Elfman Returns to Comics with Wanted and Hellboy II

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Elfman Returns to Comics with Wanted and Hellboy II

Source:Scott Huver

June 24, 2008

With the scores for Batman, The Flash, Dick Tracy, Spider-Man, Men in Black and the first Hulk film to his credit, no one has raised the baton more often – or the bar higher – on comics-to-screen music than Danny Elfman (among a slew of other high-profile film and television projects). Even his surname sounds quirkily superheroic, reflecting the often off-kilter twist he brings to classical action flick arrangements.

This summer the ex-Oingo Boingo frontman adds two more projects from the comics to his orchestral resume with the wildly divergent scores for Wanted and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! caught a few moments with the maestro who's still striking all the right notes.

CS/SHH!: You've got two big comic scores coming out this summer. In a nutshell how would you describe the "Wanted" music and the "Hellboy II" music?
Elfman: "Hellboy II" is big and very much inspired by Bernard Herrmann, who was my inspiration on the science fiction movies that I grew up on as a child. It's much more romantic. "Wanted" is weirder.

CS/SHH!: Was "Wanted," which has much edgier music, more fun?
Elfman: Well, they are each fun in a different way. "Hellboy" was a little more romantic and traditional, but I love paying homage to Bernard Herrmann, who for me is my master. Any time I get to do that it's a great joy. "Wanted" is like a whole other ballgame. I did a whole different thing: more synthesizers, percussion, and guitars. I had my guitar out. I was so glad that the two of them were so different.

CS/SHH!: What's the essential ingredient in your process? Do you sit down and look at the comic book sources for inspiration at all before putting the notes down?
Elfman: I just focus on the movie. All the way back with "Batman," when I started I read the comics. When I saw the movie, the movie is the movie. You could do ten different movies of the same comic, but it will be ten different scores. I learned over the years to just concentrate on the movie. If I start thinking of the comic I will start thinking of a different score. It might actually make it harder down the line. I try to blank myself out when I see the movie for the first time. I try to have nothing in my head at all preconceived. That works the best for me.

CS/SHH!: You got in on the ground floor of blockbuster comic book films, which have become a genre unto themselves.
Elfman: I know – it's interesting to see the whole thing go through the incredible growth that it's gone through. I still get to kind of drop into it every now and then, and see if I can somehow still bring something original is always a challenge. What can I do? It's fun stuff.

CS/SHH!: Are you aware of any other comics-inspired property that you'd really love to take a swing at and see what you come up with?
Elfman: Other properties have other people involved, and I don't even want to say!

CS/SHH!: Do you have a favorite among your scores for comic book inspired properties?
Elfman: I don't know – that's hard, you know? I don't know. That's like choosing [favorite] children.

CS/SHH!: How about somebody else's comic book score that you love?
Elfman: John Williams is like the champion of the whole forum. His things are in another universe, literally. There are all of us and then there is John Williams. That is how I look at him – his stuff has always been amazing. He helped really open the entire door to the very concept of big orchestral scores for this kind of genre. If it wasn't for what he did in "Star Wars" and what he did for "Raiders" and "Superman" we wouldn't still be able to do this stuff now.

Wanted opens in theaters this Friday, June 27th and Hellboy II: The Golden Army follows on July 11.

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Posted by: ryan w on June 24, 2008 at 14:30:27

I love hearing about Danny and always look forward to his themes. I can't wait!

Posted by: Ambivalence on June 24, 2008 at 14:32:15

Danny Elfman... I love this man's music.

I'm eagerly anticipating both of these scores.

Great to see him acknowledge other terrific composers as well.

Can only hope they all keep up the great work.

Posted by: Mark on June 24, 2008 at 14:40:19

yeah he's good... but you want your Musical score to become classic you get John Williams! BLAM! Elfman is a distant 2nd by comparison

Posted by: the german on June 24, 2008 at 14:49:18

you are all ****ing stupied just comment without saying first its really getting old, cant for hellboys score cause it has rammstein music in it.

Posted by: Bill on June 24, 2008 at 14:53:02

Elfman is the man, he has contributed so much to film scores. I am looking forward to Hellboy II even more now after reading this interview.

Posted by: FireFly's Enigma on June 24, 2008 at 15:11:32

Danny Elfman puts out some of the greatest scores. He knows how to match the music with the mode of the movie. I love his music on the Nightmare Before Christmas, simply amazing! I look forward to hearing what he has in store for Hellboy 2 and Wanted. The track [from Wanted] titled "Exterminator Beat" sounds very interesting

Posted by: watwoudscoobydo on June 24, 2008 at 15:23:28

ELEVENTH!!!!

Posted by: BobTheBuilder on June 24, 2008 at 15:25:36

HE'S A HACK! ALL HIS CRAP SOUNDS THE SAME!

Posted by: spideyellis on June 24, 2008 at 15:30:33

i didnt know he scored hellboy 2 aswell!
thats awsome :D

Posted by: mongoose_mania on June 24, 2008 at 16:22:51

I'll definitely be buying both these soundtracks. Thank goodness the "Wanted" soundtrack came out today, I love the song he wrote for it.

Posted by: Your Name Here on June 24, 2008 at 16:27:21

Loved his cameo in Back To School with Rodney Dangerfield!

Posted by: chuck on June 24, 2008 at 17:00:50

Long ago, Elfman had a publicity photo (back in the WEIRD SCIENCE days), right before the first Michael Keaton BATMAN movie, and you'd swear he'd have made the perfect JOKER....

Posted by: Arbies commercials suck on June 24, 2008 at 17:15:43

There was a Flash movie, when did that happen? Someone tell me when that happened.

Posted by: jake on June 24, 2008 at 17:24:28

just awsome to hear one of my all time favorite composers even talk about john williams. the master.

Posted by: speedracer216 on June 24, 2008 at 17:28:52

arbies,

they mean the tv series from 1990-91 he just wrote the theme i guess

Posted by: KILL ALL FIRSTERS on June 24, 2008 at 17:43:07

Rock on, the german. Fight the good fight. suck.it.trebek is clearly pissed that he got righteously deleted yesterday. Sucks to be suck.it.

Posted by: Reed on June 24, 2008 at 18:51:43

@ the german:

That Rammstein music was used for the TRAILER! Just like they use a lot of artists movies for trailers, then use the scores of the composer for the movies. It is proven: you are a dumba.ss

Posted by: Whatzthis on June 24, 2008 at 19:00:37

Elfman is one of the best. I fully agree with him about John Williams as champion of the forum. Its nice to still see a measure of humility when celebrities speek.

Posted by: Joe on June 24, 2008 at 19:24:52

so what both movies are crap

Posted by: Rdale cowboy on June 24, 2008 at 19:42:22

They forgot he also did the theme for "The Flash" tv show.

Posted by: the midnight bomber what bombs at midnight on June 24, 2008 at 21:29:14

His 1989 Batman score is still one of the best movie scores ever made -- ranks up there with the Star Wars scores. I'd watch a movie because Elfman was doing the score just to hear his music.

Posted by: the midnight bomber what bombs at midnight on June 24, 2008 at 21:31:49

KAF -- your whiny b1tch posts should be deleted just as much as any firster. You're just as much a part of the problem as they are :p

Posted by: blz on June 24, 2008 at 23:18:44

quick thing they also used a dimmu borgir song for the hellboy ad campaign and it went really damn well with the action parts

Posted by: PUGGDOGG on June 24, 2008 at 23:52:53

Elfman is my favourite composer, closely followed by Hans Zimmer. I like John Williams but he hasn't created anything awseome for years. Elfman should do the score to The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks. If it ever gets made.

Posted by: Dane on June 24, 2008 at 23:54:35

How could they forget to mention Darkman?

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