JAMES NEWTON HOWARD to score "SALT"

According to the latest update of James Newton Howard's resumee from the Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency, the composer of The Sixth Sense, The Happening and The Dark Knight is attached to Phillip Noyce's upcoming thriller Salt, starring Angelina Jolie.

Original source, here.

The movie's plot focuses on CIA officer Evelyn Salt (Jolie), who is outed as a Russian sleeper spy and due to that, decides to evaded capture by those who are convinced she's aiming to assassinate the president.

More info on the movie, here at the imdb.com page.

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD's "DUPLICITY" gets a cd release

James Newton Howard, one of the most successful film composers working in Hollywood today, and a man of quality and artistry, is once again busy. This time, not with a project on the levels of what he has gotten us accustomed to, but which still might prove interesting; music-wise. 'Cause the movie's verdict and the starring actors don't say much.

I present you the movie details of Duplicity, and on the meantime i am reaching for my emergency vomit-bucket!

"Oscar® winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for "Duplicity," from writer/director Tony Gilroy (seven-time Oscar®-nominated "Michael Clayton"). In the film, they star as spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes espionage game, they discover the toughest part of the job is deciding how much to trust the one you love. CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and MI6 agent Ray Koval (Owen) have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. Their mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first. For their employers—industry titan Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti)— nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can't cheat their way out of: love."

Still, we are densely looking forward to the music that will accompany the movie and here's what the releasing label says about the SCORE CD:

DUPLICITY
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Music Composed by James Newton Howard

Includes the song “Being Bad”
by the electronic duo Bitter:Sweet

Oscar® winner Julia Roberts and Clive Owen reunite for Duplicity, from writer/director Tony Gilroy (seven-time Oscar®-nominated Michael Clayton).

In the film, they star as spies-turned-corporate operatives in the midst of a clandestine love affair. When they find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes espionage game, they discover the toughest part of the job is deciding how much to trust the one you love.

CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Roberts) and MI6 agent Ray Koval (Owen) have left the world of government intelligence to cash in on the highly profitable cold war raging between two rival multinational corporations. Their mission? Secure the formula for a product that will bring a fortune to the company that patents it first.

For their employers — industry titan Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and buccaneer CEO Dick Garsik (Paul Giamatti) — nothing is out of bounds. But as the stakes rise, the mystery deepens and the tactics get dirtier, the trickiest secret for Claire and Ray is their growing attraction. And as they each try to stay one double-cross ahead, two career loners find their schemes endangered by the only thing they can't cheat their way out of: love.

Fresh off a blockbuster year that included the score for The Dark Knight and an Oscar® nomination for Defiance, James Newton Howard adds this striking new thriller score to his impressive tally.

Universal Pictures opens DUPLICITY nationwide on March 20.

Varèse Sarabande Catalog #: 302 066 955 2
Release Date: 03/17/09

GRAMMYS' winners announced, THE DARK KNIGHT wins

From GRAMMYS' official website, HERE.

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series or other visual media.)

The Dark Knight James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer, composers [Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.]

New interview with HANS ZIMMER / JAMES NEWTON HOWARD on the score to "THE DARK KNIGHT"

Hans Zimmer and James Howard Newton talk about their collaboration scoring The Dark Knight on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15am.

Read the entire interview over at the original source, HERE.

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD on Shyamalan's "AVATAR:THE LAST AIRBENDER"

James Newton Howard, the 57 year-old American composer and frequent collaborator of celebrated director M.Night Shyamalan, will provide the music accompaniment for the latter's movie entitled Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The story follows the adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.

This is what upcomingfilmscores.blogspot.com had to say relevantly:

"The Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency has added The Last Airbender to James Newton Howard's filmography. This is M. Night Shyamalan's new film, which is expected to premiere in the summer of 2010. It is the seventh feature film collaboration between Howard and Shyamalan, previous projects include The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable and this year's The Happening. The epic fantasy adventure follows the adventures of the successor to a long line of Avatars who must put aside his irresponsible ways and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. Paramount will distribute. James Newton Howard has several films coming up shortly: Defiance (already nominated for a Golden Globe), Love Ranch, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Duplicity."

CLICK HERE for the original source's link.

HANS ZIMMER's and JAMES NEWTON HOWARD's 'Dark Knight' Score, has Its Oscar Eligibility Restored

Original source: Variety.com

"Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are back in contention for an Oscar nom.
The Music Branch Executive Committee of the Academy reversed its Nov. 10 decision declaring their score for “the Dark Knight” ineligible for the 2008 Academy Awards. The score was disqualified due to five names being listed as composers on the music cue sheet.

After reviewing information submitted by the affected parties, the committee concluded that two Zimmer and Howard were responsible for the score’s authorship.

Neither nomination ballots nor lists of eligible scores had been distributed so there is no impact on the actual voting process. "

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD | Defiance [CD]

James Newton Howard, the 58 year old American composer has crafted a uniquely beautiful and refined score for Daniel Craig's upcoming WWII drama, Defiance.

The score is led by the beautiful violin soli of virtuoso and very popular violinist Joshua Bell, in what's one of the most emotional score by the composer and certainly one of the most notable music releases for 2008.


The Pop & Hiss, The L.A. Times music blog had this to say about the moving musical work:

"Pop & Hiss goes to the movies: James Newton Howard gets violin-happy with 'Defiance'
10:30 PM PT, Nov 14 2008

Composer James Newton Howard made headlines this week. With Hans Zimmer, Howard worked on one of the more acclaimed scores of 2008, the strikingly tense, vividly aggressive music for "The Dark Knight," which, as industry trade Variety reported, would be ruled ineligible for Oscar consideration on a technicality.

But don't expect the news to take Howard out of Oscar talk. Still to come is his violin-heavy score to "Defiance," Edward Zwick's World War II film starring Daniel Craig. The music is streaming on the Paramount Vantage website, and an official soundtrack will be released Dec. 9, which is in advance of the film's limited release on Dec. 31.

Pop & Hiss hasn't spent enough time with the score to offer a review, but initial listens reveal a nuanced work, a piece that flirts with classical stylings but drifts into more moody terrain. See the rhythmic bursts that give way to a romantic swing in "The Police Station," or the mournful counter melodies of "Tuvia Kisses Lukia." Additionally, much of the score is a showcase for noted violinist Joshua Bell, who was part of the Oscar-winning score to "The Red Violin."

Speaking at Billboard/The Hollywood Reporter's Film & TV Music Conference, Howard said, "The score is essentially a minimalist score, with a substantial amount of what you'd call ambiance to it."

Howard was appearing as part of a Friday afternoon discussion with Zwick, which was moderated by Billboard senior editor Ann Donahue. Howard and Zwick have previously worked together on 2006 film "Blood Diamond." Howard praised Zwick as a filmmaker who can subtly intertwine scores into his films.

"The music," said Howard, "in all of Edward's work has been a very strong component.... The spotting, where the music is used, how its used, is restrained."

For "Defiance," which, as this Times article detailed, tells the true story of Jewish refugees who fought Nazi invaders in the forests of what is now Belarus, the pair almost avoided a violin-heavy score. Tapping into classical Eastern European sounds, said Zwick, seemed too obvious ("a world of cliches that we live in fear of," Zwick said).

Ultimately, however, Zwick noted that the pair "both concluded that the violin, even though it wasn't the first time it'd been used in this context, was the right way to go."

Howard discussed some of the paths the score almost took, which he composed with a relatively small orchestra of 50 to 60 musicians (most major Hollywood scores feature an orchestra of a hundred or more players), and was recorded at London's Abbey Road studios. "I looked at the possibility of the cello. I looked at the possibility of a clarinet. I even toyed with the idea of Klezmer music," he said, referring to a more traditional Jewish sound.

No one, however, asked Howard for his opinion on the music division of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The score to "The Dark Knight" has been taken out of Oscar consideration because too many names were listed on the official music cue sheet for the film.

--Todd Martens"

Also, be sure to check out the Official website of the movie, HERE, to check out the samples from James Newton Howard's work for Defiance.

HANS ZIMMER and JAMES NEWTON HOWARD | THE DARK KNIGHT 2CD Special Edition

Hans Zimmer's and James Newton Howard's much celebrated original score for The Dark Knight gets a special treatment with a special 2CD release that has been much-talked around since its announcement.

Here's what amazon.com has to say about the edition:

"The Dark Knight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' returns with the ASCAP-winning composers from Batman Begins- Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard for a powerful orchestral score. The Special Edition features the complete score on two CD's plus four bonus remix tracks; it also contains an 8x8x40 page hardbound book."

Also, if you head over to the official website for the soundtrack, you'll find the following info:

"Package contains a 40-page handbook, 50 additional minutes of unreleased music from the movie and 4 unreleased remixes by the Crystal Method, Paul Van Dyk, and others.

For more info and score-related material such as Videos from the recording sessions, please click HERE and HERE.