The creation of a fresh musical score for Superman predates the actual filming process.
John Williams might be famously linked to collaborations with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, but his Superman theme could potentially surpass them all in popularity. This iconic melody has survived past Williams' association with the character and has become as synonymous with him as the S emblem himself. James Gunn shares this sentiment.
"That soundtrack was one of my favorite soundtracks of all time," Superman director James Gunn stated at a recent press event. "As a kid, what I adored most about the movie was the music. That was what resonated with me the most."
Given this affection, it's no wonder that when the initial trailer for Gunn's take on the character was unveiled, Williams' theme was featured prominently. This wasn't a last-minute decision, but a plan formulated well ahead of time.
"From day one, I knew my approach to the music," Gunn revealed. "I had given it a lot of thought. Should we go a completely different route? Should we stick to the Williams theme?... I knew we were blending elements of the past with anticipation for the future. And so, it was about finding the middle ground."
This middle ground included not just blending past and future, but John Williams and John Murphy.
"John Murphy is a composer I admire, and he started working on the music before the script was even complete," Gunn shared. "He was one of the first people I gave the script to, along with Peter Safran and a few others, so he could start composing for it. I said, 'We'll use a variant of the Williams theme, but I want our own interpretation of it.' So, that's what you hear [in the trailer]."
Gunn then hinted at how this reinterpretation of Williams' theme would be woven throughout the film. "What's fascinating is how that inspires a host of other tracks," he said. "Some that revert to the Williams theme, others that are purely John Murphy's work. It intertwines, separates, and is utilized beautifully throughout the movie. And John has been working tirelessly for the past almost two years, compiling the score."
The aim, it appears, is that when children witness Superman in July, they experience a response similar to Gunn's encounter with Richard Donner's film in 1978. A great movie, but an even more memorable soundtrack.
Superman is set to release on July 11.
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In the realm of future movie soundtracks, director James Gunn praised John Williams' Superman theme as his childhood favorite, touting its enduring appeal.Embracing a blend of past and present, Gunn collaborated with composer John Murphy to reinterpret Williams' iconic theme for his upcoming Superman film, aiming to evoke a similar musical response in younger audiences.