2022 is shaping up to be an invigorating and interesting year for film scores. With several sequels, some familiar themes and composers, and a welcome return to cinemas after two years, there is a lot to look forward to in film music this year. Let’s take a look at a handful of the most anticipated film scores coming out this year.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE - JAMES NEWTON HOWARD

James Newton Howard’s score for the third part of the Fantastic Beasts series, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, will be a great addition to the composer’s work on the previous two Fantastic Beasts films. Building on some of the primary Wizarding World themes composed by John Williams and further developed by Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat, Howard brings his decades of experience to the magical world. Look for the soundtrack to be released on Water Tower Records.

THE NORTHMAN - ROBIN CAROLAN AND SEBASTIAN GAINSBOROUGH

The Northman is a dark and ominous Viking revenge epic. Director Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) teamed up with electronic musicians Robin Carloan and Sebastian Gainsborough to bring the ancient world of the Vikings to life. In order to do this, the musicians brought their experiences melding electronic instruments and atmospheric textures, and combined it with extensive use of ancient Scandinavian instruments like the tagelharpa, langspil, kravik lyre, and säckpipa. According to the composers, “Robert wanted the world of The Northman to feel harsh and uncomfortable, and for everything to feel like it was caked in mud and dry blood, so it was crucial for the score to mirror that.”

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING - MYCHAEL DANNA

Mychael Danna’s previous film scores include The Life of Pi, On The Basis of Sex, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Little Miss Sunshine. For his work, Danna has won Academy and Emmy awards as well as the Hollywood Film Award for Composer of the Year. His style is deeply influenced by world and early music, often blending and pairing instruments and melodies from across the globe in unique and moving ways.

HALLOWEEN ENDS - JOHN CARPENTER

John Carpenter, one of the original architects of horror soundtracks, returns this year as composer for Halloween Ends, the third instalment of David Gordon Green's take on the Halloween franchise. Whether or not Halloween Ends will truly be the end of the franchise is unclear, but one thing is certain: the return of John Carpenter to the composer's chair for the film franchise that helped launch his career is extremely exciting.

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION - MICHAEL GIACCHINO

Michael Giacchino, who we recently profiled for his work on The Batman, returns again this year with the score for the third instalment of the Jurassic World series and the sixth film in the Jurassic Universe, Jurassic World: Dominion. Giacchino is well-versed in the musical world of the Jurassic Universe. In 1997, he composed the score for the video game The Lost World: Jurassic Park and has since composed for the other two films in the Jurassic World series as well. This score will be a special one for Jurassic Park fans as the iconic palaeontologist Alan Grant will finally be given his own theme!

AVATAR 2 - SIMON FRANGLEN

Simon Franglen was a key part of James Horner’s compositional team for James Cameron’s 2009 smash hit Avatar. Tragically, Horner passed away in 2015, leaving behind massive shoes to fill. With four sequels planned to the original film, Cameron tapped composer Franglen to pick up where Horner left off. Franglen has previously composed for Disney World’s Pandora: The World of Avatar and collaborated with Horner and Cameron on numerous other projects including Titanic.

2022 FILM SCORES TO LISTEN FOR

The grand return of movies after a slow couple of years due to the pandemic means there’s also so much in film score and soundtracks to look forward to. The consistent advancements in music recording and production technology, combined with unique and often forgotten instruments, is producing some unique and captivating work. Be sure to stay tuned as we explore deeper into the film scores of 2022!

For more film score articles, read about:

• A History of Sci-Fi Film Scores
• Film Score Artist Johnny Greenwood
• Film Score Artist Jóhann Jóhannsson
• Film Score Artist Michael Giacchino
• Film Scores That Made the Movie
• 10 Movie Soundtracks Worth Checking Out
• Oscars 2022: Who Will Win the Best Original Score Song?

Cover Credit: BFA / Alamy Photo Stock

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Writer | Edward Bond

Edward Bond is a multi-instrumentalist composer, performer, and writer currently bouncing between Trondheim and Berlin. He apparently has the eyes of the devil, enjoys leopard prints, and will read your tarot, but not your future.