The Maze Runner (soundtrack)

Last updated

The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).jpg
Soundtrack album by
John Paesano
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2014
Recorded2014
VenueNewman Scoring Stage,
Twentieth Century Fox Studios
Genre Film score
Length62:57
Label Sony Classical
Producer John Paesano
John Paesano chronology
When the Game Stands Tall
(2014)		The Maze Runner
(2014)		 Daredevil
(2015)

The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2014 dystopian science fiction film of the same name directed by Wes Ball. It consisted of 21 tracks from the film's score produced by John Paesano with a runtime of over an hour. Paesano was involved in the film, much before its production so that he could create the sketches based on the story and further develop the music to suit its visuals. The score resembled the classic Hollywood films and takes inspiration from John Williams' score for fantasy films to mimic the grandeur. [1]

Contents

The score premiered exclusively at the MTV website on September 12, 2014, [2] before setting for an official release four days later. Sony Classical Records published the score through digital distribution and in CDs and vinyl LP formats. [3] [4]

Development

Paesano watched Ball's short film Ruin which was presented to the executives of 20th Century Fox; he was also scoring for small-budget films to the studio and which insisted the executives to recruit him for the film. He also composed few cues to be submitted for the production agents. He and Ball were inspired by Steven Spielberg, John Williams and James Cameron's works and the creative vision they share between them were similar, which resulted him to score for music for the film. [1]

After his hiring, Paesano read the novel the film was based on and started composing off the film's script. The main title was the first sketch he had written for the film. Being a fan of Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, headmitted to do an "epic score" for the film even before the production began. The initial score he composed for the footage did not quite fit to the film. Hence he had to mold it to fit the picture, as "the music goes with the spirit of the film". The music was a "throwback to old Hollywood" as it inspires the timeline of that period even though it was fresh for the film, and its budget being smaller than that of the fantasy film productions from major studios he felt "it was amazing what he was able to squeeze in and it stands up with all those other films". [1]

Paesano recalled that before initially scoring a 10-minute suite, he would imagine the story in mind and not the visuals, so that he can have the freedom to write the score he thought of, whereas if the pictures come in his mind he would have to accompany the visuals for the score. Some of the music he composed were inspired from the themes he created on SoundCloud, that are basically stemmed from his imagination. [1]

Paesano admitted that unlike the older times, where film scores take a longer time to be composed, the process had been advanced due to technology, where mainstream composers did not write suites, they instead compose for scene-to-scene during eight weeks and complete the score before the film's release. This felt that they "lose the ability to sit and live with the score and the story for a while and cannot figure out what does work and what doesn't" which leads to an experimentation process trying several things before the actual process. It felt unusual as Paesano was hired even before the production, so that he could visit the sets on person, and absorb the story and the characters. During his visit to the village set on New Orleans, he thought of the "acoustic and environmental sound" on the set, which intended him to record the natural sounds and incorporate it into the score. [1]

Some of the instrumentation included beating big oil drums with sticks, brass, percussions and being incorporated into the orchestral score. The score was recorded for 8-9 days at the Newman Scoring Stage. [1] [5]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Maze Runner"2:49
2."What is This Place"3:03
3."My Name is Thomas"3:15
4."Ben's Not Right"2:41
5."Banishment"3:14
6."Waiting in the Rain"1:50
7."Into the Rain"2:36
8."Griever!"2:40
9."Going Back In"2:31
10."Why Are We Different?"2:01
11."Chat with Chucky"2:18
12."Section 7"5:14
13."Maze Rearrange"2:07
14."Griever Attack"3:55
15."Trapped"2:07
16."WCKD is Good"1:56
17."Thomas Remembers"3:35
18."Goodbye"2:08
19."Final Fight"2:43
20."WCKD Lab"5:57
21."Finale"4:17
Total length:62:57

Reception

James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "The Maze Runner comes really close to being brilliant – almost all of it is well-composed and vibrant, there are interesting ideas and it’s refreshingly some distance away from the clueless Remote Control soundalikes that tend to dominate these films today.  Paesano knows how to write real music and there’s a decent dramatic flow to the whole thing." [6] Writing for Renowned for Sound , Kirsten Maree reviewed it as a "classic horror movie score that will leave you feeling as scared and trapped as its characters" and further called it "cunningly eerie, shamelessly unforgiving and hauntingly beautiful". [7]

Filmtracks.com wrote "Paesano treats many of the character moments in The Maze Runner with comparatively light tones for acoustic guitar and woodwinds, allowing too much contrast between the unbridled explosions of noise in the action material and the needed emotional connections of the softer portions. Also working against him is a very dry mix that sounds shallow at times. His electronically manipulated elements are fine, as is the occasional choral infusion, but the ensemble does have the resounding feeling in the recording that he was seemingly seeking; as such, the whole is a bit flat. Still, this a good starting point for any franchise, and one can hope that the narrative will be clarified in future entries." [8] Pete Simons of Synchrotones called it as a "very solid and enjoyable action-thriller score". [9]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)Result
2014 IFMCA Awards [10] Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film John Paesano Nominated
2015 World Soundtrack Awards [11] Public Choice Award Won

Credits

Credits adapted from CD liner notes. [3] [4]

Instrument
Orchestra
Management

Related Research Articles

<i>Cleopatra</i> (1963 soundtrack) 1963 soundtrack album by Alex North

Cleopatra: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack from the film of the same name, released by 20th Century Fox Records in 1963. The music of Cleopatra was composed and conducted by Alex North, and was recorded and produced in 1963.

<i>Predator</i> (soundtrack) 2003 soundtrack album by Alan Silvestri

Predator: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the official soundtrack album of the 1987 action film Predator. It was composed by Alan Silvestri. The score is completely orchestral and was released in 2003.

John Paesano is an American composer working primarily in film, television, and video games. He is known for collaborating with director Wes Ball on the Maze Runner film trilogy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, as well as composing for the Marvel Television series Daredevil and The Defenders. As a video game composer, he has contributed music to the acclaimed titles Detroit: Become Human and the three installments in the Marvel's Spider-Man series. Paesano won the BAFTA Games Award for Best Music, as well as the D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition.

<i>Rio 2</i> (soundtrack) Soundtrack album

Rio 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, the sequel to the 2011 film Rio, directed by Carlos Saldanha. Featuring contributions from Brazilian and American artists, the album is produced by the film's composer John Powell and Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes. Like the first film, the soundtrack for the sequel also incorporates Brazilian music, while infusing pop, latin and hip hop genres into the album. It is preceded by the single "What is Love" performed by Janelle Monáe, that was released on March 4, 2014 and the album was released by Atlantic Records and Fox Music, on March 25. Rio 2 (Original Motion Picture Score) consisting the film's score by Powell, was released on April 15, 2014.

<i>Independence Day</i> (soundtrack) 1996 film score by David Arnold

The soundtrack to the 1996 science fiction action film Independence Day features musical score composed by David Arnold. It was first issued by RCA Victor in conjunction with the film's release consisted over fourteen tracks. An expanded score was released by La-La Land Records on April 2010, in a limited edition two-disc set that contains the film's score in its entirety in addition to 12 alternate cues. The score was acclaimed by critics and won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for Motion Picture or Television.

<i>The Wolverine</i> (soundtrack) 2013 film score by Marco Beltrami

The Wolverine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2013 superhero film of the same name, directed by James Mangold. Featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine, the film is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series, the second installment in the trilogy of Wolverine films after X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and a spin-off/sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). The film's musical score is composed by Marco Beltrami, who previously scored Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma (2007).

<i>Oz the Great and Powerful</i> (soundtrack) 2013 film score by Danny Elfman

Oz the Great and Powerful (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2013 film of the same name, produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and featured musical score composed by Danny Elfman. The score was recorded at Sony Scoring Stage and the album featured 27 tracks with a promotional single titled "Almost Home" performed by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on March 5, 2013, followed by a physical CD release in association with Intrada Records on March 26.

<i>The Peanuts Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)</i> 2015 soundtrack album by various artists

The Peanuts Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2015 animated film The Peanuts Movie, directed by Steve Martino and produced by Blue Sky Studios. Based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts, it is the fifth full-length Peanuts film, and the first in 35 years. The original score is composed by Christophe Beck, with contributions from jazz pianist David Benoit and Meghan Trainor, who performed an original song titled "Better When I'm Dancin', released as a single on October 14, 2015. The soundtrack was digitally released by Epic Records and Fox Music on October 23, 2015.

<i>X-Men: Days of Future Past</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by John Ottman

X-Men: Days of Future Past is the soundtrack album to the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past, based on the X-Men characters appearing in Marvel Comics, and is the fifth mainline installment in the X-Men film series and the seventh installment overall. Directed and produced by Bryan Singer, the film score is composed by his regular collaborator, composer-editor John Ottman, being the first to score more than one film in the X-Men film series, having previously scored X2 (2003).

<i>Bridge of Spies</i> (soundtrack) 2015 film score by Thomas Newman

Bridge of Spies (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the Steven Spielberg-directed historical drama film Bridge of Spies, released by Hollywood Records, alongside the film on October 16, 2015. It is the second Spielberg film not to be scored by John Williams after The Color Purple (1985). The film was scored by Thomas Newman, who replaced Williams in March 2015, due to health complications. The score was critically acclaimed and received nominations for Academy Award for Best Original Score and BAFTA Award for Best Film Music in 2016.

<i>Kung Fu Panda 3</i> (soundtrack) 2016 film score by Hans Zimmer

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2016 film Kung Fu Panda 3, the third instalment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011). The film score is composed by Hans Zimmer, who scored the previous instalments with John Powell, but the latter did not return for the third instalment, thereby Zimmer being credited as the sole composer for the franchise. The album was released by Sony Classical Records on January 29, 2016, to positive critical response.

<i>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</i> (soundtrack) 2011 film score by Patrick Doyle

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a reboot of the Planet of the Apes film franchise. The film's original score is composed by Patrick Doyle, and was released by Varèse Sarabande on August 9, 2011.

The 2011 animated musical adventure comedy film of the same name, produced by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation, and directed by Carlos Saldanha, featured two albums released for the film: an original soundtrack and an original score. Interscope Records released the film's soundtrack Rio (Music from the Motion Picture) on April 5, 2011 in digital formats, and a physical release on April 12. The album produced by the film's composer John Powell, and Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, featured collaborations from Brazilian and American artists, along with songs performed by the film's cast members. The music received critical acclaim from critics, praising the Brazilian influences in the music and creative choices of involving the native musicians to influence South American culture. Powell's score was a separate album, titled Rio (Original Motion Picture Score), which was released by Varèse Sarabande on April 19, 2011.

<i>Ferdinand</i> (soundtrack) 2017 soundtrack albums

Ferdinand (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack extended play that accompanied the 2017 film of the same name, released by Island Records on December 1, 2017. The album featured three original songs, with two of them being released as singles: "Home" and "Watch Me" performed by Nick Jonas. The score album, composed by John Powell, was released as Ferdinand (Original Motion Picture Score) by Fox Music on December 15, 2017.

<i>The Addams Family</i> (2019 soundtrack) 2019 film score by Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna

The Addams Family (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2019 film of the same name directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan based on the characters created by Charles Addams. The film's original music is composed by Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, released by Lakeshore Records on October 11, 2019 alongside the film. The film also featured two songs: "My Family" recorded by Migos, Karol G, Snoop Dogg, and Rock Mafia, and "Haunted Heart" by Christina Aguilera released as singles on September 13 and 27, but not in the film's soundtrack. On January 24, 2020, the soundtrack was published in double vinyl by Enjoy The Ride Records and Mondo.

<i>The Imitation Game</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by Alexandre Desplat

The Imitation Game (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2014 film of the same name. The film is scored by Alexandre Desplat who replaced the original composer Clint Mansell before the film's production commenced. The London Symphony Orchestra performed the original score that featured various instruments such as keyboards, clarinets, strings, arpeggio and bombe. The album was released on November 7, 2014 by Sony Music Entertainment. The album received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Score but lost to The Grand Budapest Hotel, also composed by Desplat.

<i>World War Z</i> (soundtrack) 2013 soundtrack album by Marco Beltrami

World War Z: Music from the Motion Picture is the score album to the 2013 film of the same name directed by Marc Forster. Featuring original score composed by Marco Beltrami, the album featuring 11-tracks were released by Warner Bros. Records on June 18, 2013.

The music to the 2011 science fiction sports drama film Real Steel directed by Shawn Levy, featured a compilation of songs by popular artists as heard in the film and an album that contains the original score written and composed by Danny Elfman. The first album, Real Steel – Music from the Motion Picture, was released on October 4, 2011 by Interscope Records. It consists of 13 tracks featuring artists including Foo Fighters, Tom Morello, Eminem, Royce da 5'9", The Crystal Method, Yelawolf, 50 Cent and Limp Bizkit. Elfman's score that featured over 17 tracks, was released into a separate album as Real Steel – Original Score on November 8, 2011 by Varèse Sarabande.

<i>Happy Feet Two</i> (soundtrack) 2011 soundtrack album by John Powell

Happy Feet Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2011 film Happy Feet Two, directed by George Miller and a sequel to Happy Feet (2006). It features a collection of songs ranging from various genres—rock, pop, hip hop, rhythm and blues—performed by the cast and an original score composed by John Powell. Unlike the predecessor, the score and the songs were released in a single album by Atlantic Records and WaterTower Music in ITunes on November 15, 2011, which would be followed by a CD release six days later. The deluxe edition of the album contains an addition of 5 songs performed by Ozomatli, released on November 30.

<i>The Bourne Legacy</i> (soundtrack) 2012 film score by James Newton Howard

The Bourne Legacy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2012 film The Bourne Legacy, which is the fourth installment in the series of films adapted from the Jason Bourne novels by Robert Ludlum and Eric Van Lustbader. The musical score is composed by James Newton Howard, becoming the first film in the series not to be composed by John Powell, who provided music for previous Bourne installments, due to his interest in scoring animated films. The album was digitally released through Back Lot Music on August 7, 2012, and a physical release by Varèse Sarabande on August 21, 2012. The album featured a new version of Moby's "Extreme Ways" subtitled with "Bourne's Legacy" released as a single on July 31. The music received mixed critical response.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "WAMG Talks To THE MAZE RUNNER Composer John Paesano". We Are Movie Geeks. September 12, 2014. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Exclusive: Listen To The Entire 'The Maze Runner' Soundtrack". MTV. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Various Artists: The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Tower Records. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "The Maze Runner [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ Goldwasser, Dan (September 29, 2014). "John Paesano scores The Maze Runner". ScoringSessions.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  6. ↑ Southall, James (September 17, 2014). "The Maze Runner soundtrack review". Movie Wave. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ Maree, Kirsten. "Album Review: The Maze Runner – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Renowned For Sound. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Filmtracks: The Maze Runner (John Paesano)". Filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Maze Runner (John Paesano)". Synchrotones. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ "IFMC Awards 2014". International Film Music Critics Association. February 20, 2015. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  11. ↑ "World Soundtrack Awards: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. October 24, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.