Last summer it was announced that Danny Elfman would be creating sure-to-be chilling tracks for Gary Ross’ hotly anticipated adaption of the YA sensation The Hunger Games. But now that the film is in post, surprising news has arisen that Elfman has had to leave the project over schedule conflicts.
As to which in-post production is causing this scheduling snafu, it’s hard to say with Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful, Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black III and Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows all on Elfman’s dance card. But Hunger Games fans need not worry as the Lionsgate has already brought Oscar-nominated composer James Newton Howard (Peter Pan, Michael Clayton, Batman Begins) on board to score, which Variety assures has created a seamless transition that should not affect The Hunger Games’ postproduction schedule.
Personally, I see this as good news for The Hunger Games for while Elfman is surely a talented composer, his recent works have often seemed like pale and uninspired imitations of those from his 1990s heyday. Howard, on the other hand, has scored many incredible films, each with a distinct and different sound. It seems to me Howard will be able to strike a nice balance between Hunger Games hard and soft notes, while bringing an interesting maturity to the adaptation. Simply put, I’m eager to hear what his collaboration with T-Bone Burnett, who was will contribute part of the soundtrack, including “Rue’s Lullaby,” will yield.
The Hunger Games will hit theaters March 23, 2012, and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci.
What do you make of Elfman leaving The Hunger Games?