Geek
An update of the 1960s classic refreshes the racial mix but leaves the cliches intact
Antoine Fuqua’s remake of John Sturges’s 1960 western stirs up the racial mix of the seven gunfighters a little. Leading the team is Denzel Washington’s cool-headed Chisholm; he is backed up by, among others, the South Korean actor Byung-hun Lee playing the knife specialist Billy Rocks; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars as the Mexican bad boy Vasquez and the Native American actor Martin Sensmeier, rather underserved in the way of dialogue, as the Comanche warrior Red Harvest.
But while this is a welcome update to the formula, in most other ways this is a stolidly traditional western. Fuqua shoots in widescreen, using tawny saturated colours that evoke the era of the original. The camera cringes slightly in front of the heroes: they are frequently shot from just below chin level, the better to emphasise manly jawlines and all-round studliness.
Antoine Fuqua’s remake of John Sturges’s 1960 western stirs up the racial mix of the seven gunfighters a little. Leading the team is Denzel Washington’s cool-headed Chisholm; he is backed up by, among others, the South Korean actor Byung-hun Lee playing the knife specialist Billy Rocks; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars as the Mexican bad boy Vasquez and the Native American actor Martin Sensmeier, rather underserved in the way of dialogue, as the Comanche warrior Red Harvest.
But while this is a welcome update to the formula, in most other ways this is a stolidly traditional western. Fuqua shoots in widescreen, using tawny saturated colours that evoke the era of the original. The camera cringes slightly in front of the heroes: they are frequently shot from just below chin level, the better to emphasise manly jawlines and all-round studliness.
- 9/25/2016
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
There’s the saying that they don’t make them like they used to. Often this is referred to classic styles of storytelling. The western is one of the oldest film genres, practically synonymous with names like John Ford, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood. Over the past decade there have been filmmakers that have saddled the genre and kicked a modern twist into it. Films like Slow West, The The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, and Meek’S Cutoff have reflected more of the struggles – both internal and external – of life on the American frontier.
However, The Magnificent Seven (2016) falls more in line with traditional westerns than the modern; it harkens back to the “us vs. them” dynamic. There’s a classic approach to this remake of the 1960 film that shows Antoine Fuqua understands that sometimes you don’t need to mess around too much with a good thing.
However, The Magnificent Seven (2016) falls more in line with traditional westerns than the modern; it harkens back to the “us vs. them” dynamic. There’s a classic approach to this remake of the 1960 film that shows Antoine Fuqua understands that sometimes you don’t need to mess around too much with a good thing.
- 9/23/2016
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Outside of Quentin Tarantino, it seems like no one is really attempting to do Westerns anymore. This week, one does hit in the remake of The Magnificent Seven. This film, the latest take on the material, seeks to not just follow in those footsteps, but in Tarantino’s as well, echoing Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight in the process. Aside from remakes like 3:10 to Yuma, you have to look far and wide to find other Westerns these days, with the last memorable one perhaps being The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Come Friday though, Antoine Fuqua seeks to give you all another one to love. This remake, which is not only a remake of The Magnificent Seven film of the same name, but also Seven Samurai, is an action Western. Here, when a town is being terrorized by a land thief (Peter Sarsgaard), they...
- 9/22/2016
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Antoine Fuqua’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven” is only receiving lukewarm praise, but seven themes composed by the late James Horner for the film have been exceptionally well received. The composer, who died last year at the age of 61, had a storied career that included two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes; in addition to Fuqua, he worked with James Cameron, Walter Hill and Ron Howard multiple times.
Read More: ‘The Magnificent Seven’: How The Remake’s Score Reflects the Vision of Late Composer James Horner
Horner composed his pieces without seeing any footage, working instead from the script and conversations with Fuqua (with whom he also collaborated on “Southpaw”). Simon Franglen, the producer/composer/arranger who helped complete the score, recently told Indiewire that, after Horner’s death, “it was important that Antoine hear the themes as a suite. We hired an orchestra and went to Louisiana...
Read More: ‘The Magnificent Seven’: How The Remake’s Score Reflects the Vision of Late Composer James Horner
Horner composed his pieces without seeing any footage, working instead from the script and conversations with Fuqua (with whom he also collaborated on “Southpaw”). Simon Franglen, the producer/composer/arranger who helped complete the score, recently told Indiewire that, after Horner’s death, “it was important that Antoine hear the themes as a suite. We hired an orchestra and went to Louisiana...
- 9/18/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Director Antoine Fuqua was provided with a surprising gift when he began making his contemporary remake of “The Magnificent Seven”: Seven themes composed by the late Oscar-winning composer James Horner (“Titanic”), who died last year in a plane crash. Horner didn’t live long enough to screen any footage, but he read the script and provided the backbone of the score for Fuqua. Indeed, after collaborating on “Southpaw” together, Horner convinced the director to make “The Magnificent Seven” when he was ambivalent about the project and worried about financing.
Horner, in fact, was on such a steady ascent before his fatal crash (including Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” and “The Great Wall”), that he discussed greater collaboration with producer-composer-arranger Simon Franglen (the Grammy-winning “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic”). They also worked together on the gritty, electronic-tinged “Southpaw,” and Franglen later arranged “Skyfall” and “Spectre” for composer Thomas Newman.
Horner, in fact, was on such a steady ascent before his fatal crash (including Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” and “The Great Wall”), that he discussed greater collaboration with producer-composer-arranger Simon Franglen (the Grammy-winning “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic”). They also worked together on the gritty, electronic-tinged “Southpaw,” and Franglen later arranged “Skyfall” and “Spectre” for composer Thomas Newman.
- 9/15/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Simon Franglen, a Grammy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated composer, doesn’t back away from a challenge. His decades-long career in the music and film scoring industry provided plenty of unique and revolutionary composition opportunities.
- 9/8/2016
- by Clarence Moye
- AwardsDaily.com
"The past... the present... the future... A journey from the birth of the stars through the origin of humanity." Whoa. I can't wait for this, it looks so enchanting. Empire has released a trailer for the alternate full-length version of Terrence Malick's long-awaited documentary Voyage of Time. This version is called Voyage of Time: Life's Journey, a 90-minute feature extended from the separate Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience which runs 45 minutes (see the trailer for that one) and is narrated by Brad Pitt. This version is narrated by Cate Blanchett, who you can hear in this trailer, and features all of the same footage with even more shots of the stars forming, and Earth being created, and life starting and evolving over millions of years of time. The score is by Simon Franglen & Hanan Townshend. You need to see this for yourself. Here's the first trailer...
- 8/19/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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