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Listen To Composer Benjamin Wallfisch Talk About His Score For ALIEN: ROMULUS – We Are Movie Geeks

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Listen To Composer Benjamin Wallfisch Talk About His Score For ALIEN: ROMULUS

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Xenomorph in 20th Century Studios’ ALIEN: ROMULUS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

ALIEN: ROMULUS is the number one movie this weekend and estimates have it at $41.5M, the second highest opening ever in the 45-year old franchise, and a global take of $108.2 million (DEADLINE).

Audiences have been frightened, compelled, and thoroughly scared out of their wits.

“My ambition is for the generation who saw the original movie to love this film and for those who have never seen an ‘Alien’ movie to be introduced to this incredible universe through our film,” says director/co-screenwriter/executive producer Fede Alvarez. “With any horror movie, you want the people to be terrified and have an experience that leaves them breathless.”

With Alvarez’s attention to detail, along with the iconic eggs and facehuggers, the chestburster glistening in slime and goo and the terrifying Xenomorphs, is the brilliant score by composer Benjamin Wallfisch. His notable projects include “IT” and “IT: Chapter Two,” “Blade Runner 2049” (with Hans Zimmer), “Shazam!” “The Invisible Man,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Thirteen Lives,” “The Flash,” “A Cure for Wellness,” “Annabelle: Creation,” “King of Thieves,” “Hidden Figures” INTERVIEW (with Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer), and music based on Elgar’s Enigma Variations for “Dunkirk.  His most recent project is “Kraven the Hunter,” directed by J. C. Chandor, to be released in the fall of 2024.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 12: Benjamin Wallfisch attends the Alien: Romulus World Premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on August 12, 2024. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios)

From the first scenes in ALIEN: ROMULUS the music will remind moviegoers of scores from the late 70’s and early 1980’s. As someone who grew up with the franchise since age 13, I can say musically he connects all the films from the series with startling cues to the emotional beats. Wallfisch reinvents without duplicating what came before and provides a very cohesive soundtrack. It’s just fantastic.

In addition to themes from PROMETHEUS written by Harry Gregson-Williams, Thematic Elements from ALIENS written and performed by James Horner and the ultimate sounds from Jerry Goldsmith’s score from ALIEN, there are even flourishes of DAS RHEINGOLD – ENTRY OF THE GODS INTO VALHALLA written by Richard Wagner. In May, another one of Goldsmith’s score could be heard in composer John Paesano’s score for KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. In our interview, Paesano said he paid homage to the 1968 PLANET OF THE APES with the familiar musical sounds that fans would get. Click here for more.

With present day movies, if you stay around until the end you will see in the credits all the names and members of the choir, conductors, musicians, orchestra, engineers and coordinators. It’s gratifying to see them receive their long overdue acknowledgement. The standout is the RSVP Voices who provide the chilling choral vocals.

Hollywood Records has released its newest episode of their music docuseries, The Big Score. In this episode, composer Wallfisch discusses the score.

Variety reported that the score from ALIEN: ROMULUS arrives digitally on August 16.

“The digital release includes 20 cues. The vinyl edition, to be released by Mutant on November 15, features alternate artwork and six bonus tracks. “

The story also includes the tracks and a sample.

Tracklisting:

  1. The Chrysalis
  2. That’s Our Sun
  3. Wake Up
  4. Entering Nostromo
  5. Searching
  6. There’s Something in the Water
  7. XX121
  8. He’s Glitchy
  9. Run!
  10. Prometheus Fire
  11. Guns V Acid Blood
  12. The Hive
  13. Andy
  14. Gravity Purge
  15. Elevator Shaft Attack
  16. Get Away from Her
  17. The Offspring
  18. Collision Warning
  19. Raine
  20. Sleep

Bonus Tracks:

  1. Lockdown
  2. Awakening
  3. Romulus Hangar Bay
  4. Body Temperature
  5. I Have A New Directive
  6. The Hive

Available: https://www.madebymutant.com/release/468582-benjamin-wallfisch-alien-romulus-original-soundtrack 

Wallfisch went on X and stated:

“Alien: Romulus” opened exclusively in theaters nationwide August 16, 2024, and available in IMAX®, Dolby Cinema®, Screen X, 4DX, and premium screens everywhere.

“Alien: Romulus” takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Civil War”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers. 

Producer, Studio Personnel, Mixer: Benjamin Wallfisch Studio Personnel, Mixer: Eva Reistad Studio Personnel, Mixer, Recording Engineer: Rupert Coulson Studio Personnel, Mixer: Jason LaRocca Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Programming: Sturdivant Adams Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Programming: Steve R. Davis Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Programming: Jared Fry Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Programming: Tori Letzler Associated Performer, Recording Arranger, Programming: Steffen Thum Associated Performer, Cello: Tristan Schulze Associated Performer, Performer: The Chamber Orchestra of London Choir: RSVP Voices Studio Personnel, Asst. Recording Engineer: Neil Dawes Studio Personnel, Asst. Recording Engineer: Martin Riley Studio Personnel, Asst. Recording Engineer: Jessi McDonald Studio Personnel, Engineer: Caleb Cuzner Studio Personnel, Engineer: David Neville Studio Personnel, Engineer: Kyle Waselewski Studio Personnel, Mastering Engineer: Reuben Cohen Studio Personnel, Mastering Engineer: Lurssen Mastering.

Huge passion for film scores, lives for the Academy Awards, loves movie trailers. That is all.