Jump to content

Will JW write for Harry Potter Anymore?


oboale

Recommended Posts

Elfman on a Potter film? Hmmm...hadn't pondered that one. Actually, that could work. I'm not a huge Elfman fan, but I'd certainly be more than a little interested to hear his take on the series. Howard on a Potter film? That could end up being the best non-Williams Potter score thus far--better than CoS, too. Or it could end up being a supremely mediocre score...I've heard extraordinary greatness and extraordinary ordinariness from Howard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 485
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Elfman!!!??? Umm, no. I love his music, but it's WAAAAYYYYY wrong for a potter film. I could definately see Silvestri doing well with one though. Menkin? Eh, maybe, but his music is a little mediocre IMO. James Newton Howard-could probably do a good job, but I can't see them using a MV guy. Shore could probably do a good job as well, but he already composed for LOTR, which was somewhat in competition with HP.

What about Richard Harvey?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Elfman could be good, no idea what to expect.

Silvestri's would be too overblown.

Don't know what Menken could do with non-song based score.

JNH could do an amazing job, and while he does have certain MV sensibilities, they are very, very, limited.

Shore could do a fine job, but I'm not sure what to expect from a less demanding fantasy movie. I thought The Last Mimzy sucked.

Only heard one score by Richard Harvey, and it didn't sound like anything special. HE has an MV sensibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't know what Menken could do with non-song based score.

He'd turn it into a song-based one. :( There were a few songs in GoF already ... :P

What about Harry Gregson-Williams? I think his versatility might have proven just the right thing for a HP score ... :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only heard one score by Richard Harvey, and it didn't sound like anything special. HE has an MV sensibility.

What? Only MV score that I know of him helping with was The DaVinci Code. :blink: Other than that, he pretty much works by himself. Not sure which soundtrack of his you heard, but I'm thinking of an HP score somewhat similar to his Fantasia, and Fantasia 2. (those aren't movie scores, just promo music he wrote)

Anyway though, he's already connected to HP, as he played the flute in Azkaban.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

James Newton Howard-could probably do a good job, but I can't see them using a MV guy

Bite your tongue (and check your facts)!

Ray Barnsbury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were rumors that he worked with MV in the 90's. Clemmensen is mainly at fault for spreading them (saying Howard worked on The Rock). From the interview I heard of his from last year (thanks Greta :blink:), it seems quite clear that he has never worked with Zimmer before BB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd be happy with another "unknown". It's far more interesting than someone with some kind of track record!!

Far more interesting, yeah...but what about the end results? In my limited experience, bringing novice composers into sagas that have built up some sort of expectation generally leads to disappointment.

What about another Howard - Shore? He already proved himself in the fantasy genre - maybe he could do it again.

I'd be more excited to hear about Shore doing a Potter score than about Hooper doing another, but I'm not terribly impressed with Shore overall. I don't like his work on LOTR nearly as much as many people do, and his other work generally disappoints me, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My vote is of course for JNH, and though I think an Elfman score would be interesting, it seems he would do a more fairy-tale fantasy as opposed to reality-based, like the Potter movies are fast becoming.

~Sturgis, who always thought that parts of Doyle's "The Story Continues" sound Elfman-esque, especially the statements of his Voldedmort theme

Link to comment
Share on other sites

back in Jan there was an ariticle at the Leaky Cauldron about JW's and his love for Harry Potter and said he missed doing it, and would like to do it again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sturgis, who always thought that parts of Doyle's "The Story Continues" sound Elfman-esque, especially the statements of his Voldedmort theme

Agreed. Actually, I rather liked the Elfmanlike sound to that track, though the score as a whole was a vast disappointment for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The opening was very promising, and there were some good cues along the way. But the themes felt totally flat and fake to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. Harry's theme, for lack of anything better to call it, which I suppose is the main theme of the film, is terribly bland and uninspiring. It can be enjoyable at times, depending on how it's arranged and orchestrated, but it's just so simple and non-descript. Nothing magical at all about it! (I'm referring to the theme appearing at 0:22 in "Foreign Visitors Arrive," 5:52 in "Golden Egg," and as a variation throughout "Harry in Winter"). Actually, its use in the "B" section of "Hogwarts' March" is my favorite, as it fits better with the jaunty nature of that piece than it does in the rest of the film.

Ray Barnsbury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rather like that theme, Ray, but you're so right that it's bland. I actually think of it as Doyle's theme for Hogwarts, but it could just as easily be Harry's theme. It works rather nicely in "Foreign Visitors Arrive", IMO, and I agree that it's fun in the context of "Hogwarts' March."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd be tentatively all right with it. I love Sinbad and Narnia, but I feel the latter is a bit of a step down from the orchestral mastery of the former, though it is thematically richer. I think he at least has the potential to do a great job. I'd still prefer someone with a stronger track record though.

Ray Barnsbury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harry G-W could probably put together a decent HP score. I can't imagine myself saying that before hearing Sinbad, which has quickly become a favorite of mine. I'd put him fairly low on the list, though.

Williams

Yared (You know you want it)

JNH

Elfman (I'm curious about whether his sound would work spectacularly or fail miserably)

Hooper

Gregson-Williams

Shore

Ah, listing. Perfect for those times when you just have nothing else to do. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fear Howard Shore would experiment a bit too much. I still have that little bit annoying sound of the castanets (Aviator) in my ear ...

We need someone who is established enough to not feel the urge to use Harry Potter as a springboard to promote his own music, but who's not so famous yet that he doesn't care about the individual charme of each movie anymore.

Of course Williams is famous AND cares for his movies, but apparently we can't have that.

Which is a shame, really. Remember that scene in PoA, when Harry and Hermione are sitting in the woods at night, and there's that shot of both, with a flock of bats flying by? The music in that scene still makes me wish Harry and Hermione were a couple.

And does anyone else think the first 20 seconds of "The Arrival Of Baby Harry" would make for a great theme for the Prophecy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In case you haven't noticed Newman, most people want Williams for the remaining Potter films. It's just that if he won't do it, then who would make a worthy successor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And does anyone else think the first 20 seconds of "The Arrival Of Baby Harry" would make for a great theme for the Prophecy?

What prophecy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And does anyone else think the first 20 seconds of "The Arrival Of Baby Harry" would make for a great theme for the Prophecy?

What prophecy?

If you haven't read/seen book/movie 5 yet, don't bother asking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, that. It was unclear if you were referring to that prophecy or Howard Shore's "The Prophecy" track.

And, no, I don't ... it's far too light and whimsical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed. I like the motif in question, but it doesn't suit the grim nature of the prophecy. The treatment in OotP was actually quite effective, with a lone horn statement of Hedwig's Theme.

Ray Barnsbury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Order of the Phoenix? Of course not. It's a testament to the theme's versatility the wide range of emotions it can elicit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Hedwig's Theme" is argueably the best theme Williams has written in the last 10 to 15 years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Hedwig's Theme" is argueably the best theme Williams has written in the last 10 to 15 years.

It is in every way to the great themes of the 70s and 80s. "Hedwig's Theme" is otherworldly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Bringing the saga full circle musically" with the same old themes from the two first movies (which were actually inconsistent between each other) would be an insult to the efforts of Hooper and Doyle,

Hilarious!

An insult to the efforts of Hooper and Doyle???? Are you serious man? Not only those two totally ruined the magic of the film they also destroyed a perfectly good theme written by a man who is without a doubt a million times better as a composer.

I mean please!!!!!!! Directors of those films! Get some decent composers for God's sake!

BTW another reason why they don't get Williams could be financial. The man could be too expensive.

I just hope Hooper gets a better orchestrator. Or five better orchestrators, I guess.

A good teacher would be a start, :D

"Hedwig's Theme" is argueably the best theme Williams has written in the last 10 to 15 years.

Oh yes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bashing non-Williams HP efforts... on a John Williams Message Board?

Holy crap, didn't see that one coming.

Mate, please.

If the scores were good I would be the first to admit it.

They just.....suck. My opinion, and I also feel a bit strongly about it as these JW scores were the first to blow me away in a long time.

I honestly watched the films very open minded. But damn they were bordering amateur.

Just like Goldsmith didn't use Horner's themes for Star Trek,and at least those were worthy

Yes YES! Very good point

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just like Goldsmith didn't use Horner's themes for Star Trek,and at least those were worthy

Nicholas Meyer did not want to use Goldsmith's theme. He wanted a different sound and besides it wouldn't have fir the film.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Hedwig's Theme" is argueably the best theme Williams has written in the last 10 to 15 years.

It is in every way to the great themes of the 70s and 80s. "Hedwig's Theme" is otherworldly.

Too bad it was lifted somewhat from Hook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just like Goldsmith didn't use Horner's themes for Star Trek,and at least those were worthy

Nicholas Meyer did not want to use Goldsmith's theme. He wanted a different sound and besides it wouldn't have fir the film.

And quite right too. If you're going to bring in a new composer, let him do his own thing! Almost all Trek scores are good to great, no matter who's writing it. Come on, don't we have enough examples of how horrible everything turns out when a composer is forced to slave himself to a previous Williams work?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because nobody can use Williams themes and sound like him.Hence my theory that Ross didn't write cues for CoS..he'd be a genius if he matched up JW exactly,or he could replace JW on the next Indy if he wrote something like "Duelling the Basilisk"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Hedwig's Theme" is argueably the best theme Williams has written in the last 10 to 15 years.

It is in every way to the great themes of the 70s and 80s. "Hedwig's Theme" is otherworldly.

Too bad it was lifted somewhat from Hook.

I don't follow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hedwig's theme bares a stricking resemblance to Capt. Hook's secondary theme. Listen to "Hook-Napped" for evidence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.