While it’s been rumored in quieter circles for some time now, it’s since been confirmed that eight-time Oscar nominated composer James Newton Howard (everything from “Liar Liar,” to “The Dark Knight“) will be scoring Martin Campbell‘s upcoming sci-fi superhero flick, “Green Lantern.”
Howard has scored films of all shapes, sizes, scales and genres, earning multiple award nominations for his work, and has had a very eclectic and varied career — comedies like “Major League,” “Pretty Woman,” Oscar nominated dramas such as “Defiance,” and “Micheal Clayton,” and in more recent years, bigger tentpoles like “King Kong,” “Batman Begins” “I Am Legend” and “The Last Airbender“
Howard and Campbell already worked together in 2000 on the mountain climbing drama, “Vertical Limit.” We’re not sure what to make of this news if only because Howard’s tentpole work generally isn’t our favorite (while scores like “Defiance” are brilliant and the best element of the so-so film) and his latest (rather goofy) work on “The Green Hornet” was ungood to say the least (and to put it mildly — it nearly suggests Howard Zimmer is the sole ‘Dark Knight’ genius), but in his defense he didn’t have a lot to work with. But on paper Howard’s scores are a good fit here.
We’re not really sure what to make of “Green Lantern” either. Our feelings about the footage seen so far have definitely been mixed, the comedy also seems a bit ungainly and silly, but surely fanboys are convinced and that’s all that matters. Budgeted north of $200 million, “Green Lantern” will fly into theaters on June 17. If all goes well, and it rakes in the projected dough, Warner Bros. will have a new sequel script ready to go by the time the picture hits theaters. A green light (pardon the pun), shouldn’t be far behind if the film turns out to be the summer juggernaut the studio is hoping it to be. Let’s hope WB watched Campbell’s unsuccessful (and pretty awful) “The Edge of Darkness” and said, “more like this please,” while pointing to a copy of the successful (and pretty great) “Casino Royale.” [FilmScoreReporter]