What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (2025 Scores) and general scoring news and chitchat

[Jay 43,956]

What SCORES are people looking forward to this year?

 

For me:

 

Christopher Larkin - Hollow Knight: Silksong (I CANNOT believe its been over 5 years now since the first 2 tracks were released).  This has to come out this year, right?

 

Lena Raine - Earthblade (hopefully the true followup to Celeste I've been waiting for)

 

John Powell - How To Train Your Dragon (live action) - I LOVE the original score AND his approach to the sequels, so I am SO curious to see what he will do for this reboot!

 

Michael GIacchino - Fantastic Four: First Steps - cautiously optimistic

 

Simon Franglen - Avatar: Fire and Ash - The Way of Water impressed me more than I was expecting

 

and

 

Jurassic World Rebirth - depending on who scores it

 

The Naked Gun - depending on who scores it

 

Now You See Me 3 - if Brian Tyler returns or the new composer uses his themes; Not expecting much if neither is true

 

Zootopia 2 - depending on who scores it

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

Most looking forward to:

 

Captain America: Brave New World by Laura Karpman

Sinners - Ludwig Göransson

The Electric State - Alan Silvestri

The Life Of Chuck - The Newton Brothers

How To Train Your Dragon - John Powell

Fantastic Four: First Steps - Michael Giacchino

The Bad Guys 2 - Daniel Pemberton

Wicked: For Good - Powell & Schwartz

 

Without a composer but curious about:

Thunderbolts*

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Now You See Me 3

 

And there might be some new music for series, but not sure yet what is coming out this that I'm excited about music wise.

[Jay 43,956]

I looked and there's lots of tv seasons coming in 2025 that I am looking very much forward to watching, but none that I could see whose scores I am excited for.

[Mr. Who 1,033]

My most anticipated scores of 2025 would be:

- Franglen's Avatar: Fire and Ash

- F1 (Zimmer)

- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (if Djawadi scores it)

- Win or Loose (Pixar show) (Djawadi)

- The Electric State (Silvestri)

- HTTYD remake (Powell)

- Fantastic Four: First Steps (Giacchino)

- Frankenstein (Desplat)

- Now You See Me 3 (if Tyler returns)

- The Lost Bus (JNH)

- Severance Season 2 (Shapiro)

- Jurassic World Rebirth (depending on who scores it - JNH, Zimmer, Gia, Williams are all good choices though Williams is sadly unlikely...)

 

Also hope that we will get to hear Zimmer's Eden score. The movie premiered at film festivals in 2024 but still hasn't gotten a proper release and the score is still not out.

[Jay 43,956]

Yeah I'm really curious about that Eden movie

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,591]

My most anticipated scores of 2025 would be:

• Wicked: For Good by Powell & Schwartz
• HTTYD by Powell
• The Electric State by Silvestri
• Fantastic Four by Giacchino
• F1 by Zimmer
• Sinners by Göransson
• Mickey 17 by Jung Jae-il
• Avatar: Fire and Ash by Franglen

Depending on who score those

• Jurassic World: Rebirth (top choice would obvisouly be Williams then Powell or Kevin Kaska, I wouldn't mind Kraemer, Mick Giacchino, Wallfisch, Amelia Warner or any of the other Orville guys)
• Predator: Badlands
• The Running Man
• Zootopia 2
• Now You See Me 3

[Knight of Ren 1,335]

18 hours ago, Jay said:

Christopher Larkin - Hollow Knight: Silksong (I CANNOT believe its been over 5 years now since the first 2 tracks were released).  This has to come out this year, right?

I've honestly lost all hope that this game is releasing any time soon, altough I would gladly be proven wrong. Really excited for the game and score for whenever it releases!

 

Apart from that I would say:

-HttyD Live Action - John Powell (love the trilogy and I hope he can expand his musical universe while doing something new)

-Wicked: For Good (really looking forward to the conclusion of the story)

-Avatar: Ashes and Fire - Simon Franglen (loved The Way of Water!)

-A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Ramin Djawadi (not officially announced but I hope he is, because his work for these shows is fantastic imo!)

-Fantastic Four: First Steps - Michael Giacchino (big Gia fan so really interested to hear this one)

-The Wheel of Time S3 - Lorne Balfe (one of his best scores, so really excited for the continuation)

 

Also, always interested in whatever new score people like Zimmer, McCreary, Newton Howard or Göransson have to offer, because I usually really like their work!

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

I'm also looking forward to what Nathan Johnson will do with the third Knives Out film!

The previous 2 were fantastic!

[Jay 43,956]

Oooh yeah I forgot about that.  I like those scores too, even though I don't listen to them frequently.

 

I wish Netflix was on board with Rian Johnson's desires to called these Benoit Blanc movies, not Knives Out movies.

 

It should be:

Knives Out: A Benoit Blanc Mystery

Glass Onion: A Benoit Blanc Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man: A Benoit Blanc Mystery

 

not:

 

Knives Out

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

 

 

Stupid Netflix.  They're also the reason only the first movie is available on blu ray / UHD.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

I agree with that.

 

Knives Out was very specific to tge plot of the first film and has nothing to do with the second. It's just Netflix putting Knives Out in the title, because they probably think the audience is stupid.

Whatever

[thestat 496]

Gordon . bombastic, dynamic:

 

Mark McKenzie's very early work, beautiful, exuberant work

 

[Jay 43,956]

On 10/01/2025 at 1:34 PM, Jay said:

Lena Raine - Earthblade (hopefully the true followup to Celeste I've been waiting for)

 

OMG, Earthblade has been canceled!!!

 

https://exok.com/posts/2025-01-22-earthblade-final-update/

 

Is this Silksong's future too !?

[Knight of Ren 1,335]

God, I hope not! I think I recently read one of the developers said the game is progressing and will be released at some point. When that will be is a mystery.

[Jay 43,956]

I was looking forward to Lena Raine's score to Earthblade more than Larkin's score to Silksong.  I wonder if she wrote any before the cancellation, and if she'll repurpose it for another project, or release it as its own album

[Under-Terrestrial 92]

What I'm most excited for:

• THE BRIDE! - Jonny Greenwood
• ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER - Jonny Greenwood
•  
• FRANKENSTEIN - Alexandre Desplat
• THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME - Alexandre Desplat
• THE MOST PRECIOUS OF CARGOES - Alexandre Desplat (we've heard the score, but I'm guessing the film's stateside release will be this year)
•  
• DROP - Bear McCreary
• MOTHER MARY - Daniel Hart
• SINNERS - Ludwig Goransson
• WILDWOOD - Dario Marianelli
• THE SHROUDS - Howard Shore
• THE WAY OF THE WIND - Eleni Karaindrou
• THE LIFE OF CHUCK - The Newton Brothers
• TRON: ARES - Trent Reznor And Atticus Ross
• IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE - Thomas Newman
• THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS - Michael Giacchino

 

**********

 

This score was a nice surprise! Didn't expect much more than electronic ambience from a low-budget Soderbergh horror-drama, but it's very forward in the sound mix, and mainly acoustic/symphonic elements. Not many cues total, but it leaves a mark when it shows up. This composer is entirely new to me:

 

 

[Edmilson 11,013]

JNH only has that Paul Greengrass movie in the horizon, right? Sigh 

 

Anyway, I listened to Laura Karpman's new Captain America score and I think Transformations will remain as one of the best action cues of the year.

[ddddeeee 517]

2 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

JNH only has that Paul Greengrass movie in the horizon, right? Sigh 

This year, yeah, but he'll inevitably be scoring the next Hunger Games prequel due in 2016.

[The Score Cleaner 8,542]

2 minutes ago, ddddeeee said:

This year, yeah, but he'll inevitably be scoring the next Hunger Games prequel due in 2016.

Uh.... JNH is a composer not a time traveler

[Edmilson 11,013]

3 hours ago, ddddeeee said:

This year, yeah, but he'll inevitably be scoring the next Hunger Games prequel due in 2016.

I have a feeling that he already said everything he has to say about the Hunger Games universe with his previous 4 and now 5 scores. The Ballad of the Whatever and Whatever was somewhat underwhelming... A  bit like JNH's equivalent to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

 

I'd like to see him doing more movies (other than those adult gritty crime thrillers - stay the hell away from them!), something that could bring the best in him. Maybe a superhero movie or an adventure like Jungle Cruise. But Hollywood doesn't invite him to do more blockbusters these days I'm afraid.

 

[thestat 496]

Under-Terrestrial - mega-thanks for the Zack Ryan highlight. Wow. This is good. Like you (seemingly), I brushed this off as another Soderbergh experiment as something to be watched 'down the line' (Kiki was just ....there). Will need to check out the film now, but there are some clear Chris Young vibes here. I wonder if this is Steven Soderbergh doing a Good German (ie. homage filmmaking) to .... something?

[Thor 9,323]

https://celluloidtunes.no/presence-new-wave-and-more/

 

NEW WAVE (Greg Bernall & Chris Upton)
PRESENCE (Zack Ryan)
SLOCUM ET MOI (Pascal le Pennec)
DARK SANCTUARY: THE STORY OF THE CHURCH (Joe Virus)
KRAZY HOUSE (Michiel Marshman)
DRONE (Paul Sabin)
NOGET I LUFTEN (Søren Hyldgaard)

 

OK, some pre-2025 in this batch.
 

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

I really liked this. Big orchestra, intimate piano. At times pompous and bombastic and other times beautifully intimate.

 

A few cues towards the end become quite big and add choir and some soloists. The album is almost like a little symphony.

 

My favorite score by Jung Jae-Il.

 

 

[fenrik 86]

THE COMMONER by Gaute Storaas (Amazon Prime)

 

Kind of a Norwegian version of The Crown about the 9 year long struggle for our King Harald and Queen Sonja to be allowed to get married (since she was just a "normal" girl). I liked the show (only four episodes) and I really enjoyed the score! It was obviously temped with The Crown score. Some cues I could even tell exactly which Crown cue was used. Lol! But I dont mind, cause I also love the score from The Crown. 

 

 

 

 

[Knight of Ren 1,335]

February is over so I thought I would share some recommendations of some nice scores I listened. Here are the scores I found solid and entertaining:

 

-Eternal Strands - Austin Wintory

-Love Hurts - Dominic Lewis

-A Thousand Blows - Federico Jusid

-1923 S2, Vol. 1 - Brian Tyler & Breton Vivian

 

And this are the ones I liked the most:

 

 

 

 

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

This was released at the end of January but I only came across it yesterday. I think it's great!!

 

 

[Thor 9,323]

12 minutes ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

This was released at the end of January but I only came across it yesterday. I think it's great!!

 

It would have, if it hadn't been for the fact that it's clearly sampled with relatively cheap samples. Very tinny!

[Knight of Ren 1,335]

Yeah, it's a nice score! Not Sawano's strongest but still good. The samples only really bothered me in some of the bigger cues, but the softer, more intimate tracks sounded fine to me.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

I concur on the samples thing, although it didn't bother me as much as it sometimes does.

 

 

Another score I discovered yesterday is a new score by Taro Iwashiro. Beautiful work from him.

 

 

[fenrik 86]

Just started watching a new Norwegian show called REQUIEM FOR SELENA. A show about young girls who write blogs in the early 2000s. Based on one of the biggest bloggers in Norway. It is much better than it sounds like, lol! Great reviews. 

The first thing I noticed was the score. At first I almost felt frustrated because I loved it and assumed (like with so many other Norwegian shows) that there was no release. But there was! Music by Espen Lind. I was surprised to see his name as he is a singer/songwriter. I think this may be his first score (correct me if I'm wring @Thor  ). But he did amazing! A very memorable main theme. Short album, but I take what I can get! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thor 9,323]

I haven't checked that out yet, but thanks for the tip, fenrik! Cool that Lind (SWAY!) tries his hands on film scoring.

[Thor 9,323]

 

Highlight synth score of 2025. Thoughts here.

[fenrik 86]

2 hours ago, Thor said:

I haven't checked that out yet, but thanks for the tip, fenrik! Cool that Lind (SWAY!) tries his hands on film scoring.

 

yes, SWAY is exactly what I remember him for as well 

[Knight of Ren 1,335]

Nice recommendations @fenrik and @Thor! I listened to both and I really liked them, each in their own style. I'll add another little score I recently discovered that I really liked. It's quite beautiful and has a strong main theme, and it's only 20 minutes long so it doesn't overstay its welcome!

 

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

Yeah, @Knight of Ren, love that one.

[Under-Terrestrial 92]

Me likey 

 

 

I feel like this movie is part of an unofficial “Jonze/Kaufman” network. THE ACTOR is directed by Duke Johnson, who co-directed ANOMALISA with Charlie Kaufman, who has written scripts for Spike Jonze, who directed HER, which was scored by Arcade Fire, a member of which is Richard Reed Parry, who scored THE ACTOR!

[Toillion 395]

Just saw this from Ludwig Goransson's upcoming score for Sinners. The video is available depending on the time zone right now. I just used a VPN so it shows up.

 

 

[Edmilson 11,013]

And here's the album details:

 

 

1. Filídh, Fire Keepers and Griots (2:32)

2. Smokestack Twins (3:29)

3. Grace, Bo and Lil’ Lisa (3:44)

4. (Delta) Slim’s Patch (4:01)

5. Clarksdale Love (3:23)

6. Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down (3:40)

7. Not What He Seems / Sé Abú (2:46)

8. Magic What We Do (Surreal Montage) (3:45)

9. Mount Bayou / Proper Black Folks (3:26)

10. She Said, “We?” (3:14)

11. Playin’ Games, Tellin’ Ghost Stories (4:17)

12. Hole Up ‘Til Sunrise (feat. Lars Ulrich) (3:31)

13. Together Forever (5:04)

14. Thy Kingdom Come (7:55)

15. Bury That Guitar (3:20)

16. Grand Closin’ (feat. Gales, Eric) (4:05)

17. Elijah (feat. Gales, Eric) (3:44)

18. I’ve Seen Enough of This Place (1:36)

19. Free for a Day (3:55)

 

Third Oscar incoming?

[Under-Terrestrial 92]

Faaaaantasyyyyy :) :)

 

 

 

 

 

[Jay 43,956]

Hopefully 2025 brings some good summer scores!

When I was a teenager the summer movie season was exciting because there was always the guarantee of some great scores coming out

[crocodile 9,365]

 Sinners by Ludwig Göransson. I am listening to my custom (almost) chronological playlist combining score and song albums. I never expected this would be my kind of thing but I find it really heartfelt and quite irresistible. And it is also very cleverly put together, with seamless integration between songs (traditional or new) and score. And there's also several thematic threads. For more conservative film music lovers, there is very little traditional orchestra here. It's mostly just Newman-esque string writing (it's gorgeous). The rest is a multi-genre stew that somehow works. With this kind of stylistic botboiler approach, Ludwig has no match currently. So far my favourite this year.

 

Karol

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

Fountain Of Youth - Chris Benstead

 

Saw the film and listened to the score after that. It works really well in context and on album it's a lot of fun. Album's slightly too long, but it doesn't bother me that much.

 

It's very much in the same vein as Benstead's other work for Ritchie. It's mostly like Operation Fortune (it also has shades of Trevor Rabin's National Treasure scores) but it's not as good as last year's Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare. It does show Benstead is growing as composer and I'll be looking forward to whatever he does next. Here's hoping someone other than Ritchie hires him so he gets to branch out a bit.

[Jay 43,956]

Jeez I didn't realize that film was releasing so soon

[Under-Terrestrial 92]

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-life-of-chuck-official-soundtrack/1818159296

 

 

These samples are a little too lo-fi / vibey for my taste. I think I was hoping for the Newton Brothers to get a little more lyrical and acoustic for a project that seems lyrical in its own right. That said, I'm sure it plays in context, and I'm still VERY keen to see this movie (the 2nd of 4 King adaptations in one year! The Monkey was excellent, this / Long Walk / Running Man look great too!).

 

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

I agree! Reviews were talking about a sweeping score, so I was soo looking forward to it but... I'm mildly disappointed.

 

I like the tone of it, but there's not a whole lot to latch onto.

[Edmilson 11,013]

Is this score any good? Wallfisch is usually good at action orchestral scores (see The Flash), but when he's doing terror is usually just dark and violent electronic manipulation stuff (see The Invisible Man).

 

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

It's mixed bag. Lot's of drums and ostinatos.

 

I like some of the choir parts and the middle of the album is the strongest. Mostly the music with more Japanese influences.

It's fun though.

[thestat 496]

I guess The Life of Chuck is a bit banal, but that's what they do, right? They went out of their way with some of the Flanagan stuff, especially this: 

 

[Thor 9,323]

Latest batch, for anyone interested:

 

https://celluloidtunes.no/the-shrouds-the-surfer-and-more/

 

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE (Jeymes Samuel)
THE DOOM BUSTERS (Ben Pearson)
L'ORO DEL RENO (Marco Pedrazzi)
A NECESSARY ESCAPE (M83)

THE SHROUDS (Howard Shore)
THE SURFER (François Tétaz)
PATSERS (Hannes de Maeyer)

[tomsmoviemadness 4,443]

On 06/06/2025 at 2:25 PM, Under-Terrestrial said:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-life-of-chuck-official-soundtrack/1818159296

 

 

These samples are a little too lo-fi / vibey for my taste. I think I was hoping for the Newton Brothers to get a little more lyrical and acoustic for a project that seems lyrical in its own right. That said, I'm sure it plays in context, and I'm still VERY keen to see this movie (the 2nd of 4 King adaptations in one year! The Monkey was excellent, this / Long Walk / Running Man look great too!).

 

 

On 06/06/2025 at 3:29 PM, tomsmoviemadness said:

I agree! Reviews were talking about a sweeping score, so I was soo looking forward to it but... I'm mildly disappointed.

 

I like the tone of it, but there's not a whole lot to latch onto.

 

I just saw the movie and I appreciate the score a lot more now. It's excellent in the film, really adding that extra level of depth.

The main theme is beautiful.

 

Yes, it's maybe all a bit quiet and simplistic to some, but I actually really like it now. Beautiful.

[Jay 43,956]

John Powell - How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

 

I LOVE THIS!  I think its a great mix of the original 2010 score's core with lots of new orchestrations, with a surprising amount of all-new material that makes everything feel fresh and exciting all over again.  I've already listened to the new score album 3 times, and it just came out today!  I cannot remember the last time that happened, but it was probably for a John Williams score!