Let’s look at some perfect couples first of all. Directors and composers who give as much of a guarantee of aural brilliance as it’s possible to predict:

THE TERMINAL
COMPOSER: John Williams / DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg / RELEASE: June 18
Naturally these guys have to be at the top of the list. There really is nothing else that reeks of quality quite like a Spielberg/Williams love-in. This - their twentieth - seems different enough to inspire yet further heights of originality from the composer.

CINDERELLA MAN
COMPOSER: James Horner / DIRECTOR: Ron Howard / RELEASE: December 17
The eighth collaboration for these guys sounds like someone’s trying for a new RAGING BULL. Whether that’s true or not, it looks to steer Horner away from anything already familiarly fantastical in his canon of Howard work, and toward a better dramatic possibility. Horner has a good year in 2003, with scores for RADIO, BEYOND BORDERS, THE MISSING and HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG all managing to please film music fans in one way or another. Or put another way, not incite quite so inflamed riots about self-plagiarism as usual. He has nothing else announced for 2004 so far. Expect another major assignment or 3 in the next few months though…

THE VILLAGE
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard / DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan / RELEASE: July 30
The fourth coupling for these guys sounds different enough again to generate the goods Newton Howard is capable of. In fact, the fantasy element of this movie gives me high hopes that the score will be a standout for the year. Shyamalan clearly knows what he wants with his music and knows how to use it very well. So long as the fantasy doesn’t take the composer into his animated fantasy voice (TREASURE PLANET / ATLANTIS / DINOSAUR), I’m expecting great things to result.

THE POLAR EXPRESS
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri / DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis / RELEASE: November 10
The tenth pairing of these guys is a genuine surprise. Directing an animated fantasy is a brave move, even from the director of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. Silvestri’s no stranger to cartoons (FERNGULLY / LILO & STITCH / TOMB RAIDER 2), and while I doubt this will achieve the wonders of THE SNOWMAN (with which a similarity may be found), I suspect this may be a real turning point for the composer.

VANITY FAIR
COMPOSER: Mychael Danna / DIRECTOR: Mira Nair / RELEASE: TBC
The third Eastern cinematic excursion for Danna with Nair is actually in London, being something like the seventh adaptation of the classic Thackeray novel. A 19th Century period tale is completely new territory for him. In fact, it has the potential to be the closest to a traditional scoring assignment as anything he’s worked on. But somehow I feel confident he’ll make it a genre all his own…

PAINKILLERS
COMPOSER: Howard Shore / DIRECTOR: David Cronenberg / RELEASE: TBC
The eleventh collaboration is shrouded in mystery, but every single project they’ve worked on has been singularly noteworthy. As the first post-LORD OF THE RINGS, it’ll also be great to hear him stretching other musical muscles too.

SPIDER-MAN 2
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman / DIRECTOR: Sam Raimi / RELEASE: July 2
The fourth double-act (fourth and a bit if you count the 1 cue in ARMY OF DARKNESS) is something I’m personally very much looking forward to. Message to Danny and Sam: please find a scene to allow the theme from the first movie to play obviously enough for all the endlessly whining gimboids who couldn’t discern it in the first movie. Thanks. But otherwise, as Jeff Goldblum once said: “Do your stuff”!

Of course the year will be full of sequels and remakes. I don’t think the Academy is worrying about eliminating the Best Original Screenplay just yet, but is anyone else alarmed about the exponential increase of sequels, prequels, remakes, re-imaginings, TV adaptations, book adaptations, stage play adaptations, stage Musical adaptations, game adaptations, comic book adaptations, TV commercial adaptations and theme park ride adaptations? Where else will they mine for an un-original idea?

You have to know that some will suck very hard indeed. But maybe…

STARSHIP TROOPERS 2: HERO OF THE FEDERATION
COMPOSER: John W. Morgan and William T. Stromberg / DIRECTOR: Phil Tippet / RELEASE: March
Apparently it’s going direct to DVD. That’s a shame. Tippet’s directorial debut would have been great to see on the big screen, and beyond that, Morgan and Stromberg really deserve the exposure (as anyone familiar with TRINITY AND BEYOND will agree). Keep your fingers crossed for an album.

MAD MAX 4: FURY ROAD
COMPOSER: John Powell / DIRECTOR: George Miller / RELEASE: TBC
Powell keeps producing stuff that impresses and surprises me (THE ITALIAN JOB / THE BOURNE IDENTITY). Now, I really can’t decide if this’ll be one of them. Certainly not if Tina Turner’s going to be involved again, but you just never know!

HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
COMPOSER: John Williams / DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón / RELEASE: June 4
The change of director, to one who has encouraged wonderful scores from Patrick Doyle (A LITTLE PRINCESS / GREAT EXPECTATIONS), is good news for Williams and this franchise as far as I’m concerned. With all due respects to Chris Columbus, CHAMBER OF SECRETS did concern me with Williams and William Ross still only really adapting the first score between them (yes, I know there was new material too!) With luck, there’ll be far less Potter Theme, and lots of dark-tinged new stuff for Azkaban, The Dementors, The Shrieking Shack and Malfoy’s new quiff.

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
COMPOSER: Rachel Portman / DIRECTOR: Jonathan Demme / RELEASE: TBC
Demme has made a point of composer-hopping between projects. This Gulf War remake of the classic ‘60s movie plus Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION will hopefully be exactly what Portman needs to move on from her perceived romantic comedy pigeon-hole.

THE STEPFORD WIVES
COMPOSER: David Arnold / DIRECTOR: Frank Oz / RELEASE: June 11
And talking of moving on, since Miles Goodman’s passing (WHAT ABOUT BOB? / DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS), Oz has subsequently been a composer-hopper too. And I’m delighted he’s landed on David Arnold. After the endless bombast and experiments in samples and electronics, I so hope David is getting to write a nice quietly dramatic piece. One of these days he’ll get to write another aching love theme too – that which he told me early in his career he loved doing above all else…

As always there are movies coming up which are interesting enough to warrant additional interest in whatever music they’ll end up with. But it’s a guessing game on the composer. Here’s a small list:

MEET THE FOCKERS - DIRECTOR: Jay Roach / RELEASE: December 22
THE RING 2 - DIRECTOR: Noam Murro / RELEASE: November 10
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY - DIRECTOR: Paul Greengrass / RELEASE: July 23
THE LADYKILLERS - DIRECTOR: Joel Coen / RELEASE: March 26
ALEXANDER - DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone / RELEASE: November 5
ME & MY MONSTER - DIRECTOR: Neil Jordan / RELEASE: TBC
TRISTAN & ISOLDE - DIRECTOR: Kevin Reynolds / RELEASE: TBC
SHAUN OF THE DEAD - DIRECTOR: Edgar Wright / RELEASE: TBC
I, ROBOT - DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas / RELEASE: July 16
THE BROTHERS GRIMM - DIRECTOR: Terry Gilliam / RELEASE: TBC
THE LIFE AQUATIC - DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson / RELEASE: TBC

Assumptions can be made. Carter Burwell on THE LADYKILLERS seems certain (having scored all the Cones stuff). Elliot Goldenthal on ME & MY MONSTER seems likely (having scored much of Jordan’s stuff). I’d hope to expect to see Randy Newman returning to MEET THE FOCKERS, John Powell to THE BOURNE SUPREMACY and Hans Zimmer on THE RING 2. I’d also hope to see Guy Pratt on SEAN OF THE DEAD (who scored Wright’s SPACED TV series). But who knows?

I’ll update on these some way into the year. Now I’ll turn to other biggies coming your way this year, and give you my reasons for including them in this list. You’ll easily determine which I’m most enthusiastic about!

TROY
COMPOSER: Gabriel Yared / DIRECTOR: Wolfgang Petersen / RELEASE: May 21
Because it’s not an Anthony Minghella epi-tragic romantic-drama, and I’d love to hear what Yared can do in full-blown epic mode.

KILL BILL VOL. 2
COMPOSER: RZA, Robert Rodriguez & Lars Ulrich / DIRECTOR: Quentin Tarantino / RELEASE: February 20
Because Rodriguez begged Tarantino to let him score this, and for once it’d be nice to feel an organic flow-through of musical unity in a QT movie. And VOL. 1 did rock.

VAN HELSING
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri / DIRECTOR: Stephen Sommers / RELEASE: May 7
Because… Actually, it’s just a hope. I didn’t like what Sommers made Silvestri do with THE MUMMY RETURNS. In fact, I have low expectations of the movie given today’s disregard for the history of a historical character, literary or otherwise. There’s always the possibility of a fun romp with a fun romping score though.

KING ARTHUR
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer / DIRECTOR: Antoine Fuqua / RELEASE: July 7
Because – and again this is just a hope – anything which takes Zimmer out of a contemporary setting allows the possibility for his very real writing talents to express themselves without the assistance of synth overlays. Will Fuqua, who brought you TRAINING DAY and TEARS OF THE SUN have an appropriate insight into the English legend and thereby reign in Zimmer’s style accordingly? Ahem.

THE AVIATOR
COMPOSER: Howard Shore / DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese / RELEASE: December 17
Because my hunch is Shore’s score will be left well alone after his RINGS success, unlike Elmer Bernstein’s treatment on GANGS OF NEW YORK. And because Shore in serious period Hollywood mode is an intriguing prospect after his kooky ED WOOD.

THE INCREDIBLES
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino / DIRECTOR: Brad Bird / RELEASE: November 5
Because this is going to be the breakout story to beat them all. Giacchino has worked ALIAS for 3 seasons, all the while gaining respect alongside the growing certainty that Hollywood would beckon. But a break on Pixar’s next movie – after their success on FINDING NEMO – and on a period superhero movie no less, has to qualify as the most perfect circumstances to be beckoned to!

HELLBOY
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami / DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro / RELEASE: April 2
Because it’s too good a character to screw up musically!

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
COMPOSER: Jon Brion / DIRECTOR: Michael Gondry / RELEASE: March 15
Because it was supposed to be that Brion would only score P.T. Anderson’s movies. So this must have been a really juicy carrot to lure him aboard. After PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, I’m expecting great things.

And then there are those that really are no more than an educated hunch, in some cases purely because of a composer I haven’t heard of before, or heard of for some time:

CONSTANTINE
COMPOSER: Patrick Cassidy & Lisa Gerrard / Director Francis Lawrence / Release: September 17
THE LIBERTINE
COMPOSER: Michael Nyman / DIRECTOR: Laurence Dunmore / RELEASE: TBC
THE ALAMO
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell / DIRECTOR: John Lee Hancock / RELEASE: April 8
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
COMPOSER: Harold Kloser / DIRECTOR: Roland Emmerich / RELEASE: May 28
CURSED
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami / DIRECTOR: Wes Craven / RELEASE: February 8
HIDALGO
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard / DIRECTOR: Joe Johnstone / RELEASE: March 1
STARSKY & HUTCH
COMPOSER: Theodore Shapiro / DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips / RELEASE: March 1
CELLULAR
COMPOSER: John Ottman / DIRECTOR: David R. Ellis / RELEASE: May
TRAUMA
COMPOSER: Alex Heffes / DIRECTOR: Marc Evans / RELEASE: TBC
THE PUNISHER
COMPOSER: Carlo Siliotto / DIRECTOR: Jonathan Hensleigh / RELEASE: April 15
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS
COMPOSER: Trevor Jones / DIRECTOR: Frank Coraci / RELEASE: June 16
DARK WATER
COMPOSER: Angelo Badalamenti / DIRECTOR: Walter Salles / RELEASE: TBC
SEXUAL LIFE
COMPOSER: Cliff Eidelman / DIRECTOR: Ken Kwapis / RELEASE: TBC
SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur / DIRECTOR: Kerry Conran / RELEASE: TBC

Finally, we come to those I openly admit that I’m not looking forward to. I did this in advance of 2003, and wasn’t wrong. It may seem unfairly pessimistic toward the composers involved, but I have my reasons…

CATWOMAN
COMPOSER: Graeme Revell / DIRECTOR: Pitof / RELEASE: July 30
Advance word ought to be ignored of course, but you can’t ignore those pictures of Berry in costume. Sheesh. If that’s wrong… And then there’s the news that Revell is working with William Orbit on the score. Like DAREDEVIL last year, expect the official website with music page very soon. Just don’t expect to hear much of Revell there – or indeed in the movie.

THUNDERBIRDS
COMPOSER: TBC / DIRECTOR: Jonathan Frakes / RELEASE: August 6
Last news was that Hans Zimmer had signed for this, but that was some months back and there’s been no confirmation since. I stated here before that I’d like to see Zimmer score sci-fi – a genre he hasn’t dabbled in despite scoring 100 pictures now (as the press release for THE LAST SAMURAI exclaimed loudly).

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
COMPOSER: TBC / DIRECTOR: Paul W. S. Anderson / RELEASE: August 6
Right here at the end of the list is a project I fear like no other. FREDDY VS. JASON was a sure-fire no-no for me last year. And it was. But this – I don’t know where to begin. Whoever takes this on has a musical legacy left them by Goldsmith, Horner, Goldenthal, Frizzell and Silvestri. That’s an impossible situation. What worries me more, is that Anderson seems to like his musical team-ups. MORTAL KOMBAT put George Clinton with Buckethead. EVENT HORIZON put Michael Kamen with Oribital. RESIDENT EVIL put Marco Beltrami with Marilyn Manson. So although nothing would surprise me at this point, my bets are toward a disappointment all-round for the many fans of the music of these 2 sagas.

Despite these last, that’s still one heavily bulging list of promising prospect. Any thoughts on these or others you deem inexplicably absent – feel free to holler and I’ll put a spotlight them in a few Column’s time.

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