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Army of the Dead release date & poster revealed by Netflix!

Netflix has revealed the Army of the Dead release date and poster for the upcoming Zack Snyder action horror flick. The movie is set to drop on the streamer May 21, a little over two months after the director’s hotly anticipated Zack Snyder’s Justice League lands on HBO Max on March 18. Army of the Dead will also be competing on that May date with the Ryan Reynolds vehicle Free Guy and the Saw reboot Spiral starring Chris Rock, both of which are currently expected to be released theatrically. Check out the poster in the gallery below along with stills!

RELATED: Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas Anime Series Adds Joe Manganiello, Christian Slater & More

Army of the Dead will follow the story of a man who recruits a group of mercenaries to pull off the ultimate heist amidst a zombie apocalypse. It is consists of an ensemble cast, including Dave Bautista (Stuber), Omari Hardwick (Kick-Ass), Tig Notaro (Instant Family), Hiroyuki Sanada (Westworld), Raul Castillo (Vida), Nora Arnezeder (Origin), Matthias Schweighöfer (The Manny), Samantha Win (Wonder Woman), Rich Cetrone (Thor) and Garrett Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead).

Snyder has been working on the main movie since 2007, originally having it in development at Warner Bros. Now, the project is in development at Netflix. Word is the streaming service is sparing no expense with a budget reportedly in the $70 million to $90 million range. The Justice League director will produce alongside his wife Deborah Snyder for The Stone Quarry with Wesley Collar. Ori Marmu and Andrew Norman will oversee for Netflix.

RELATED: Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead Prequel Wraps Filming

Army of the Dead: The Prequel is directed by and stars Grimme Award winner Matthias Schweighöfer and will follow his Army of the Dead character “Ludwig Dieter”. Also starring Game of Thrones alum Nathalie Emmanuel, the multi-language movie was produced out of Germany by Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder and Wesley Coller of The Stone Quarry and Matthias Schweighöfer and Dan Maag of PANTALEON Films.

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Stump the Editor Episode 6: David Koechner!

Welcome to the latest episode of ComingSoon.net’s podcast, Stump the Editor! This week actor and comedian David Koechner (Anchorman, Krampus) drops by to duel with CS editor Max Evry for movie trivia domination! Koechner’s latest comedy film The Right One is now available on VOD, Digital and Blu-ray!

Join host Kristy Puchko (Pajiba, The /Filmcast) as she pits ComingSoon.net’s Managing Editor Max Evry against a string of celebrity guests in a grueling round of movie trivia. Then, in the second round, the guests get to turn the tables on Max by asking him trivia questions about their own career! Listen or download the podcast via the player below!

Click here to rent or purchase The Right One!

Starring Nick Thune, Cleopatra Coleman, Iliza Shlesinger and David Koechner, The Right One is a heartfelt and hilarious rom-com following Sara, a novelist struggling with writer’s block who needs inspiration—and finds it when she serendipitously meets Godfrey, a down-on-his-luck oddball who constantly changes personas in order to cope with a traumatic past and avoid reality. Just as Godfrey begins to open up to Sara, he discovers that she’s been using him as inspiration for her next novel, and he vanishes from her life. Did Sara just lose the man of her dreams, or will she be able to find him and make things right?

Previous Episodes:

Stump the Editor Episode 1: Jonah Ray!

Stump the Editor Episode 2: Scott Adkins & Jesse V. Johnson!

Stump the Editor Episode 3: Baron Vaughn!

Stump the Editor Episode 4: Brea Grant!

Stump the Editor Episode 5: Alex Winter!

What guests would you like to hear on future episodes of ComingSoon.net’s Stump the Editor? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Stump the Editor Episode 6: David Koechner! appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Apple TV+ 2021 featurette offers look at new & returning originals

As part of the Television Critics Association Winter 2021 Press Tour, Apple TV+ unveiled a featurette offering fans look at new and returning original titles to the streaming platform, including the limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s Lisey’s Story, Rose Byrne-led dramedy Physical and more. The featurette can be viewed in the player below!

RELATED: The Mosquito Coast Teaser: Justin Theroux Leads Apple TV+ Adaptation

Coming soon to Apple TV+, The Mosquito Coast will premiere on Friday, April 30 as well as the critically acclaimed comedy series Mythic Quest, returning for its second on Friday, May 7. New series set to debut this summer are Schmigadoon!, a star-studded musical comedy series executive produced by Lorne Michaels and starring Emmy Award nominee Cecily Strong and Emmy Award winner Keegan-Michael Key; Physical, a new dramedy starring Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Byrne and created by Annie Weisman; and Lisey’s Story, a new limited series from creator and executive producer King, executive producer J.J. Abrams and starring Academy Award winner Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dane DeHaan.

Schmigadoon!, a parody of iconic musicals, stars Strong and Key as a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover a magical town in which everyone is living in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.” The first season of the six-episode series also stars Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada.

Based on the best-selling novel by King and adapted by the author himself, Lisey’s Story is a deeply personal thriller that follows Lisey Landon (played by Moore) two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon (played by Clive Owen). A series of unsettling events causes Lisey to face memories of her marriage to Scott that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind. Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan, Sung Kang and Ron Cephas Jones star alongside Moore and Owen.

RELATED: Mythic Quest Season 2 Teaser: All This Play is a Lot of Work

Set in the idyllic but fragile beach paradise of sunny 1980s San Diego, Physical is a half-hour dark comedy following Sheila Rubin (played by Byrne), a quietly tortured, seemingly dutiful housewife supporting her smart but controversial husband’s bid for state assembly. But behind closed doors, Sheila has her own darkly funny take on life she rarely lets the world see. She’s also battling a complex set of personal demons relating to her self-image… that is, until she finds release through the unlikeliest source: the world of aerobics.

At first hooked on the exercise itself, Sheila’s real road to empowerment comes when she discovers a way to merge this newfound passion with the burgeoning technology of videotape to start a revolutionary business. The series tracks her epic journey from a stifled, overlooked enabler to a powerful, confident economic force, as Sheila transforms into someone we take for granted today (but was entirely radical at the time) – the female lifestyle guru.

In addition to Byrne, Physical stars Rory Scovel, Dierdre Friel, Della Saba, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Sparks and Ashley Liao.

Apple TV+ also revealed a glimpse at buzz-worthy, upcoming Apple Original series including Foundation, Mr. Corman and The Shrink Next Door, as well as the upcoming second seasons of award-winning series The Morning Show, Truth Be Told, Central Park and See.

All these titles and more will make their global premieres, in over 100 countries, on the platform and will stream alongside a growing lineup of critically lauded films, including the Golden Globe Award-nominated Wolfwalkers and On the Rocks, Critics Choice Award-nominated Palmer and upcoming features Cherry and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.

The post Apple TV+ 2021 Featurette Offers Look at New & Returning Originals appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Paramount taps Edgar Wright to develop/direct new Running Man adaptation

Nearly 35 years after the novel was first brought to life on the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring, Stephen King’s The Running Man is getting new life as Paramount is in final talks with Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) to helm a new adaptation of the sci-fi story, according to Deadline.

RELATED: Stage 13: Edgar Wright to Direct Simon Rich’s Ghost Story for Amblin

First published in 1982 under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, the story is set in the dystopian world of 2025 United States, in which the nation’s economy is in ruins and world violence is rising and centers on protagonist Ben Richards, a man desperate to make money to support his gravely ill daughter Cathy and his wife Sheila, as he enters the titular game show in which contestants are allowed to go anywhere in the world while being chased by “Hunters” employed to kill them, earning $100 for every hour the contestant stays alive and avoids capture, an additional $10 for each law enforcement officer or Hunter they kill and $1 billion grand prize if they can survive for 30 days.

Click here to purchase King’s original novel and the Schwarzenegger-starring film adaptation!

Sources report the new film will not be a remake of the 1987 film but rather a more faithful adaptation of King’s novel, with the Blood and Cornetto Trilogy helmer, who has previously expressed a desire to bring his own take to the material, set to co-write the story with Micahel Bacall (Jump Street franchise), with Bacall set to adapt the script.

RELATED: Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho Pushed Back to Late October

The new adaptation is set to be produced by Fox’s X-Men creative head Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon via his Genre Films production banner alongside Nira Park for Wright’s Complete Fiction label.

(Photo Credit: John Phillips/Getty Images)

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Raya and the Last Dragon sneak peek features original song by Jhené Aiko

Just a day after offering a making-of featurette for the highly-anticipated fantasy adventure, Walt Disney Animation has unveiled a new sneak peek for Raya and the Last Dragon featuring some of the new original song “Lead the Way” by six-time Grammy nominee Jhené Aiko. The sneak peek can be viewed in the player below!

RELATED: Raya and the Last Dragon Featurette Explores Production of Disney Adventure

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well.

Raya and the Last Dragon will be led by Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), who will be the first Southeast Asian to lead a Disney animated film. The titular role was originally set to be voiced by Cassie Steele (Rick and Morty), but the filmmakers and studio have chosen to adjust their vision and bring Tran in as the lead star, joining the previously cast Awkwafina (The Farewell), who is starring as a dragon in human form named Sisu.

Contactless Tickets – Advance ticket purchase and Mobile ticket entry on Fandango! – Going back to movie theaters! 

In addition to Tran and Awkwafina, the cast for the film includes Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel) as Raya’s nemesis, Namaari; Daniel Dae Kim (Hellboy) as Raya’s visionary father, Benja; Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) as Namaari’s powerful mother, Virana; Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) as Tong, a formidable giant; Izaac Wang as Boun, a 10-year-old entrepreneur; Thalia Tran as the mischievous toddler Little Noi; Alan Tudyk (Harley Quinn) as Tuk Tuk, Raya’s best friend and trusty steed; Lucille Soong (Fresh Off the Boat) as Dang Hu, the leader of the land of Talon; Patti Harrison (Shrill) as the chief of the Tail land; and Ross Butler (To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You) as chief of the Spine land.

RELATED: Sneak Peek For Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back Documentary Revealed!

Raya and the Last Dragon is co-directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6), Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), Paul Briggs (Zootopia) and John Ripa from a script written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen and is set to hit select theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on March 5!

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The post Raya and the Last Dragon Sneak Peek Features Original Song by Jhené Aiko appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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WB casts Sasha Calle as Supergirl for Ezra Miller-led The Flash

With Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck already confirmed to reprise their iterations of The Dark Knight, the roster for Warner Bros.’ Ezra Miller-led The Flash has continued to grow as director Andy Muschietti took to Instagram to reveal that Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless) has been cast as Supergirl for the DC Extended Universe project. Check out the heartwarming announcement below!

RELATED: Ray Fisher Confirms He Is No Longer The Flash’s Cyborg

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Andy Muschietti (@andy_muschietti)

Warner Bros. first revealed that their Flash film would be inspired by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert’s Flashpoint comic as early as 2017. The studio even went so far as to change the movie’s title to Flashpoint. But following last month’s announcement of the film’s 2022 release date, it doesn’t sound like this is still the case.

It’s probably for the best that the filmmakers are going to make changes to Johns and Kubert’s original Flashpoint arc. After all, the story has already been brought to life in animated form and in the Arrowverse. In 2013, Warner Home Video released Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. A few years later, The CW’s The Flash aired its own version of the story during the show’s third season. With this, it makes sense that Warner Bros.’ film division would want to make something that stands out from prior adaptations. Plus, the timeline tampering could also be used a means of fixing continuity issues within the DCEU.

RELATED: Reports of Michael Keaton Leading the DCEU Debunked… For Now

Set to be directed by IT‘s Andy Muschietti, the latest screenplay is being written by Christina Hodson which will still cover the famous Flashpoint storyline. It has been confirmed that Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck will be reprising their respective versions of Bruce Wayne/Batman for the film.

The Ezra Miller-led Flash movie is now scheduled to be released on November 4, 2022. Miller first portrayed the scarlet speedster in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

(Photo Credit:Johnny Vy/CBS via Getty Images)

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Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil Adds Kerry Washington & Charlize Theron

Award winners Kerry Washington (Scandal, Confirmation, Little Fires Everywhere) and Charlize Theron (Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, Bombshell) have joined Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil adaptation that is being helmed by Paul Feig (Ghostbusters, Bridesmaids, The Heat), according to Deadline. The movie is based on the fantasy YA novel from Soman Chainani. Feig made the official announcement on his Twitter account, which you can view below!

I know what school I’m applying to! So thrilled to welcome Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington to the School for Good and Evil! Everyone, prepare to get schooled! @CharlizeAfrica @kerrywashington @netflix @NetflixFilm pic.twitter.com/IgmoDABkp0

— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) February 19, 2021

RELATED: Gareth Evans, Tom Hardy & Netflix Partnering for Action-Thriller Havoc

The School for Good and Evil will follow best friends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie), who are about to discover where fairytale legacies go to school: The School for Good and Evil. Sophie knows she’ll be picked for the School of Good and join alums like Cinderella and Snow White, while Agatha knows she’s fit for the Evil School. However, when their fortunes are reversed, their friendship is put to the test and the girls discover who they really are.

Pick up your copy of the books here!

Washington and Theron will join the previously cast Sofia Wylie (High School Musical: The Musical – The Series) and Sophia Anne Caruso (Jack of the Red Hearts). Theron will play Lady Lesso in the film, while Washington will portray Professor Dovey.

David Magee (Life of Pi, Marry Poppins Returns) and Laura Solon (Office Christmas Party, Let It Snow) are writing the adapted screenplay.

RELATED: CS Soapbox: Lawrence v. LaRusso… Who’s the Better Sensei?

The project is being produced by Joe Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Jane Startz, and Feigco’s Feig and Laura Fischer. Zack Roth, Patricia Riggen, and Chainani will executive produce.

The School for Good and Evil is the first of six novels in the series, which has sold over 2.5 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages.

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images & Steve Granitz/WireImage via Getty Images)

The post Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil Adds Kerry Washington & Charlize Theron appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

CS Score reviews Harry Potter, speaks with Cherry composer Henry Jackman

Hey there, fellow soundtrack lovers! As Ned Ryerson would say, we’ve got a doozy today! First, we’re going to take a look at La La Land Records’ Harry Potter: The John Williams Soundtrack Collection along with the label’s Days of Thunder expanded edition by Hans Zimmer. Then, we were given the incredible opportunity to interview Émoi’, composer of the upcoming Nicholas Cage thriller Willy’s Wonderland, who took the time to discuss everything from his scoring process to his fear of Chuck E. Cheese. And finally, we’ve got a terrific interview with renowned composer Henry Jackman, who was kind enough to discuss his work on Joe and Anthony Russo’s upcoming drama Cherry.

Let’s do this thing!

NEWS

First, in case you missed it, check out the first track to Tom Holkenborg’s score for Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The track, titled “The Crew at Warpower,” runs nearly seven minutes and kicks all kinds of ass! I can’t wait for this score!

The #SnyderCut score wouldn’t have happened without all of you demanding it.

Here is your first taste.

Enjoy. https://t.co/YEtFHRvli4

— Tom Holkenborg (@Junkie_XL) February 17, 2021

Danny Elfman has signed on to compose the score for Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange sequel! This is awesome news as the pair have teamed up on a number of high profile projects, including Darkman, the Spider-Man trilogy and Oz: The Great and Powerful, among other collaborations. Good move, Marvel!

Spider-Man Composer Danny Elfman to Score Raimi’s Doctor Strange 2https://t.co/I63gBnBrMx

— ComingSoon.net by Mandatory (@comingsoonnet) February 18, 2021

I’m thrilled to share #WW84: Sketches from the Soundtrack, which features the original experiments, musings and sketches that then became the final soundtrack for @WonderWomanFilm. Check it out at https://t.co/hFFpVmzD9X! pic.twitter.com/6UIX7gnjA4

— Hans Zimmer (@HansZimmer) February 5, 2021

REVIEWS

Harry Potter: The John Williams Soundtrack Collection
John Williams

Christmas came early this year! Like, waaaay early. It’s only February. And yet, La La Land Records surprised the film score community when it announced the limited reissue of Harry Potter: The John Williams Soundtrack Collection, a massive 7CD set comprised of expanded scores for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and (best of all) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Each film score comes with its own production booklet, while the box set entire features a 44-page booklet featuring general music information and track listings fro all three scores.

Produced, assembled and mastered by Mike Matessino, all three scores were fully remastered from the original 5.1 and stereo mixes by Simon Rhodes (SORCERER’S STONE & CHAMBER OF SECRETS) and Shawn Murphy (PRISONER OF AZKABAN). For SORCERER’S STONE, the original analog master tapes were newly transferred at high resolution and the score was meticulously re-edited and output from the first-generation material for maximum quality.

The exclusive, in-depth liner notes are written by Mike Matessino and the release’s wizard-worthy art design is by Jim Titus. 

I’m not going to jump into a detailed review of each score as Williams’ work has been covered any number of times since premiering way back in 2001. Suffice to say, I appreciate Sorcerer’s Stone, really like Chamber of Secrets and absolutely adore Prisoner of Azkaban. Of the three, Azkaban supplies the most unique sound and is a fine example of blockbuster film scoring, even if it fails to carry over themes established in the previous two entries. Azkaban is dark, scary and a whole lotta fun and packed with soaring themes such as “Buckbeak’s Flight” and haunting cues such as those found in “Rainy Nights, Dementors and Birds,” all of which perfectly capture Alfonso Cuaron’s drastically different approach to the popular franchise. And while the music lacks that, ah, magical innocence heard in Sorcerer’s Stone and the swashbuckling Chamber of Secrets, it still packs an emotional punch; and escalates to near operatic levels thanks to Williams’ terrific use of choir and clever use of period instruments.

That’s not to diminish Sorcerer’s Stone or Chamber of Secrets. For the former, Williams produced as thrilling an adventure score as one could hope. The only gripe is that nothing in Sorcerer’s Stone, outside of the main theme, tickles the imagination. We’ve heard this Williams countless times before in his scores for Hook, Home Alone and Star Wars. Yes, it’s Sorcerer’s Stone is an excellent score; and yes, there are moments that will quite literally take your breath away, but at a whopping two hours and fourteen minutes, you may long for a little more, ah, variety to go with the familiar lighthearted adventure beats the maestro has employed so often throughout his astonishing career.

Chamber of Secrets is the better of the two early films and gave Williams an opportunity to go a shade darker this time ’round. Notably, the main theme for the titular Chamber of Secrets is thrilling to behold. While Fawkes’ theme ranks among the series’ best, particularly when it’s given the chance to really explode during the film’s climax.

Notably, another downside to the first two entries are the abundance of themes that are introduced … only to be dropped in later entries. Williams scored the first three films before passing the baton to Patrick Doyle, who then ceded duties to Nicholas Hooper. By the time Alexandre Desplat took the reins for the last two films of the blockbuster franchise, nearly all of Williams’ themes had been discarded in favor a more modern, disconnected sound. As such, themes heard in Sorcerer’s Stone, such as the one used to signal Voldemort, are little more than cruel teases of what could have been had the maestro hung around for all eight films.

For more information on Harry Potter: The John Williams Box Set, visit La La Land Records.

Click here to purchase the original soundtracks!

Days of Thunder
Hans Zimmer

Oh, Days of Thunder, where have you been all my life? As a fan of late 80s/early 90s cinema, I had inexplicably stuck my nose up at Tony Scott’s race car drama and discarded it as little more than a Top Gun knockoff. Then, sometime last week, I stumbled upon the score and instantly fell in love with Hans Zimmer’s chill-bump-inducing sound. Sure, it’s cheesy and more in line with, say, Broken Arrow than Crimson Tide, but Days of Thunder’s soundtrack is a blast from start to finish. And, honestly, at $19.99, the expanded score found at La La Land Records is actually quite the bargain. This is a roll-the-windows-down-and-drive-real-fast-during-a-summer-evening type of soundtrack if you catch my drift, replete with electronic beats, killer drums and Zimmer’s patented synths and keyboards.

And, hey! The film actually isn’t too bad, either …

For more information of Days of Thunder 30th Anniversary Limited Edition, visit La La Land Records.

Click here to purchase!

Interview with Willy’s Wonderland Composer Émoi’

Willy’s Wonderland synopsis: When his car breaks down, a quiet loner agrees to clean an abandoned family fun center in exchange for repairs. He soon finds himself waging war against possessed animatronic mascots while trapped inside Willy’s Wonderland.

Émoi composed the score, wrote and sang all the lyrics to the songs in the film and also provides the voice of the evil animatronic Willy. He was gracious enough to speak with ComingSoon.net about this wild new adventure.

Check out the soundtrack for Willy’s Wonderland here!

ComingSoon.net: What drew you to Willy’s Wonderland?

Émoi: I grew up on these kinds of films, and I absolutely love this genre. If I were given the choice to score any film ever made, I would choose Willy’s Wonderland…and that is me being completely honest. The fact I got the job, makes me feel so fortunate and grateful.

CS: The movie seems to prey upon our fears of those freaky Chuck E Cheese robots we all grew up with — and it sounds like you had a couple of particularly creepy incidents with said robots as a kid. How did the Chuck E Cheese brand, and your memory of it, inspire your score?

Émoi: Chuck E. Cheese was a really big thing when I was growing up. The place had its own very unique vibe. I made so many memories there with all my friends, playing skee-ball, eating our body weight in pizza, trading our tickets for prizes. It was magical, and yet, there was this unspoken discomfort caused by the oversized animatronic characters that for the most part hunched life-less on the stage, and then would suddenly spring to life and start singing. So for Willy’s, the music had to be all those things: magical, fun, entertaining, quirky, nostalgic, and frightening.

CS: You wear a lot of different hats in the film — which aspect was the most fun? The most difficult?

Émoi: Voicing Willy was pretty darn fun. I mean, I had a blast writing the score, but scoring and recording are a heck of a lot of work. Voicing Willy and singing the songs wasn’t stressful at all, it was actually a really nice escape. The hardest part for me was the role of Music Editor. Because I didn’t much enjoy chopping up my own score (laughs). It’s so hard because as composer, you fall in love with an idea, and as Music Editor you have to objectively cut the music to the updated edits, and sometimes you have to cut or modify that idea the composer was in love with. There were a few times I had some real arguments with myself (laughs).

CS: So, this is your first feature film correct? How challenging was the production overall compared to some of the other work you’ve produced — and considering this is your first full length feature?

Émoi: Yes, this is my first full length feature. And almost every project I’ve done prior to Willy’s was a 2-3 month commitment at the max. Willy’s was over a year, and 8 months of it was a solid 24/7 work schedule. I barely slept at all. The good news is, it kept me very socially distanced, and my experience of the year 2020 would have been pretty much exactly the same whether or not there was a pandemic. I didn’t miss out on anything I wouldn’t have missed out on anyway.

CS: From what I’ve read, you had to get really creative with this one due to the pandemic. What were some of the tricks you utilized to create this score?

Émoi: The pandemic limited our ability to collaborate in-person. Which meant no studio musicians or singers could come into my studio. I couldn’t have a music editor, assistant, engineer, or anyone working next to me. So there weren’t really any tricks – I wish there were – but it just meant I had to work 10 times harder, and sleep a heck of a lot less.

CS: What is your scoring process like?

Émoi: The way I typically write, is I’ll read a script, or listen to a director talking about his vision, and I’ll start hearing the music in my head. Then I’ll record myself singing the various parts I’m hearing. I’ll then listen to the recording and try to piece it together on piano. Then I’ll take the piano version, and start imagining what instruments should be playing the notes. Less typically, but often, I’ll also sit at the piano and have the picture play as I fumble around on the keys until I hit the notes that connect with what I’m seeing and feeling, then I’ll start build it out that way.

CS: This film looks absolutely batshit crazy—how much fun is a project like this? And how much freedom overall does it provide a composer?

Émoi: Batshit crazy is an understatement (laughs). This movie is a shit house rat dropping acid at a 3 a.m. rave hosted by a bag of cats. And that’s a big part of why it is so amazing. I cannot express in words how fun it was to work on this film. I had the greatest team behind me, and they supported my vision so much. That, and the fact that the pandemic prevented in-person discussion, I was given probably more freedom than what is typical.

CS: What was your collaboration like with the director?

Émoi: It was incredible. Kevin and I had an initial call in October of 2019, and we hit it off like we’d been friends for years. We had the same taste in films, music, pretty much everything, so working together was extremely fun.

CS: What aspect of the score are you most excited for people to hear?

Émoi: The character sing-alongs are going to no-doubt be what is talked about as they are catchy and ridiculous. But I’m hoping viewers really tune-in to some of the darkly beautiful and nostalgic aspects of the score as well.

CS: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share?

Émoi: I am very excited about a pilot that I am finishing up that is a supernatural detective thriller. Besides that, there are also a few feature length scripts I’m reading, as well as a potential TV series. With the pandemic still looming, things are slowed down a bit, but I think the future is bright!!

Interview with Cherry Composer Henry Jackman

Henry Jackman is one of most accomplished composers working in the industry today having scored films such as Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Captain America: Civil War, Kong: Skull Island, The Predator and many others. His latest project, the upcoming film Cherry, releases  in theaters on February 26 and globally on Apple TV+ on March 12. Jackman was kind enough to sit down with ComingSoon.net to talk about the anticipated film from Joe and Anthony Russo.

ComingSoon.net: What drew you to the film Cherry?

Henry Jackman: Well, I’m very lucky in that I’ve done let’s see, two, you know, Captain America: Winter Solider and Captain America: Civil War with Joe and Anthony Russo. And they also produced Mosul and 21 Bridges. So over the years, I formed a really close relationship with them, and I was very lucky in that their next project after the hugely successful Avengers films was this very curious, really experimental and interesting artistic film, which they asked me to do the music for.

CS: Can you talk about some of the different techniques and instruments you implemented for the music of Cherry?

Jackman: Yeah, for sure. When I saw the first cut of the movie, I mean, I already knew from reading the script and from the discussions with Joe and Anthony that this was going to be a million miles away from the super hero movies that we’d done together. It was such an unusual film that I didn’t want to start just writing the specific cues straight away just to the picture. So I began to write these kind of standalone pieces based on the discussions and the script and by freezing still images and a whole range of different things, really. So there’s big speeches, it had to be really eclectic, but somehow unified, which is kind of a tall order. So although I had a theme, I mean, if I had different kind of textures, there’s a fair amount of original analog synth in there. When I say that, I don’t mean plug-ins, I mean I was actually fooling around with late 70s synths and recording them in a really old sort of way and dealing with the fact that every time you turn them on, they’re slightly out of tune and inconsistent.

There’s piano, there’s cello. And I was experimenting with ukulele and ambient harp, a zither, some strange instrument, which I didn’t quite know what it is or what it’s called. I call it the magic circle. It’s some sort of strange mallet-based instrument and it made a very nice sound. And really, I just grabbed anything from my trusty SH5 and MKS50 analog synth to a whole eclectic range of instruments. And you know, there were a couple of cues that had the strings. Oh, not to mention, I recorded the Tallis Scholars Choir, and then they’re going  – and not only that, having recorded things, it was an awful lot of messing around with production technique, so I was laying things onto cassette tape and then bringing them back into the sequencer, deliberately trying to make the tone a bit more unstable because I was using a cassette machine that didn’t quite function properly.

CS: Do you find a project like this liberating at all since you’re free to do what you want to do? Or, do you find it more challenging? 

Jackman: That’s a really good question. I think there is something liberating and fantastic about having no idea what something’s going to sound like because you’re not only the them and the melody, you’re creating all of the textures. It is very exciting and it’s liberating and it’s experimental. You know, it’s also a little more unknown because you don’t necessarily know if these experimental musical explorations that you’re engaged in are actually going to go anywhere, whereas if you’re writing a piece with the Symphony Orchestra, you know, the piece still has to be good but you’re not asking too many questions about the validity of the Symphony Orchestra. It’s an established format. So, I enjoy both. I really enjoyed in the case of Cherry, having such a sort of renegade approach to how to put things together. But that’s not to say that when I return to the Symphony Orchestra, there’s also many things to enjoy about using the Symphony Orchestra. I mean, thankfully I’ve got a career where hopefully I’ll get to do a bit of both. But yeah, there’s no denying. You need a bit more time when you’re creating so much new tonality. But both have their advantages and disadvantages. But as far as Cherry is concerned, I was like a sort of mad doctor in a laboratory experimenting with all these things and I definitely loved it.

CS: You’re basically underscoring a man’s descent into his own personal hell. How taxing is it on you, because I imagine you have to put in a lot of emotion to the score in order to convey the proper amount of emotion on screen to underscore the action of the characters? 

Jackman: Oh yeah, no, that’s another really good question, yeah. The funny thing is, you notice that by the way, what you’re saying is in fact completely true. But you don’t necessarily notice until it’s over because you have to descend stair by stair down the staircase into the committing to the emotion and the PTSD and the madness and the experience. And because as you’re writing the score, you don’t achieve the music which supports that on day one. It’s a process. But you’re sort of slowly sinking into the absolute, you know, aesthetics of the film, kind of without realizing. It’s more like when you finally finish and you sign up on it and everything’s working and you’ve mixed everything and everything’s in the movie, you then suddenly realize, wow, that was exhausting, sort of retroactively, you know? A bit like if you hadn’t known that I’d put weights in your shoes, it’s only when you wear a different pair of shoes you go, oh, I didn’t realize I was walking around with weights — and I don’t want to sound negative. It’s a bad analogy to say it’s like walking around with weights in your shoes.

But to the extent of the commitment to the project and some of the subject matter it explores, you know, mental illness, PTSD, drug addiction. But there’s a wry humor to the movie. It dances between the serious subject matter, and it does have a layer of dark humor to it. So it’s still entertaining to watch the film, despite the fact that it has a heavy subject matter. So that’s what I bear in mind. But you’re right, I did notice when I finished, I sort of realized retrospectively just how I put everything I got into it. But you’re not so aware of that while you’re in the heat of battle. When you’ve finished, you realize you’ve left everything you had in the movie.

CS: One of my favorite cues from the whole film comes right at the end — a beautiful piece of music that feels like an exhale after this really intense experience.

Jackman: Well, exactly, yeah. Now the funny thing is, there’s a theme that comes in maybe halfway through that very long scene. I think it’s like eight or nine piece at the end. And funnily enough, that theme has been teasing throughout the movie. In fact, that tune appears in the very first piece of music in the movie. And it appears in various octave forms and different orchestrations and mangled forms. And it’s been hinted at a few times during the film. And then that last coda at the end of the film was a really great opportunity, also because of the time, you get to write an eight or nine-minute piece, it was a chance to take the theme that has been hinted at and suggested and let it really blossom into something. So I was really grateful – the way the filmmaking worked at the end left a lot of space for the music to be able to do that.

CS: And then also that opera piece that plays during a pivotal moment of the story. 

Jackman: Well, that was, I think Joe was very keen on that. I think it’s a really good idea, that something – it’s also in the tradition of filmmaking. I’m trying to think, there’s only classic opera moments in [Martin] Scorsese [films], maybe there are, maybe there aren’t. I can’t recall them exactly. But it also, it’s so different to some of the experimental aspects of the score that the few pieces of Verdi really perform a great function in the overall experience of the movie.

CS: How do you think you’ve evolved as a composer over the course of your career? And would you have approached a film like Cherry the same way back in the early 2000s, when you first started?

Jackman: Oh I have no idea, is the truth. But I think, well, I hope I’ve gotten better. You never know. I can only allow other people to decide that. I mean, I was very green then. The way I approach film music is I just do the absolute best job I can, so I’m sure I would’ve held myself into it to the best of my ability had it been a lot earlier. But no doubt, I probably would have missed the mark a bit more, maybe needed a lot more help from Joe and Anthony, who by the way, are very collaborative and helpful anyway. But, yeah, it probably would have been a little early. I think once you’ve done a number of scores, even if they’re wildly different to Cherry – once you’ve done a number of scores, I think it was the right time. I think I was ready to take on the magnitude of the creative task of writing the music for Cherry, where had it been 10 years previous, I might have missed the mark.

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Gareth Evans, Tom Hardy & Netflix partnering for action-thriller Havoc

After first working with the streaming platform on the well-received action-horror pic Apostle, Gareth Evans is reuniting with Netflix and has signed a first-look deal with the service and set his first film with the action-thriller Havoc, in which Tom Hardy (Venom) has signed on to star.

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The film, which is being written and directed by Evans, will center on a bruised detective as he must fight his way through a criminal underground after a drug deal gone wrong to rescue a politician’s estranged son while also unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

Evans, who is also well-known for writing/directing/editing the Iko Uwais-starring hit action franchise The Raid, will produce and direct a number of films for Netflix under his creative partnership with the streaming platform. He is set to produce Havoc via his One More One Productions banner alongside Ed Talfan for Severn Screen, Aram Tertzakian for XYZ Film and Hardy. The film also marks the latest collaboration between the latter label and Netflix, whose past projects together include iBoy, ARQ, Bushwick, I Don’t Feel At Home in this World Anymore and The Night Comes For Us.

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Havoc will mark Evans’ first time stepping behind the camera for a feature project since the Dan Stevens-led Apostle, with his most recent project being the Sky Atlantic and AMC action-crime drama Gangs of London, which he co-created with longtime collaborator Matt Flannery and also served as director first and fifth episodes. The other seven episodes of the first season were helmed by Corin Hardy (The Nun) and Xavier Gens (Hitman, The ABCs of Death).

(Photo Credits: Getty Images)

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Lisa Joy’s Hugh Jackman-Led Reminiscence Sets Release Date

Hugh Jackman took to Twitter to share the first official teaser for director Lisa Joy’s upcoming sci-fi thriller titled Reminiscence, providing us a preview of Jackman’s character. Originally scheduled for an April 2021 release, the film has now been set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on Labor Day weekend, September 3, 2021. Check out the video in the player below!

You’re going on a journey through memory. All you have to do is follow my voice. #Reminiscence, in U.S. theaters and streaming starting 9.3.21. (Internationally in theaters starting 8.25.21). @hbomax @wbpictures pic.twitter.com/OBwC3g3cM7

— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 19, 2021

The September 3, 2021 release will see the Warner Bros. film going up against Screen Gems’ upcoming Resident Evil reboot starring Kaya Scoldelario, Tom Hopper, and Robbie Amell.

RELATED: Benioff, Weiss & Jackman Team With Netflix for The Overstory

Reminiscence will follow the story of Nick Bannister (Jackman), a private investigator who deals in recapturing vivid cherished memories for clients. His life will completely change when he meets a mysterious client (Ferguson), who he madly falls in love with. But one day, the woman suddenly disappears leaving Nick completely lost. When he decides to search for her, he discovers different aspects of her personality that he didn’t know before.

The film will be set in the near future where Miami has been changed by global warming. It will reunite Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman and Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Ferguson, who first starred together in 2017’s The Greatest Showman. Joining them are Westworld star Thandie Newton, Cliff Curtis, Marina de Tavira, Daniel Wu, Mojean Aria, Brett Cullen, Natalie Martinez, Angela Sarafyan, and Nico Parker.

RELATED: Zack Snyder’s Justice League Sets Worldwide Streaming Release

Reminiscence is written and directed by Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy, who is also producing along with Jonathan Nolan, Michael De Luca, and Aaron Ryder.

(Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images)

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