John Debney scoring 'Predators'

[crumbs 16,007]

This is a shame I was hoping Silvestri would return. Debney has the occasional solid effort but Iron Man was nothing to write home about.

http://filmmusicreporter.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/john-debney-joining-predators/

John Debney has been chosen to score the upcoming action horror movie Predators. The movie is directed by Nimrod Antal (Vacancy, Armored) and stars Topher Grace, Adrien Brody and Laurence Fishburne. Debney previously worked with writer and producer Robert Rodriguez on Sin City, the first two Spy Kids movies and The Adventures of Shark-Boy and Lava-Girl. The movie is set to open this July and follows Iron Man 2 as another high profile summer movie for the busy composer. The announcement ends speculation that Alan Silvestri might return to the franchise, as the movie is a direct sequel to the orginal Predator movie that Silvestri has scored in 1987.

[Trent B 354]

Debney didn't do the first Iron Man, remember that, he's doing the second one though.

I wouldn't mind hearing what Debney comes up with for Predators, no doubt his action music will be top notch.

[Datameister 2,586]

I don't have a problem with it. Debney is a first-rate pasticheur and homage-payer, so I'm sure he'll be able to provide something satisfactorily Silvestri-esque if that's what the filmmakers are looking for. And on the other hand, I don't really care for Silvestri's work on Predator anyway...not original enough for my tastes. So if we get something wholly new, I won't mind, as long as it's good.

[Greg1138 3]

There were a lot of better choices around, but an awful lot of worse ones too.....

.....is it just me, or is this movie starting to look......just a tiny bit......attractive? I had it pegged as an awful rip-off/wannabe/clone from day 1, but the more I hear about the move the better it sounds....

[Charlie Brigden 7]

There were a lot of better choices around, but an awful lot of worse ones too.....

.....is it just me, or is this movie starting to look......just a tiny bit......attractive? I had it pegged as an awful rip-off/wannabe/clone from day 1, but the more I hear about the move the better it sounds....

I'm looking forward to it a lot, although I would have loved Silvestri to return... PREDATOR is such a great score. I guess we'll have to make do with THE A-TEAM.

[Quintus 6,495]

Ad much as I love the criminally underrated Silvestri Predator, I don't think this is bad news at all. Debney could do something really cool with this, so long as he doesn't fall into the overscore trap, as he has in the past.

Already I can hear a lot of boom-tish.

[ChuckM 1]

Debney sounds like Silvestri half of the time anyway. If anyone was born to follow up after a Silvestri score, it's him.

[Morlock 12]

This reminded me of something said on FSM once- "Did you hear that John Debney's son has just began his career in film scoring? Now we'll have twice as many John Debney scores, and three times as many Alan Silvestri ones." (Paraphrazed)

[King Mark 3,975]

I think neither composers have a distinct style that you can recognize by ear.

[Jill Sandwich 11,165]

I wanted Silvestri for this, but Debney is the next best thing.

[Trent B 354]

I wanted Silvestri for this, but Debney is the next best thing.

Agreed.

[Morlock 12]

Disagreed.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Surprised they didn't use Tyler after the fun (though derivative) AVPR.

[MissPadmé 17]

dammit I was hoping for Tyler Bates, Brian Tyler or Steve Jablonsky

[Morlock 12]

That's a strange comment, as you put two unlistenable composers with one fairly diverting one.

[Quintus 6,495]

Well what do you expect, from her.

[ChuckM 1]

That's a strange comment, as you put two unlistenable composers with one fairly diverting one.

Tyler Bates is the only unlistenable composer from that list.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,386]

They are composers?

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Brian Tyler was asked to make an AVP score which combined 6 film scores into one. He did an amazing job.

Would have been nice to have him back, but these films never had a tradition of keeping composers.. well, except Silvestri, but even that's irrelevant now.

[Richard P 5,302]

I think neither composers have a distinct style that you can recognize by ear.

I agree with you on Debney, but there's no way you can describe Silvestri as having no recognisable traits. They positively yell out to me.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,386]

Yes, Silvestri has a very particular style.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Debney sucks, I'd rather have Rodriguez himself score the film. Who knows, he probably will contribute something, along with Graeme Revell.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I'm hoping Rodriguez has learned that he doesn't have to do absolutely everything on his films, even when he's not directing. Because there's a lot of things that he's not that good at.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,386]

Debney sucks, I'd rather have Rodriguez himself score the film. Who knows, he probably will contribute something, along with Graeme Revell.

I'm not the world's greatest fan of Debney, but he does know how to use an orchestra. Far, far more then the RC composers that you so cherish.

[Quintus 6,495]

Indeed he does know how to use an orchestra, but in the past I've questioned his skill at using an orchestra to score a movie. Sometimes a composer needs to understand when not to use an orchestra... or rather, keep it subtle.

[Ollie 1,375]

Actually this good news for Alan Silvestri, it means he doesn't have to waste his time on a film that's going to more than likely be crap.

Sorry, I can't find any enthusiasm for a director who really hasn't done anything besides a few cult films. Hollywood has made 4 Predator films and only one was good, and that was the first one. I see nothing that makes me believe this will be any good.

[Quintus 6,495]

I like Dusk till Dawn, Sin City and Planet Terror and I think Rodriguez is ideal director material for a Predator reboot.

[Ollie 1,375]

We'll find out in July.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

I like Dusk till Dawn, Sin City and Planet Terror and I think Rodriguez is ideal director material for a Predator reboot.

You guys realize he's not directing, right? Nimrod Antal is, director of classics such as Vacancy. The only thing that gives me hope for this film are the cast, which include Danny Trejo, Topher Grace, and Adrien Brody; and the costumes.

[Quintus 6,495]

Actually, I didn't know that at all. Damn.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Right now Rodriguez is in a Spielberg state of mind. He has like 8 projects on his plate and doesn't know what to do.

[Jill Sandwich 11,165]

Actually this good news for Alan Silvestri, it means he doesn't have to waste his time on a film that's going to more than likely be crap.

Sorry, I can't find any enthusiasm for a director who really hasn't done anything besides a few cult films. Hollywood has made 4 Predator films and only one was good, and that was the first one. I see nothing that makes me believe this will be any good.

I love Predator 2!

[Naïve Old Fart 13,021]

Topher Grace gets top billing on this?! I suppose it might be o.k., as long as he doesn't go all Frankie Muniz on us...

[Ollie 1,375]

You guys realize he's not directing, right? Nimrod Antal is, director of classics such as Vacancy. The only thing that gives me hope for this film are the cast, which include Danny Trejo, Topher Grace, and Adrien Brody; and the costumes.

That cast and director gives me even more reason to not give a damn.

Although Debney could deliver a solid score.

[Maglorfin 219]

Debney is a first-rate pasticheur and homage-payer, so I'm sure he'll be able to provide something satisfactorily Silvestri-esque if that's what the filmmakers are looking for.

I'm also counting on this. Silvestri's Predator is terrific (I know the guy is very versatile but I can't help asking myself how did he ever travel light years to soundtracks such as Forrest Gump?! ) and no way Debney will be able to equal, let alone top it, but nevertheless my expectations are very high for this one.

[ChuckM 1]

Recently posted on twitter:

Nothing compares to Alan's score for Predator. Period...Fans won't be dissapointed....

[Maglorfin 219]

Great, sounds very promising!

Brian Tyler was asked to make an AVP score which combined 6 film scores into one. He did an amazing job.

So is this one worth buying? How much original material is there (compared to the ammount of the material from the previous scores)?

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Sneak Peek

[bondo 33]

The preview looks promising! I'm glad Robert Rodriguez got ahold of it. It appears to have a grittier edge than the crappy AVP movies did, and with Rodriguez hopefully it won't stoop to a typical moronic studio movie. And John Debney is literally THE composer I'd pick if Silvestri wasn't available.

[Jay 46,242]

Hmmm that doesn't look bad

[Datameister 2,586]

I agree...not bad at all.

[bondo 33]

New official trailer is up:

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=64368

Has WAAAY more potential that either of the AvP movies

[Ollie 1,375]

Eh, not impressed.

Been there, saw it many times before.

[Trent B 354]

Finally saw the trailer, doesn't look too bad. With Fishburne in it, it should be good...unless he dies half way through the film. I can't wait to hear what John Debney comes up with for the score.

[JoeinAR 1,957]

here I go over thinking this again but how would the predators know who are the top assassins, most ruthless humans unless they really are deeply entrenched in our society.

The basic premise blows, but I'll watch because I enjoy watching Adrian Brody, he is one of those actors that is odd looking and would initially seem out of place but ends up fitting in any role.

[bondo 33]

To answer your question as best I can... As hunters who can remain unseen, it's not unrealistic to think that the Predators simply observe people and decide who is a top assassin or killer. In the first film, the Predator obviously respected Arnie as a warrior because of the duel at the end. I'm sure I'm over thinking it as well, but that was the impression I got.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Rodriguez on the score:

I think we're going to go for something that fits the tone of the movie really well. That original score went great with the movie, but the notes and the music do really evoke a quality – you know, when he showed me his rough cut, or some scenes, every once in a while at the right moment I started hearing strings from the score – because we had a temp score, and it really works. To just go, oh, yeah, we're in a Predator movie. So I asked Fox, do we even have the rights to be able to use that music? They [said] oh yeah, you can use his original score, we can give you the original charts if you want to re-chart them and write something using references of it, here's the full thing. So we'll probably incorporate some of that. At the right time, because you don't want to overuse it. but it's like the James Bond theme – you can't use it all of the time, but when you do, you can get the audience really, really pumped.

[Ollie 1,375]

So Debney is going to use Silvestri's score as a template?

[Jay 46,242]

From Debney's facebook:

We're being told La-La records is releaseing "Predators". Major booklet we're being told....

From MV Gerhard:

We are majorly psyched to be working with Mr Debney on this awesome score (and yes, he does use Silvestri's themes)! We should have it out in time for Comic Con!

MV

Yay for Silvestri themes!

[Charlie Brigden 7]

Sounds cool. He has the Silvestri sound down well.