John Powell (film composer)

John Powell (born 18 September 1963) is an English composer, best known for his scores in motion pictures. He has been based in Los Angeles since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He is particularly known for his scores for animated films, including Antz, Chicken Run, Shrek (all three co-composed with Harry Gregson-Williams), Robots, Happy Feet, Happy Feet Two, three Ice Age sequels, Bolt, Rio, Rio 2, and the How to Train Your Dragon film series. He has also scored many live-action films, of which his collaborations with directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass are perhaps the best known. These include the first three and the fifth Bourne films, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, United 93, Jumper, Green Zone and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

John Powell
Powell in 2008
Background information
Born (1963-09-18) 18 September 1963
London, England, United Kingdom
OriginEast Sussex, England, United Kingdom
GenresFilm scores
Occupation(s)Composer, conductor, producer
InstrumentsPiano, percussion
Years active1990–present

His work on Happy Feet, Ferdinand and Solo: A Star Wars Story has earned him 3 Grammy nominations. He was nominated for an Academy Award for How to Train Your Dragon.[1]

Powell was a member of Hans Zimmer's music studio, Remote Control Productions, and has collaborated frequently with other composers from the studio, including Harry Gregson-Williams and Zimmer himself.

Early life and education

Powell was originally trained as a violinist as a child, and played the viola as well, before studying at London's Trinity College of Music. He later ventured into jazz and rock music, playing in a soul band called the Faboulistics. After finishing college, he composed music for commercials, which led to a job as an assistant to the composer Patrick Doyle on several film productions, including Much Ado About Nothing.

Powell is an atheist.[2]

Career

In 1995, Powell co-founded the London-based commercial music house Independently Thinking Music, which produced scores for more than 100 British and French commercials and independent films.

Powell's first film score was for the 1990 film Stay Lucky. He moved to Los Angeles in 1997 and scored his first major film, Face/Off. This was followed by Antz in 1998, the first film produced by DreamWorks Animation which he co-scored with fellow British composer Harry Gregson-Williams. Two years later the two collaborated again to compose the score to Chicken Run, and again the following year on Shrek, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. All subsequent Shrek films however, have been scored solely by Gregson-Williams. During 2001 he also scored Evolution, I Am Sam, Just Visiting, and Rat Race.

In 2002 Powell was hired to score The Bourne Identity, after Carter Burwell left the project, and has gone on to score all of director Doug Liman's subsequent films. He also returned to score the other two films in the series, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which were both directed by British director Paul Greengrass.

Following the Bourne films, Powell collaborated with Liman again to score the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith. That year, he also scored Robots, going on to score all but one of subsequent films by Blue Sky Studios.

In 2006, he scored Greengrass' United 93. He also composed music for Ice Age: The Meltdown, following David Newman, who scored the first Ice Age film, as well as X-Men: The Last Stand, and Happy Feet, for which he won a Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for an Animated Feature Film. The following year he scored The Bourne Ultimatum. In 2008 he collaborated with composer Hans Zimmer to score Kung Fu Panda, and also wrote music that year for Jumper, Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, Hancock, and Bolt. In 2009 he scored the third film of Ice Age series; Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

In 2010, Powell composed the score to How to Train Your Dragon. This was his sixth score for a DreamWorks Animation film, although the first where he composed the whole score himself. It also became his first work to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score. That year, he has also scored Greengrass's Green Zone, and Knight and Day.

In 2013, he took a sabbatical year from film scoring. In April 2014, following the completion of his scores to sequels Rio 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 2, he announced his decision to take another break to compose concert music, including a 45-minute oratorio to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War I. The piece, named "A Prussian Requiem", premiered on 6 March 2016 at The Royal Festival Hall, London with José Serebrier conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and a libretto by Michael Petry.[3]

He composed Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was released in May 2018.[4]

Powell also composed How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which released in theatres February 22, 2019 in the United States.

Discography
John Powell discography
Studio albums1
Soundtrack albums53

Television
Year Title Notes
1989–1993 Stay Lucky
1996–1997 High Incident

Film

1990s
Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
1997 Face/Off John Woo Paramount Pictures (North America)
Touchstone Pictures (International)		 N/A
1998 With Friends Like These... Philip Frank Messina Miramax Films N/A
Endurance Leslie Woodhead
Bud Greenspan		 Walt Disney Pictures N/A
Antz Eric Darnell
Tim Johnson		 Pacific Data Images
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Pictures		 Co-composed with Harry Gregson-Williams
1999 Forces of Nature Bronwen Hughes DreamWorks Pictures N/A
Chill Factor Hugh Johnson Morgan Creek Productions
Warner Bros. Pictures		 Co-composed with Hans Zimmer

2000s
Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
2000 The Road to El Dorado Don Paul
Bibo Bergeron		 DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Animation		 Co-composed with Hans Zimmer
Chicken Run Peter Lord
Nick Park		 Aardman
DreamWorks Pictures (International)
Pathé (Europe)		 Co-composed with Harry Gregson-Williams
2001 Just Visiting Jean-Marie Poiré Gaumont
Hollywood Pictures		 N/A
Shrek Andrew Adamson
Vicky Jenson		 DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Animation		 Songs, Co-composed with Harry Gregson-Williams
Evolution Ivan Reitman The Montecito Picture Company
DreamWorks Pictures (North America)
Columbia Pictures (International)		 N/A
Rat Race Jerry Zucker Fireworks Entertainment
Paramount Pictures		 N/A
I Am Sam Jessie Nelson Bedford Falls Productions
New Line Cinema		 Additional music by Heitor Pereira
2002 D-Tox Jim Gillespie DEJ Productions (North America)
United International Pictures (International)		 N/A
The Bourne Identity Doug Liman The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Universal Pictures		 N/A
Drumline Charles Stone III 20th Century Fox N/A
The Adventures of Pluto Nash Ron Underwood Castle Rock Entertainment
Village Roadshow Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures		 N/A
Two Weeks Notice Marc Lawrence Castle Rock Entertainment
Village Roadshow Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures		 N/A
2003 Stealing Sinatra Ron Underwood Showtime Networks Television film
Agent Cody Banks Harald Zwart Maverick Films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer		 N/A
The Italian Job F. Gary Gray Paramount Pictures N/A
Gigli Martin Brest Casey Silver
Revolution Studios
Columbia Pictures		 N/A
Paycheck John Woo Davis Entertainment
Paramount Pictures (North America)
DreamWorks Pictures (International)		 N/A
2004 The Bourne Supremacy Paul Greengrass The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Universal Pictures		 N/A
Mr. 3000 Charles Stone III The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Spyglass Entertainment
Dimension Films
Touchstone Pictures		 N/A
Alfie Charles Shyer Paramount Pictures N/A
2005 Be Cool F. Gary Gray Jersey Films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer		 N/A
Robots Chris Wedge 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 N/A
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Doug Liman Weed Road Pictures
Regency Enterprises
Summit Entertainment
20th Century Fox		 N/A
2006 Ice Age: The Meltdown Carlos Saldanha 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 N/A
United 93 Paul Greengrass Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Working Title Films
Studiocanal
Universal Pictures		 N/A
X-Men: The Last Stand Brett Ratner Marvel Entertainment
20th Century Fox		 N/A
Happy Feet George Miller Animal Logic
Kennedy Miller
Village Roadshow Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures		 nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Media"

Co-composed with Gia Farrell

2007 The Bourne Ultimatum Paul Greengrass The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Universal Pictures		 N/A
P.S. I Love You Richard LaGravenese Alcon Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures (North America)
Momentum Pictures (International)		 N/A
2008 Jumper Doug Liman Regency Enterprises
20th Century Fox		 N/A
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Jimmy Hayward
Steve Martino		 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 Additional music by James McKee Smith, Josh Ashton Smith, and Paul Mounsey.
Stop-Loss Kimberly Peirce MTV Films
Paramount Pictures		 N/A
Kung Fu Panda John Stevenson
Mark Osborne		 Paramount Pictures
DreamWorks Animation		 Co-composed with Hans Zimmer
Hancock Peter Berg Overbrook Entertainment
Relativity Media
Columbia Pictures		 N/A
Bolt Chris Williams
Byron Howard		 Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios		 N/A
2009 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Carlos Saldanha 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 N/A

2010s
Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
2010 Green Zone Paul Greengrass Working Title Films
Universal Pictures		 N/A
How to Train Your Dragon Chris Sanders
Dean DeBlois		 Paramount Pictures
DreamWorks Animation		 nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score
Fair Game Doug Liman River Road Entertainment
Summit Entertainment		 N/A
Knight and Day James Mangold Media Rights Capital
Dune Entertainment
Regency Enterprises
20th Century Fox		 N/A
2011 Mars Needs Moms Simon Wells Walt Disney Pictures
ImageMovers Digital		 N/A
Rio Carlos Saldanha 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 N/A
Kung Fu Panda 2 Jennifer Yuh Nelson Paramount Pictures
DreamWorks Animation		 Co-composed with Hans Zimmer
Happy Feet Two George Miller Village Roadshow Pictures
Kennedy Miller Mitchell
Warner Bros. Pictures		 N/A
2012 Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Chris Renaud Universal Pictures
Illumination Entertainment		 N/A
Ice Age: Continental Drift Steve Martino
Mike Thurmeier		 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 N/A
2014 Rio 2 Carlos Saldanha 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 Additional Music by Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey
How to Train Your Dragon 2[5] Dean DeBlois 20th Century Fox
DreamWorks Animation		 Additional Music by Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey
2015 Pan Joe Wright RatPac-Dune Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures		 Additional Music by Anthony Willis, Batu Sener & Paul Mounsey
2016 Jason Bourne Paul Greengrass Perfect World Pictures
Captivate Entertainment
Pearl Street Films
The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Universal Pictures		 Co-composed with David Buckley

Additional Music by Batu Sener

2017 Ferdinand Carlos Saldanha 20th Century Fox
Blue Sky Studios		 nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella"

Additional Music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey

2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story[6] Ron Howard Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Lucasfilm Ltd.		 nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Instrumental Composition"

Han Solo Theme & Original Star Wars Music by John Williams.

Additional Music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey.

2019 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[7] Dean DeBlois Universal Pictures
DreamWorks Animation		 Additional Music by Batu Sener, Anthony Willis & Paul Mounsey

2020s
Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
2020 The Call of the Wild[8] Chris Sanders 20th Century Studios
3 Arts Entertainment		 Additional Music by Batu Sener & Paul Mounsey

Studio Albums
Year Title Notes Label Catalogue Number
2018 Hubris: Choral Works by John Powell[9] Classical Music, Concert Music 5 Cat Studios FCS001
2020 Piano Solos from How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World[10] Classical Music, Soundtrack 5 Cat Studios FCS005

Awards and nominations

Awards

Nominations
gollark: > We should just make every state a different political extreme and let whoever likes it most in a place live thereI actually *would* like that, at larger scales, which is why I would not really support unified world government.
gollark: 🦀
gollark: Which one is it?
gollark: I'm ALWAYS up for random tests!
gollark: One somewhat related thing I find bad is people saying stuff like "you must be antiracist or racist" (or, well, "you must be part of/following/supporting [SPECIFIC APPARENTLY ANTIRACIST CAUSE] or you're racist"). I *really* do not like "us vs them" thinking.

References
  1. "From Gigli to Oscar: Composer John Powell Reacts to His Nomination". Movieline. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  2. Thomson, Paul. "John Powell - Exclusive Q & A". Spitfire Audio. Spitfire Audio. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  3. "John Powell's 'A Prussian Requiem' to be performed live in London". SoundtracksAndTrailerMusic.com. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  4. "John Powell to Score Untitled Han Solo Movie". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  5. V., Erin (2 April 2012). "Interview: Dean DeBlois, director of 'How To Train Your Dragon'". One Movie, Five Views. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  6. "John Powell to Score Untitled Han Solo Movie". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  7. "How to Train Your Dragon 3 Pushed Back to 2017". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  8. "Soundtrack.net".
  9. "Hubris: Choral Works by John Powell (192kHz / 24-bit) « John Powell". John Powell. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  10. "Film Music Reporter".
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