James Newton Howard Scoring Disney’s ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games, King Kong, The Sixth Sense, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Signs, Maleficent) has recently been scoring the upcoming animated feature Raya and the Last Dragon. The film is directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6, Winnie the Pooh) & Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) and stars Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina. The movie tells the story of a fearless warrior as she seeks a water dragon who can transform into a human being to save the realm from evil forces. Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen wrote the screenplay. Osnat Shurer (Moana) and Peter Del Vecho (Frozen, The Princess and the Frog) are producing the Walt Disney Animation Studios production. Howard has previously composed the music for several movies for Disney Animation, including Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Island. Raya and the Last Dragon is currently scheduled to be released in theaters nationwide on March 12, 2021 by Walt Disney Pictures.
JNH scored Disney's Treasure Planet, not Treasure Island.
Trailer didn't really do much for me (I think Mike Ess created a thread about this film quite recently) but excited to hear JNH tackle another animated film again.
True, the trailer didn't offer much of interest, but James Newton Howard never fails to deliver when scoring animation and this sounds like fertile territory for one more amazing action-adventure score from him.
True, the trailer didn't offer much of interest, but James Newton Howard never fails to deliver when scoring animation and this sounds like fertile territory for one more amazing action-adventure score from him.
Yep, I'm suddenly interested in this film thanks to JNH.
I really liked Moana but this is cringe. Another animated "comedy" with one stupid joke after another. I'm sure JNH will provide an amazing score for the action pieces at least.
During a recent press day, Raya's filmmakers told EW that while the film won't feature characters singing, there will be music influenced by Southeast Asia, which is the cultural inspiration for Raya.
"Our composer, James Newton Howard [The Dark Knight, The Hunger Games], did a lot of research and worked with musicians from the region as well to find the specific instrumentation," producer Osnat Shurer said. "But he was telling a story as a good composer does in music and lifting us as we need lifting, and building the emotion. I think he did a really beautiful job."
Sounds like it's gonna be recalling previous JNH scores like SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS & THE LAST AIRBENDER, with the ethnic Asian influences. Possibly more ambient/classical styled now, such is the current JNH mode. Should be cool.
I guess they just can't break that glass ceiling of female animal companions. Surely some douchebag interwebs social justice idiot can come along on Twitter and rip them a new one.
I don't know if will get classic Howard but I'm expecting a good score. I really like Maleficent, Fantastic Beasts and the Snow White and Huntsman scores.
Whoa. I just realized that female leads in Disney films always have a male animal companion. That's bizarre.
I don't know if will get classic Howard but I'm expecting a good score. I really like Maleficent, Fantastic Beasts and the Snow White and Huntsman scores.
I automatically trust the Newt when it comes to Disneyfilm/Shyamalan. My mileage varies with anything else.
Not that I won't for sure hope this is good, but the JNH of 20 years ago for sure isn't the same composer as today/
True, but that's why I was so blown away by his score to A HIDDEN LIFE in 2019, a direct connection to the gorgeous writing of THE VILLAGE 15 years ago, my absolute favourite score of 2019. So he still has it in him! While this score will sound nothing like A HIDDEN LIFE, JNH has had some great individual cues in more traditional fantasy territory in recent years, even if the scores as a whole might have some issues. Whether it's MALEFICENT, THE NUTCRACKER..., SNOW WHITE... or THE HUNGER GAMES films.
In terms of "ethnic" JNH, we might have to go all the way back to BLOOD DIAMOND in 2006, but between this film and JUNGLE CRUISE, we might get TWO in that style soon. That's enticing to me, regardless of the quality of the movies themselves.
Not that I won't for sure hope this is good, but the JNH of 20 years ago for sure isn't the same composer as today/
It's still in him, no doubt! A Hidden Life from 2019, and News of the World from 2020 are the proof of it. The latter score is hardly mentioned even on this forum which I find strange because it is a very good score.
