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Composing legend Hans Zimmer was the top individual winner at the 15th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards ceremony held Wednesday night, with three wins. The film “Emilia Pérez” also picked up three wins, followed by “The Wild Robot” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” with two apiece.

The HMMAs gave out honors for songs and scores in 39 categories at the event, held at Hollywood’s Avalon. The list of winners for 2024 was an eclectic one that included such well-known names as Elton John, A.R. Rahman, Kris Bowers, Miley Cyrus, Diane Warren, Alberto Iglesias, Maren Morris, Zoe Saldana, Clément Ducol, Robin Carolan, Pinar Toprak, Lainey Wilson, Brandi Carlile, Ilan Eshkeri, Olivia Rodrigo, Camille and dozens more. (Scroll down for the complete list of winners.)

Bernie Taupin was the most celebrated honoree of the night, being presented the Outstanding Career Achievement Award for a lifetime of work, on top of sharing in the...

Hans Zimmer and Emilia Pérez took home three trophies each to lead the winners at the 2024 Hollywood Music in Media awards, which honor the year’s most memorable film and TV music moments. The Wild Robot was the only other multiple winner, taking a pair of prizes during Wednesday night’s ceremony at The Avalon in Hollywood.

Double Oscar winner and 12-time nominee Zimmer won for three different projects: Score – Sci-Fi/Fantasy for Dune: Part Two, Score – Documentary Series for Planet Earth III and Song – TV Show Limited Series for “Love Will Survive” from The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Zoe Saldaña took Song – Onscreen Performance (Film) for “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez, which also scooped the marquee Score – Feature Film award for composers-songwriters Clément Ducol & Camille along with Music Themed Film.

Other songwriter winners included Diane Warren (“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight); Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin and...

In the absence of a phenomenon like “Barbenheimer,” which dominated the Grammys’ visual-media categories last year, the outlook for 2025 is considerably more complicated and, some might say, more interesting.

Look for the summer’s biggest movie hits, “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine,” to land spots in the score and compilation soundtrack categories when the Grammy nominees are announced Nov. 8. But everything else is up in the air until then.

The compilation soundtrack category is the toughest to read, as there have been few films with breakout hits. “Twisters” is the summer’s biggest soundtrack, hitting No. 7 on the Billboard charts, so look for the tornado movie to score as an album and potentially in the song category for a pair of original country tunes: Luke Combs’ “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” and Lainey Wilson’s “Out of Oklahoma.”

The eclectic “Deadpool & Wolverine” soundtrack — a wild collection...

All photographs of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience at the Hollywood Bowl – Farah Sosa on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

Wamg was among a crowd of thousands Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl for the Global premiere of Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience.

Over the Labor Day weekend, new and old fans assembled to relive iconic moments from the MCU, all accompanied by a live orchestra, stunning projection mapping on the Bowl shell, fireworks, surprises… And there were surprises!

Disney Concerts, Marvel Studios and the Los Angeles Philharmonic captivated the audience with the Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert experience. Conducted by LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, this momentous concert was an epic on-screen cinematic journey, covering 23 films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a single unforgettable experience, exclusively at the Hollywood Bowl.

Opening with the recognizable Marvel Studios fanfare, the evening began when...

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell won the award for Original Song for a Comedy or Musical for their Oscar-nominated “Barbie” tune “What Was I Made For?” while past Academy Award winner and 2024 nominee Ludwig Göransson took home the Original Score for a Studio Film honor for “Oppenheimer” to pace the Society of Composers & Lyricists Scl Awards tonight at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles in a ceremony hosted by singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett.

Also picking up trophies were Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro for Original Song for a Drama or Documentary for their tune “Can’t Catch Me Now” from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” while John Powell was awarded the prize for Original Score for an Independent Film for scoring the documentary feature “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.”

SEE5th Annual Scl Awards Nominations: Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Lenny Kravitz among contenders [Full List]

Director...

Billie Eilish and her brother and songwriting partner Finneas took home best original song for a comedy at the 2024 Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards on Tuesday. Olivia Rodrigo, Ludwig Göransson, Nicholas Britell and John Powell were among other winners.

Eilish and Finneas won the award for their hit Barbie track “What Was I Made For,” less than two weeks after winning a Grammy for the same song, which is also nominated for an Oscar. It beat its fellow Barbie song “I’m Just Ken” Flamin’ Hot‘s “The Fire Inside,” The L Word: Generation Q’s “All About Me” and Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s “Peaches.”

Rodrigo and music producer Dan Nigro took home the award for best original song for a drama or documentary for her viral “Can’t Catch Me Now” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. She beat songs from American Symphony,...

Billie Eilish, Finneas, Ludwig Göransson and Nicholas Britell were among the winners Tuesday evening at the 5th annual Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards.

Eilish and Finneas took home the award for outstanding original song for a comedy or musical for “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie.” The win continued their sweep of the season from the Golden Globes and the Grammy Awards.

Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro won outstanding original song for a drama or documentary for “Can’t Catch Me Now” from “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” Britell took home the prize for outstanding original score for a television production for “Succession.”

Göransson, who was honored with Variety’s Artisans Award in Santa Barbara this past weekend, won outstanding original score for a studio film for “Oppenheimer.” John Powell won outstanding original score for an independent film, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” and Stephen Barton...

Exclusive: Pinar Toprak, the Emmy-nominated composer, conductor and performer who has lent her talents to everything from the Brie Larson-led Captain Marvel to Epic Games’ Fortnite, has joined Artist International Group for representation in conjunction with her long-time agents, Kraft-Engel Management.

Specializing in creating thematic scores for superhero sagas, comedies and TV series of varying genres, Toprak with the aforementioned projects became the first female composer to score both a film and video game with gross revenues of over $1 billion and $5 billion, respectively.

“We look forward to working with Pinar and her team in expanding her opportunities as an artist and brand in many worldwide arenas,” said Aig’s CEO David Unger.

Previously, Toprak has composed the new theme for Amazon Prime Video Sports, used on NFL’s Thursday Night Football; composed and produced the soundtrack for Disney theme parks, including the new Epcot theme; written and produced music...

Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lenny Kravitz, Diane Warren and Jon Batiste are among the nominees announced Thursday morning for the Fifth Annual Scl Awards from the Society of Composers & Lyricists honoring scores and songs in visual media. The five music titans were all nominated in the Best Song categories for Drama/Documentary or Comedy/Musical, Eilish with her brother Finneas for their tune “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” Rodrigo along with Dan Nigro for “Can’t Catch Me Now” from “The Hunger Games: Ball of Songbirds and Snakes,” Kravitz for “Road to Freedom” from “Rustin,” Warren for “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” and Batiste along with Dan Wilson for “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony.”

Rounding out the Drama/Documentary nominees are Nicholas Britell and Laura Stinson for “Slip Away” from “Carmen” along with Sharon Farber and Noah Benshea for “Better Times” from “Jacob the Baker.

The Society of Composers and Lyricists (Scl) has announced the nominees for the 2024 Scl Awards, including songwriters Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lenny Kravitz, Diane Warren, and Jon Batiste, all who earned spots on the Academy Awards shortlist for Best Original Song.

Also among the dual nominees are composers Anthony Willis for Saltburn, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt for Barbie, Laura Karpman for American Fiction, the late Robbie Robertson for Killers of the Flower Moon, and Mica Levi for The Zone of Interest.

The awards will be presented on February 13, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Other categories still to be announced include the Spirit of Collaboration Award which honors the long relationship between a composer and a director.

The Society of Composers & Lyricists is for professional film, television, video game, and musical theater composers and songwriters. The 78-year-old organization is focused on education and addressing the creative, technological...

The “Paw Patrol” franchise is now 10 years old — 70 in dog years — and with each installment, children and their parents have been treated to exciting adventures, wholesome characters and cool new merchandise. What began as a preschool TV series in 2013 got the silver-screen treatment in 2021 with the inventively named “Paw Patrol: The Movie,” broadening its scale and reach but sacrificing none of its lesson-learning or toy-slinging. Given the property’s theatrical and streaming success, there’s an audience perpetually hungry to connect with the ongoing saga of a tween boy and his pack of four-legged heroes. The fantasy-forward follow-up “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” involving a meteor, magic crystals and a mad scientist (who hates being called that), expands their journey to saving the world.

This time, their mission holds greater challenge and peril — raising the bar creatively and bumping the MPAA rating from G to PG. While not as subversive as its predecessor,...

Camp, The Family Experience Company, invites you to travel to Adventure City at The Paw Patrol Experience: Only At Camp.

This immersive adventure, inspired by Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, produced by Spin Master Entertainment, opens at Camp’s Columbus Circle location on September 9th to celebrate the film’s release, which lands in theaters nationwide on September 29th, 2023. Limited tickets for Camp are available today and can be purchased at https://camp.com/the-paw-patrol-experience; families are encouraged to reserve spots while supplies last.

Families will step through Camp’s Magic Door, this time in the shape of a Paw Patroller vehicle, and explore a 5,500 square-foot world inspired by the new film and created in collaboration with Paramount. Paw Patrol and Camp fans will have the opportunity to engage with their favorite pups, play out action-packed missions and celebrate the larger-than-life movie:

Train to become a member of The Junior Patrollers!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ has launched a new digital series, Members Only, featuring actors and Academy members Troy Kotsur and Paul Raci in its debut episode.

Set to release weekly, the four-part interview series seeks to celebrate the global film community through candid conversations among AMPAS members of the same branch, who discuss their journeys, work and what it means to be part of one of the industry’s leading film and professional organizations. Voices from the acting, composing, hair & makeup and editing branches sit down for short conversations across the first season.

After Kotsur and Raci, two members of the acting branch, additional episodes will feature composing members Natalie Holt (The Impossible, Paddington) and Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel, Shotgun Wedding); hair and makeup branch members Massimo Gattabrusi (Bones and All, Volver) and Ana Lozano (Being the Ricardos, Pain and Glory); and editors Shannon Baker Davis...

Alert Paw Fans! Paramount Pictures is brightening up your Monday with the first trailer for Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.

And check out this voice cast for these Mighty Pups. The film features Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Christian Convery, Ron Pardo, Lil Rel Howery, Kim Kardashian, Chris Rock, Serena Williams, Alan Kim, Brice Gonzalez, North West, Saint West, Christian Corrao, Luxton Handspiker, Nylan Parthipan, Callum Shoniker, with James Marsden, and Kristen Bell, introducing Finn Lee-Epp.

When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the Paw Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The Mighty Pups! For Skye, the smallest member of the team, her new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with Victoria Vance, a meteor-obsessed mad scientist, to steal the superpowers and turn themselves into supervillains.

Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures and Spin Master Entertainment announced that new members of the “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” voice cast will include Kristin Bell, Christian Convery, Mckenna Grace, James Marsden, Serena Williams, Lil Rel Howery and North West, along with previously announced Taraji P. Henson. The stars are joining returning cast members Kim Kardashian, Marsai Martin, Ron Pardo and Callum Shonike.

“Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” is a sequel to the preschool favorite “Paw Patrol: The Movie” (2021), and is a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies and with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The 2021 prequel gathered over 150 million worldwide at the box office and opened in the No. 1 spot in over 25 countries, in addition to becoming one of Paramount+’s most-watched originals.

In “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” a magical meteor crashes into Adventure City, transforming the Paw Patrol pups into the Mighty Pups with superpowers. The...

The upcoming sequel to “Paw Patrol” is getting a slew of new cast members. Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, Mckenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, James Marsden, Finn Lee-Epp as Ryder, and Serena Williams will be joining the voice cast for the upcoming Spin Master Entertainment, Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures release. “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” with a score composed by Pinar Toprak, will debut exclusively in theaters on Oct. 13, 2023.

The newly announced actors join Taraji P. Henson and returning cast members Kim Kardashian, Marsai Martin, Callum Shoniker and Ron Pardo. Three new canine characters voiced by Alan Kim, Brice Gonzalez, and North West will join as well.

Also Read:

How Disney Animation Lost the Box Office Crown to Universal for 3 Straight Years – With No Turnaround in Sight | Chart

The storyline will involve a magical meteor crashing in Adventure City which gives the Paw Patrol superpowers that prove useful when Humdinger...

New and returning talent for Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, the sequel that sees the Paw Patrol pooches transformed into The Mighty Pups after a meteor crash-lands in Adventure City, has been announced.

Kristen Bell, Christian Convery, Mckenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, James Marsden, Finn Lee-Epp and Serena Williams join a voice cast for Paw Patrol 2 from Spin Master Corp., Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies that includes the previously announced Taraji P. Henson and returning cast members Kim Kardashian, Marsai Martin and Ron Pardo.

Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, which Paramount will release on Oct. 13, 2023 and Cal Brunker will direct, will see the Paw Patrol pups get superpowers after a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City. For Skye, the smallest member of the team, her new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail...

Spin Master Entertainment-Nickelodeon-Paramount’s sequel Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie has added to their voiceover ensemble including Kristen Bell, Christian Convery (“Sweet Tooth”), McKenna Grace (Gifted, “The Handmaid’s Tale”), Lil Rel Howery (Get Out, Free Guy), James Marsden (Disenchanted, Sonic The Hedgehog), Finn Lee-Epp (Let Him Go) as Ryder, and tennis ace Serena Williams.

A trio of new pups also join the ranks, voiced by Critics Choice Award winner Alan Kim (Minari), TikTok star Brice Gonzalez of EnkyBoys and North West, who joins her mom Kim Kardashian returning as Delores from the first movie, along with a cameo from brother Saint West.

Additional cast members reprising their roles include Marsai Martin (Liberty), Ron Pardo (Mayor Humdinger) and Callum Shoniker (Rocky). New cast members also include Luxton Handspiker (Paw Patrol series), Christian Corrao (Dino Dana) and Nylan Parthipan (Paw Patrol series).

All of them join...

Dancing with the Stars‘ first season on Disney+ has come to end! So much change has already been announced going into tonight’s season 31 finale. First, judge Len Goodman and Cheryl Burke have called it quits. Then, Disney gave Bob Chapek the heave-ho and rewarded Bob Iger with his old CEO seat. A desperate plea from the cheap seats, Mr. Iger: return the mirror ball to ABC! I think we can all agree that this streaming experiment has gone the way of the polka: no one wants Disney+ anywhere near the ballroom. Perhaps moving it back home to Mondays on ABC can be your next major decision after lowering the price for the Genie+ line-skipping service at the parks?

Speaking of redemptive acts, it’s time for the couples to redo their performances from the season.

Wayne Brady and Witney Carson. The game show host instinctively knew that he would...

It all came down to this. “Dancing with the Stars” has reached the end of season 31 with the crowning of a new Mirror Ball champion. But was it actor and TV host Wayne Brady, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, drag queen Shangela, or “Bachelorette” star Gabby Windey? Follow along with our live blog below for all the night’s commentary and developments.

The finale featured two full performances for each celeb and their professional partner: a redemption dance selected by one of the judges in a style performed earlier in the season that could have used some improvement, and then the always highly-anticipated freestyle dances where all the rules are out the window.

SEECheryl Burke is leaving ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘It is time for me to begin the next phase of my career’

Brady and pro partner Witney Carson‘s redemption dance was a quickstep chosen by departing judge...

After two consecutive weeks of double eliminations, it’s time to crown the champion of “Dancing with the Stars” Season 31.

But before we get to that, the final four will perform two routines on Monday’s finale: a redemption dance of a style they had done earlier in the season chosen by a judge and the highly anticipated freestyle. There won’t be too much variety in the redemption round as there will be two quicksteps.

Elsewhere in the two-hour extravaganza, expect a lot of performances, including from all the previously eliminated couples. Yes, that includes Selma Blair and Sasha Farber, who will perform a contemporary routine while Jordin Sparks sings “No Air” live. Derek Hough will also hit the hardwood again with his fiancée Hayley Erbert to perform to “Chasing Cars” by Tommee Profitt and Fleurie.

See the full lineup below:

Wayne Brady and Witney Carson: redemption quickstep...

Get ready to enter the World of Dreams. During Netflix's Tudum fan event, which is a smorgasbord of updates for all the things the streamer has on its docket, Jason Momoa introduced a sneak peak clip of the upcoming film "Slumberland." Based on the the acclaimed comic strip "Little Nemo In Slumberland" by Winsor McCay, Momoa portrays the eccentric outlaw Flip. Horns, height, and all!

The sneak peak clip focuses on Marlow Barkley's Nemo and Momoa's Flip as they are about to transition from the Waking World to the Dream World. Serving as an introduction for both Nemo and the audience, Flip breaks down the rules of travel between the realms. In the process, we also see how the world transforms around them. Glittery and gold, the realm (and Flip) go from drab to fab. Try not to be distracted, though. Pay attention to those rules. 

Rule number one,...

Exclusive: Sean Ryan Fox (Henry Danger) and Catherine Daddario (Oak) will lead the cast of the indie high school drama The Midway Point, marking the feature directorial debut of writer-director Lucca Vieira, which has wrapped production in Los Angeles. Others in the ensemble include 2019 Honorary Academy Award winner Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans), Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Thora Birch (Ghost World) and Julie Benz (Dexter).

The coming-of-age film said to be in the vein of Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade follows the introverted and highly creative high school senior Jake (Fox) as he experiences his first love with Alice (Daddario), a brash and outgoing classmate. As the two open up to one another, the seemingly opposite pair find they have more in common than meets the eye. Studi plays Jake’s teacher, with Birch as his mother, and Benz as the school’s guidance counselor who helps him with his social anxieties.

(Welcome to ...And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.)

It seems like Jason Momoa has grown weary of spending all his free time under the sea as Aquaman, because he's decided to embody a new mythological creature with a look that I promise you could never anticipate. Momoa is set to become a nine-foot-tall half-man, half-beast creature with shaggy fur and long tusks. What kind of horrifying tale could require such a monster, you ask? Just the story of Little Nemo — not the fish, but an adorable little girl who embarks on a fantastical journey through dreams to find her father. All of this takes place in Netflix's upcoming film "Slumberland," and if it sounds familiar, then you might be recalling the Winsor McCay comic strip that inspired the movie's story.

Hollywood, Calif. – Discover thrilling adventure, fabled treasure, and epic laughs when the hit comedy The Lost City finds its way home for purchase on Digital starting May 10, 2022. The film will arrive on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD July 26 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, this “fun & wild jungle adventure comedy” is “a hilarious adventure from start to finish”. Fans can enjoy The Lost City at home on Digital*, 4K Ultra HD, or Blu-ray and get over 50 minutes of fun-filled bonus content, including hilarious bloopers, deleted scenes not seen in theaters, and multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes. Take a trip to the movie’s exotic filming location, see how the incredible action set pieces were filmed

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, discover the story behind the infamous jumpsuit, and much more!

Bonus content is detailed below:

• Deleted Scenes—More fun you didn’t see in theatres!

One of my favorite composers who has made a musical splash on the film score scene is Pinar Toprak. Being a collector of scores, whether it be TV of film, I’m a huge fan of hers and she has quickly become an active and reinvigorating composer in Hollywood. Toprak wrote the fantastic scores for DC’s Stargirl on The CW, and Sy-fy’s Superman prequel series Krypton.

Today, Variety reported: “on Sunday she (Toprak) will be onstage at the Dolby conducting the Oscar orchestra for Billie Eilish’s performance of “No Time to Die.” Details about Sunday are otherwise under wraps. It’s said to be a new arrangement of the Oscar-nominated James Bond theme, and Eilish’s co-writer and sibling Finneas is expected to be onstage too. Toprak couldn’t comment.“

Review: http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2022/03/the-lost-city-2022-review/

LA-La Land Records and Paramount Music has released Toprak’s...

It’s a big weekend for composer Pinar Toprak. On Friday, her latest score, for Sandra Bullock’s lighthearted jungle romp “The Lost City,” will be heard by moviegoers; and on Sunday she will be onstage at the Dolby conducting the Oscar orchestra for Billie Eilish’s performance of “No Time to Die.”

Details about Sunday are otherwise under wraps. It’s said to be a new arrangement of the Oscar-nominated James Bond theme, and Eilish’s co-writer and sibling Finneas is expected to be onstage too. Toprak couldn’t comment.

As for “The Lost City,” Toprak’s lively, fun score hearkens back to the earlier era of “Romancing the Stone” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” – a fast-moving adventure set in an exotic locale that features a big orchestra, a choir and hummable themes for places and characters.

“There are so many genres and moods,” says the Turkish-born composer...

Composer Laura Karpman is on board to compose the music for Marvel Studios’ “The Marvels,” the sequel to 2019’s “Captain Marvel.”

Due to be released on Feb. 18, 2023, Karpman will work alongside director Nia DaCosta. Brie Larson returns as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, while Teyonah Parris stars as Monica Rambeau, reprising the role she originated in “WandaVision.”

“I am thrilled to be going on this wild adventure with Nia DaCosta and Carol Danvers and am really looking forward to the collaboration,” Karpman said in a statement.

Karpman will be the second female composer ever to score a Marvel movie. Pinar Toprak, who scored “Captain Marvel,” was the first.

“WandaVision” writer Megan McDonnell has penned the screenplay. Details about the plot are being kept under lock and key, but “Ms. Marvel” star Iman Vellani will co-headline the project as Kamala Kahn, who idolizes Captain Marvel.

Speaking on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast last year,...

Project inspired by 1974 Boston busing riots.

Heading into AFM Cinema Management Group (Cmg) has announced that Mooncusser Filmworks has hired African American composer Robert ToTeras and brought on Captain Marvel composer Pinar Toprak as co-producer for its racially charged drama The Walk starring Justin Chatwin, Terrence Howard and Jeremy Piven.

Daniel Adams directs the project inspired by the 1974 Boston busing riots that ensued after an attempt to desegregate use of public school buses. The story, believed to be the first US fim about the unrest, centres on a Boston Irish police officer Bill Coughlin (Chatwin), who causes a backlash led...

How do you score a show that tinkers with time, features a Norse god who is neither hero nor villain, and continually confounds the viewer with new mysteries?

That was the challenge facing English composer Natalie Holt, who with her music for “Loki” becomes only the second woman to compose the dramatic score for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film or TV series.

The music of “Loki” is a bold combination of a traditional orchestra with vintage analog synthesizers, Scandinavian folk instruments and the weird, unsettling electronic sounds of the theremin, once associated with ’50s sci-fi movies.

“He’s a kind of grand, Machiavellian character,” Holt tells Variety from her London studio. “And Tom Hiddleston’s performance has a touch of Shakespeare to it. So I wanted to give him some gravitas and classical weight to his theme, but also have this space-age sound as well.”

Holt had been listening to...

Time to go for a dance!! Disney has released a brief 30-sec trailer for their animated short film Us Again, which is now available to watch on Disney+. This 7-minute short originally premiered in front of theatrical showings of Raya and the Last Dragon, and was the first original theatrical short film produced by Disney since Inner Workings in 2016. It's both written and directed by Disney animator Zach Parrish, who also directed the Short Circuit film Puddles previously. Us Again is a magical short film set in New York City that plays like a wonderful companion piece to Pixar's Soul more than any other Disney movie. An elderly couple regain their youth in the rain, and chase each other around New York reliving magical moments. Featuring a score by Pinar Toprak. This is a really lovely trailer for a really lovely short film that features truly stunning animation. So beautiful.

The timing couldn’t be better for Disney Animation’s new musical dance short, “Us Again” (streaming Friday on Disney+ after screening theatrically in front of “Raya and the Last Dragon”). It’s about a biracial senior couple, Art and Dot, who become young again and dance the night away in the rain. It’s the perfect liberation from the pandemic and anticipates a trio of Lin-Manuel Miranda movie musicals coming this year along with Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.”

But, for director Zach Parrish, “Us Again” grew out of a youthful yearning. “I thought of the pains of aging in my 30s and longing for his younger body,” he said. “I spoke to my mom, and she told me she’s still waiting to grow up in her 60s.” Then he recalled how his grandparents had two very different approaches to aging — his grandfather was a...

The film scoring community continues to find new ways to support emerging composers — especially women and people of color — to the tune of more than $100,000 annually, according to announcements this week by Reel Change: The Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring and the Society of Composers & Lyricists.

Reel Change, a project of Sesac and composer Christophe Beck (“WandaVision”) and administered by New Music USA, has announced the first four recipients of grants averaging $20,000 each for “film projects currently in production, providing additional funding and mentoring to assist composers at a pivotal moment in their careers.”

They are Sultana Isham, a New Orleans-based violinist and ethnomusicologist working on “The Neutral Ground,” a documentary about the removal of Confederate monuments to air on PBS; Cali Wang, Taipei-raised “best score” winner at the L.A. Live Score Film Festival, for “The Island of Lost Girls”; Emer Kinsella, Dublin-born composer (“Sense8”) currently scoring “She...

Disney Animation is set to release their first animated short in five years with the Zach Parrish-directed Us Again, which will debut in theaters alongside Raya and the Last Dragon on March 5. The short is set to drop on Disney+ in June.

True to the form of Disney’s past shorts, Parrish’s Us Again brings together dance, music, emotional storytelling and inspired animation. The film is Disney Animation’s first new theatrical short since the 2016 release of Inner Workings which accompanied the theatrical release of Moana.

Parrish is an 11-year veteran of Disney Animation who served as head of animation on Big Hero 6 and directed the Short Circuit film Puddles. Award-winning choreographers/dancers Keone and Mari (known for World of Dance and their work with Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish), and acclaimed composer Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel) brought their talents to this experimental and musical fantasy. The...

It’s no great leap forward in filmmaking, but the big-budget disaster movie “Skyfire” does prove that China is now capable of producing its own brand of utterly preposterous and enjoyably trashy popcorn entertainment for a global audience. This thrill-packed tale about an angry volcano wreaking havoc on thinly written characters at a luxury island resort plays like a souped-up and much better remake of Irwin Allen’s 1980 turkey “When Time Ran Out.” Starring a predominantly Chinese cast and energetically directed by British action specialist Simon West, “Skyfire” did Ok without setting the Chinese box-office alight in December 2019 release. It should be a hot number with action fans when launched on VOD in North America by Screen Media on Jan. 12.

While several recent Chinese productions including “The Wandering Earth,” “The Captain” and “The Bravest” have depicted large-scale calamities, none have embraced the tried-and-true disaster movie format with the unashamed reverence and gusto of “Skyfire.

Skyfire Trailer — Simon West‘s Skyfire (2019) movie trailer has been released by Screen Media Films and stars Hannah Quinlivan, Jason Isaacs, Shawn Dou, Wang Xueqi, Bee Rogers, Alice Rietveld, Kent S. Leung, Owen Kwong, Liang Shi, and Lawrence de Stefano. Crew Wei Bu and Sidney King wrote the screenplay for Skyfire. Pinar Toprak created the music [...]

Continue reading: Skyfire (2019) Movie Trailer: Jason Isaacs’ Island Resort is Blown to Pieces by a Volcano in Simon West’s Film...

Variety is pleased to announce that Mary J. Blige and Marcus Mumford will be keynote speakers at its Music for Screens Week, airing Nov. 30-Dec. 3.

Expanded for the first time over four days in this all-digital installment, Variety’s Music for Screens Summit 2020 will celebrate excellence in musical artistry and storytelling for film, TV, digital media, brands and more.

Blige will speak about her original song “See What You’ve Done” for the documentary “Belly of the Beast,” which looks at women who have been abused in the criminal justice system. Mumford, of the band Mumford and Sons, will speak to his experiences scoring his first TV series, Apple TV Plus’ “Ted Lasso,” a comedy about an American football coach hired to lead an English football club.

Music for Screens Week will also feature a State of Scoring composers panel presented by ASCAP, including Amanda Jones; Germaine Franco; Amelia Warner...

The Primetime Emmys take place on September 20 and air live coast-to-coast on ABC. But the majority of awards are handed out at the five Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies that take place in the week leading up to TV’s biggest night. The Creative Arts trophies will be awarded at five events on: September 14 (reality and nonfiction; Sept. 15 (variety); Sept. 16; Sept. 17 and Sept. 19 (mix). The first four of these will stream live on Emmys.com while the last will air on Fxx.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has forced TV productions, film shoots and entertainment events to shut down all year to slow the spread of the easily transmitted disease, all of this year’s Emmy ceremonies will be held virtually. While Jimmy Kimmel emcees just one show — the Emmys next Sunday — Best Reality Host nominee Nicole Byer (“Nailed It”) has been tapped to preside over all five of the Creative Arts awards.

If you were watching Monday’s live stream of the 2020 Creative Arts Emmys (and we were — watch our reactions here), then you definitely heard the name “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” a lot. But not when it came to the winners. Indeed, Netflix’s behemoth docu-series lost five Emmys at the virtual ceremony: directing, music composition, picture editing, sound editing and sound mixing. However, there’s still hope on the horizon as the big prize — Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series — doesn’t get handed out until Saturday, September 19.

See‘Tiger King’ directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin give update on possible Season 2 [Exclusive Video Interview]

During Saturday’s upcoming ceremony, “Tiger King” will face off against ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” Hulu’s “Hillary,” PBS’s “American Masters” and HBO’s “McMillion$.” None of these contenders took home any Emmys on Monday night, so it’s an even playing field heading into...

As Emmy voting draws to a close, the 2020 music nominations span rookies to regulars. Martin Phipps landed his sixth nomination overall for the dramatic score to Netflix’s “The Crown.” Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and his scoring partner Atticus Ross nabbed a nomination for their first series, HBO’s “Watchmen.” Emmy fave “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” grabbed another music supervision nom, while composers Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore landed their first for music and lyrics.

There is a wealth of music nominated across different sounds and genres. Variety breaks it all down in the annual Emmy chart.

Music Composition for a Series

"The Crown" (Netflix)

Composer: Martin Phipps

Pedigree: Six previous nominations

“Aberfan”

Vibe: Solo horn for a grieving Elizabeth; choir for mourning Welsh village

"Euphoria" (HBO)

Composer: Labrinth

Pedigree: First nomination (two this year)

“’03 Bonnie and Clyde”

Vibe: Contemporary sounds complement teen sex-and-drugs drama

"The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus...

One of the best DC Comics TV shows has just finished its super and terrific first season. Fans of DC Universe’s “Stargirl” were treated to an exciting Season One Finale filled with a Justice League vs the Injustice Society battle, as well as a little cliffhanger for Season 2.

The surprises in season finale gave us so many cool twists and turns, and of course, deep comic book Easter eggs. Plus we got to meet the Seven Soldiers of Victory, a team of Golden Age lawmen, along with team member, “Shining Knight”. And even though the Seven Soldiers never got the name recognition the Justice Society had, they still hold their own special place in the history of the DC Universe.

WaterTower Music has announced fan-favorite DC/Warner Bros. Television series: DC’s Stargirl: Season 1 (Original Television Score) by Emmy-nominated composer Pinar Toprak is available on all platforms now,...

When Pinar Toprak began composing the score to “McMillion$,” she found herself drawn to the contrasts within the film’s material. Toprak says in our recent webchat (watch the video above), “In every story, there’s some moments where you have… different moods and you have to shape the story along with it, but with this particular documentary, there’s certainly so many characters and so many different moods.” These differences gave her a “beautiful canvass” on which to build her score. “There’s lots of comedy, there’s mystery, drama, heart and emotion, loss, pain and heartache. It was really fun to write.”

“McMillion$” documents the crazy story of how, for more than a decade, the McDonald’s Monopoly game was actually rigged. The winning pieces were stolen by the head of security for Simon Marketing, the firm that was responsible for the game, and given to a person...

Pharrell Willliams, Labrinth (pictured) and Isabella Summers of Florence & The Machine could all wind up with Emmys this year. So, for that matter, could Ingrid Michaelson, Nine Inch Nails founder Trent Reznor and veteran pop producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

All were among nominees in the music categories as the Television Academy announced the nominations for the 72nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards for work in TV during the 2019-20 season.

This year’s crop was the most diverse in memory. More than one-fourth of all the music nominees are people of color, and more than half are first-time nominees for television’s highest honor.

Said Academy governor Rickey Minor, who’s nominated twice this year for his music direction of “The Oscars” and “The Kennedy Center Honors”: “Living through this time in our history, has made us all awaken to the truth that we — as a humanity — are all the same.

This year’s Emmy nominees in the seven music categories include such familiar scoring names as Ludwig Göransson, Pinar Toprak, Nicholas Britell, Mark Isham and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross as well as figures from the pop world like Pharrell Williams, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, Ingrid Michaelson, Sheila E and the RZA.

Labrinth joined Reznor and Ross in being nominated in both song and score categories. The latter Nine Inch Nails members (and Oscar winners for “The Social Network”) are up for scoring “Watchmen” as well as contributing an original 1940s-themed song (“The Way It Used to Be”) to the HBO limited series. Labrinth’s two noms are for Showtime’s “Euphoria,” which earned him both a series dramatic score nomination and a song nod (“All for Us”).

Nathan Barr has the most nominations in the music categories, with three. He’s up against himself in the main title theme category,...

ASCAP raises the curtain on its second virtual celebration of annual award winners today through June 25, recognizing its top film, television and video game composers as recipients of 2020 ASCAP Screen Music Awards.

The accolades will take place with the hashtag #ASCAPAwards on ASCAP’s Facebook, Twitter, and on Instagram @ASCAP and @ASCAPScreen. Each winner will be honored in a post that enables fans, friends and peers to join in congratulating the music creators that bring their favorite onscreen entertainment to life. ASCAP will share exclusive photos and videos from the winning composers — and special celebrity guests — as part of the event.

Top Box Office Film goes to Hans Zimmer for The Lion King.

Other Top Box Office winners include Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel), who will appear on video on ASCAP social media providing a tour of her home studio, and Lorne Balfe (Gemini Man), who created a special video documenting the receipt of his award.

A week after ASCAP gave out its pop awards, the performing rights organization rolled out another round of kudos with the ASCAP Screen Music Awards for composers, announced online Tuesday morning as the kickoff to a two-day online event taking place in lieu of the org’s usual black-tie dinner in Beverly Hills as a result of ongoing quarantining.

Hans Zimmer won the trophy for top box office film for scoring the blockbuster remake of “The Lion King.” In television, the award for most performed themes and underscore went to David Vanacore, whose most-heard work of the year included “Survivor” and “Deal or No Deal.” Siddhartha Khosla, of “This Is Us” fame, won for top network television series.

Although those awards represent acclaim represented in sheer commercial numbers, ASCAP also polls its composer and songwriter members to give out three peer-voted awards. In the Composer’s Choice categories, John Powell...

A year ago, Pinar Toprak made history by becoming the first female composer to score a movie that made better than $150 million at the box office. “Captain Marvel” ultimately took in more than $425 million domestically.

This week, Toprak returns with music for another female superhero: “Stargirl,” toplining Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore, a Middle America high school student determined to follow in the footsteps of her late father, Starman (originally a 1940s comic book hero). It debuts May 18 on DC Universe and migrates to The CW broadcast network the next day.

“From ‘Captain Marvel’ to ‘Krypton’ [another comic book series Toprak scored], I knew Pinar’s work very well,” co-creator and producer Geoff Johns tells Variety. “The creative connection was instant. Pinar is as passionate about superheroes as she is about music. She not only understood the tonal intention of ‘Stargirl’; she added an entirely new layer to the character and series.”

Johns told Toprak he wanted “something classical,...

Ascap has announced the org’s 22nd annual showcase series at the Sundance Film Festival, with a lineup of artists that includes Spinal Tap’s Derek Smalls, the Bird and the Bee, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Joseph Arthur, Barry Zito, Zz Ward and Matt Berninger, the member of the National who’s come into his own as a film composer with scores like “The Two Popes.”

The Ascap Music Cafe runs daily for nearly the entirety of the film festival, from Jan. 24-31, with music starting at 2 p.m. each day and all performances free to badgeholders over 21. The performance space will be set up at 751 Main Street in Park City.

Additionally, Ascap will throw an invite-only cocktail party for composers and filmmakers in the middle of the festival, on Monday, January 27. The performing rights organization is trumpeting dozens of composers who scored films in this year’s program, among them Hans Zimmer,...

As the Academy prepares for its rush of Oscar shortlist announcements coming on Monday, December 16, a handful of contenders in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories have already been eliminated.

Trade publication Variety got an early look at the eligibility lists for these categories. On the list of 170 eligible scores, missing are “Captain Marvel” from composer Pinar Toprak, “The Irishman” from Robbie Robertson, “The Two Popes” from Bryce Dessner, “Knives Out” from Nathan Johnson (whom IndieWire highlighted at the recent Consider This Fyc Brunch), “A Hidden Life” from James Newton Howard, and “Ad Astra” from Max Richter and Lorne Balfe. Notably missing from the list of 75 Best Original Song contenders is Regina Spektor’s “One Little Soldier” from “Bombshell.”

Sources told Variety that an “administrative mixup” was the cause of “Knives Out” no-show status on the list, as was the case for “One Little Soldier.” And it turns out that “Captain Marvel,...

The Regina Spektor song from “Bombshell” and at least six major scores including “The Two Popes” and “The Irishman” won’t be on Oscar’s music shortlists when they are announced next week.

That’s because none of them are on the official Academy eligibility lists from which music-branch members are now voting. Preliminary voting ends tomorrow afternoon, and the song and score shortlists — from which the final five nominees will be chosen in each category — will be announced Dec. 16.

Variety got a look at the eligibility lists, which are available only to Academy music-branch members during the shortlist voting process.

“One Little Soldier,” written and sung by Spektor for “Bombshell,” is not among the 75 eligible songs. Missing from the list of 170 eligible scores are “Captain Marvel,” “The Irishman,” “The Two Popes,” “Knives Out,” “A Hidden Life” and “Ad Astra.”

Reasons for the omissions vary, sources tell Variety. “An administrative...