In AFRAID, Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family’s behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way.
Also starring Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, Ashley Romans, Greg Hill, Riki Lindhome, Wyatt Lindner, Isaac Bae, Todd Waring, and David Dastmalchian, with Keith Carradine, check out the new trailer.
Directed and written by Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY and THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON), the film is produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Andrew Miano.
When single father Max (John Cho) discovers he has a terminal disease, he decides to try and cram all the years of love and support he will miss with his teenage daughter Wally (Mia Isaac) into the time he has left with her. With the promise of long-awaited driving lessons, he convinces Wally to accompany him on a road trip from California to New Orleans for his 20th college reunion, where he secretly hopes to reunite her with her mother who left them long ago. A wholly original and emotional journey, Don’t Make Me Go explores the unbreakable, eternal bond between a father and daughter from both sides of the generational divide with heart and humor along for the ride.
Watch the trailer now for DON’T MAKE ME GO.
Directed by Hannah Marks, the cast includes John Cho, Mia Isaac, Mitchell Hope, Jemaine Clement, Stefania LaVie Owen, Kaya Scodelario.
DON’T MAKE ME GO will release globally on Prime Video July 15, 2022 and have it’s World premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
As October hurtles past the midway point, many folks are experiencing a feeling of dread, one that’s not from worrying over having enough candy for the trick-or-treaters or if your party costume is too scary or sexy (or not enough of either). Nope, it’s because the really frightening events are happening just weeks later. Yes, it’s Thanksgiving, the first of the two big year-end family get-togethers, a day to revel in homecomings and making memories as you pass the stuffing and cranberry sauce (drat, almost left it in the fridge again). But for some of us, it can be an endurance test as old wounds are re-opened (and often liberally salted). One source of heated conversations post meals and pre-football is the political scene. Mom may try and nix that talk, but it settles in like indigestion. With the dining room simmering and smoldering with tension, what would happen if the government, as the old expression goes, decided to toss gasoline on the fire? That’s the premise of a new flick that doesn’t feel that far removed from the current climate. In this story the day after the feast is not focused on shopping, but rather on the final day of THE OATH.
So, what is this source of controversy? The “Patriot’s Oath” is merely a single sentence: “I pledge my loyalty to the president and my country, and vow to defend them from enemies, both foreign and domestic”. You caught the word “loyalty”, right? Just four words in, so it’s definitely a “loyalty oath”. That’s what really disturbs thirty-something middle married middle-class couple (and parents of adorable daughter Hardy) Chris (Ike Barinholtz) and Kai (Tiffany Haddish). Actually, they’re horrified at this event, and despite the press secretary’s assurance of a “tax break” for those who sign, the two believe that all will come to their senses long before the “signing” deadline that’s months away, on “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving. Flash forward to Thanksgiving Eve Eve. The Oath deadline is still happening, and now it has its own squad of “enforcers”, a subset of Homeland Security called the “Citizens Protection Unit”, whose main “goal” is to make sure nobody is prevented from signing up by Friday. But Chris has more immediate concerns as he closes up the office of his “citizens’ action” bureau. His family, parents, and siblings, will be converging on their home for the big feast. Chris’s mom Eleanor (Nora Dunn) and dad Hank (Chris Ellis), are a bit stodgy, but more middle of the road, hoping to keep politics off the Dinner table. Oh oh, there’s brother Pat (Jon Barinholtz), a fervent ultra-right-winger, who sees nothing at all wrong with the Oath. And he brings along his current girlfriend Abbie (Meredith Hagner), who’s even further to the right, boasting of how she likes to “stir up s#*t” on the internet. But luckily there’s the mellow sister Alice (Carrie Brownstein) who shares some “herbal relaxers” with Chris while her hubby (Jay Duplass) rides out a nasty stomach bug in one of the guest bedrooms (and bathrooms). On the street and at a restaurant they witness the rising tensions that lead to altercations, as reports of CPU crackdowns fill the cable news channels. On the big “turkey day” tempers explode when an iconic Civil Rights senator is hauled away in shackles. The big meal is a big bust. But things go from bad to even worse the next day, when Chris returns home from an errand to find two CPU officers, Peter (John Cho) and Mason (Billy Magnussen), waiting for him in his den. Turns out that Pat let them in (“They’re just like cops, right?”). Peter says that they got an anonymous call that Chris was keeping someone from signing the Oath. If Chris will just take a drive with them, Peter’s certain they can “work things out”. Ah, but the spirit of those radical 1960’s is strong in Chris. And thus begins a long and truly bleak, black Friday.
In most films, we could easily point to Ike Barinholtz’s Chris as the “hero” of the story. Protective of his family and his ideals, Chris should be the “voice of reason” for the audience, but Ike makes him complex. Sure, he’s in the “right” most of the time, but he can also be arrogant and self-righteous to the point of aggravation and annoyance. When the “stuff” hits the fan, he’s “flailing about’ mentally and physically, a “smart” guy that’s just as dumb as those he denigrates. Happily, Ike has a great chemistry with Haddish who breaks away from her “party-gal” persona she created with her stand-up comedy and breakout role in GIRLS TRIP. Her Kai is an equal partner to Ike’s Chris, but more, she’s his moral compass and grounding force. Though she may agree with Chris, Kai will not let his stubborn streak endanger the life they have made. The two are a most believable team, particularly in the opening flashback that’s playfully sexy. The other Barinholtz, Jon as brother Pat, matches Chris for pure belligerence, plus an entitled “frat-boy” attitude. And he’s got the perfect mate in Hagner’s Abbie, whose hair-trigger (she goes into a blind rage each time Chris forgets her name) acerbates any minor altercation into a major “throw down”. Abbie is a sneering harpy for the new century. At the other end of the spectrum is Brownstein as the reasoning, calming “Earth mother” whose cool demeanor finally crumbles from dealing with both Pat and Chris. And then there are the two “interlopers” brought into the “safe space” for the suspense-filled second act. Causing more of a conundrum are the two distant personalities of the duo, a riff on the classic “good cop/bad cop”. Cho’s Peter is a new-age “Joe Friday”, there to do his job with the most professionalism. He can assess the “feel” of the room, and will not allow himself to take any of Chris’s insults personally. Cho plays him as the “caring counselor really wanting to help. Then there’s Mason, played with “off-kilter” menace by Magnussen. He’s the “wild card” who seems to be hoping for an altercation in order to finally get his hands “dirty”. As Peter tries to mediate, Mason is seething, his teeth grinding under his perfectly-trimmed ‘stache, ready to abuse and enforce. All the while, the heads of the family, played with numbed bewilderment by Dunn and Ellis, fretfully try to restore the peace. Mom and Pop are pretty powerless in this suburban “powderkeg”.
This is the feature film directing debut for Ike Barinholtz after helming episodes of TV’s “The Mindy Project”, and it’s his second feature script after CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE along with writing for “Mindy” and “MADtv”. That sketch comedy background has served him well, as he’s come up with a bit of satire that pushes reality ever so slightly. In interviews, he’s said that the idea came to him after the last big election, but the film doesn’t come off as a lecturing screed, more as an “off the wall” “what if” combined with “Griswald-like” comedy chaos and conflict. This “else-world” Ike has fashioned feels not far removed, even with its street “flare-ups’ and awkward TV press conferences. The set-up is clever, but the big “pay off” is often too coarse and clumsy. T-day’s feast is quickly mired in a torrent of “f-bombs” (really, two minutes of “F you” “No, f you” and so on) and screaming through clenched teeth over the yams and peas. With the violence and blood, the CPU showdown may be the reason that many (mostly the marketing folks) are comparing this to the politically-inspired horrors of THE PURGE and GET OUT (not in the same cosmos really), but it never maintains any momentum, stopping and starting, till everything is wrapped up far too neatly with a tidy, convenient bow before the end credits. Ike’s idea might have made for an engaging extra-long TV skit or even an hour-long comedy special, but THE OATH turns into an exhausting, irritating 93-minute mess. This I swear (but not as much as the cast).
SEARCHING is a high-concept thriller presented with a unique sort of found footage gimmick. The entire film unfolds exclusively on screens: Skype, broadcast TV news shows, Facebook, YouTube videos, Videocast, instant messaging, Google searching, etc. Yes, we’ve seen this before (the UNFRIENDED franchise and OPEN WINDOWS), but it’s done well here and mostly works as a compelling mystery told through the modern technology and social media devices we use every day.
SEARCHING opens with a series of google calendar entries and videos sadly chronicling the death of a young wife and mom from cancer (shades of the opening of UP). A few years later the dad David (John Cho) and daughter Margot (Michelle La), now 16, enjoy a close relationship, texting each other several times a day and keeping a date to watch The Voice together. Late one night, Margot calls David in the middle of the night, and the following day he retrieves her missed calls, but can’t reach her. Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing), a sympathetic single parent herself, is assigned to the missing person case, but when the investigation stalls, David cracks into his daughter’s laptop to help put the puzzle pieces together through cyberspace. Rummaging through her texts and favorite sites, he finds a disturbing side of a daughter he never knew. She’d been skipping her piano lessons and using that money mysteriously. We learn the seemingly straight-laced Margot was more unstable and deeply affected by her mom’s death than David realized.
SEARCHING timely gimmick makes for narrative limits, but also helps ground the movie in a mostly believable premise that keeps you guessing. It’s impressive how committed the movie, directed by Aneesh Chaganty, is to its all-screens format, even down to its soundtrack. If there were inorganic elements, I didn’t spot them. I did spot some implausible twists and plot points though (the girl is missing from an suburban lake for just five days and she’s not only declared officially dead, but they have a funeral for her!), but to its credit, the story is engrossing, the audience does want to see how the (admittedly trashy) mystery plays out, and the father-daughter dynamic at the film’s center seems real. John Cho gives a strong central performance as the grieving dad and Joseph Lee is good as his shady brother. The weak link is Messing, whose stiff performance can’t be blamed on the ridiculous way she’s tied into the story’s twists. SEARCHING is a flawed but surprisingly decent flick, and the unique on-screen framework gives the narrative a little extra punch.
David Kim’s daughter is missing. He can’t find out where she is until he finds out who she is!
SEARCHING doesn’t open until August 31st, but lucky St. Louisans can see it in advance! We Are Movie Geeks is giving away passes for an advance screening on August 23rd.
For a pair of tickets, all you have to do is add you name and email in our comments section below.NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is often overbooked to assure a full house.
After David Kim (John Cho)’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.
From the producer of UNFRIENDED (Timur Bekmambetov) comes the brand new trailer for Sundance 2018 hit SEARCHING, starring John Cho and Debra Messing.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired worldwide rights to the thriller at a reported $5 million after it’s debut at the festival.
After David Kim (John Cho)’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.
The film was met with glowing reviews from Sundance earlier this year:
Variety – ““Search” is one of those movies, like “Tarnation” or “The Blair Witch Project,” so unique in its approach that Sundance can only program something of its kind once before the gimmick gets old — in this case, a taut missing-persons investigation that unfolds entirely on computer screens. Good thing then that first-time feature director Aneesh Chaganty has concocted such an exceptionally clever riff on that idea.”
Hollywood Reporter – “what Chaganty and his team have pulled off here is something both novel and accomplished.”
Screen Daily – “by unleashing one narrative misdirection after another — teasing the audience and David about whether Margot is dead — Search in its own way milks potential tragedy for escapist entertainment. It’s why Cho’s empathetic portrayal is so important: he’s the beating heart of a film that can be coldblooded in its construction.”
COLUMBUS is not a film about the Italian explorer but about an American city named for him. No, not Columbus, Ohio, but the lesser-known Columbus, Indiana. This small Midwestern city is home to a surprising number of buildings designed by big names in mid-century Modern architecture, such as Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei, Deborah Burke, Harry Weese and others.
St. Louisans might recognize Eero Saarinen as the designer of the Gateway Arch but architecture buffs will know those names are some of the biggest of the Modern style of architecture. If you are a fan of mid-twentieth century architecture, or of Columbus, Indiana, then COLUMBUS is the film for you. But even if not a fan of either, viewers might give this thoughtful, beautifully-shot if slowly-paced indie drama a look.
In the film COLUMBUS, a couple find themselves walking around the city of Columbus, Indiana, discussing life and architecture, as examples of its many mid-century modern building serve as backdrop.
The film is sort of in the style of BEFORE SUNRISE, in which Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy walk around Paris and talk. There are more characters involved in COLUMBUS’s story and more consequential things happen in the end, but there is a comparable serious mindedness. In that other film, the focus was less on the city itself but this one integrates architecture into the plot and make is a central focus.
Cho plays Jin, the estranged son of a famous Korean professor of architecture, who falls seriously ill shortly after arriving in Columbus, Indiana, where he is supposed to give a lecture. Jin meets a young librarian, Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), who grew up in Columbus but is resisting pressure from friends to move away to go to college, She loves Columbus’ modern architecture and takes the skeptical Jin, who says he is not an architecture fan, on a tour.
Jin may not be a fan but he does know something about architecture. Further, Jin is at loose ends, since his father’s colleague Eleanor (Parker Posey), who had been traveling with him, has had to return home. Her departure leaves Jin on his own waiting for his father’s condition to stabilize enough to take him back to South Korea. But Jin is not eager to spend his days at the hospital with his unconscious father, so he and Casey walk around town, look at buildings, and talk, sometimes about their lives, sometimes about architecture.
The director is clearly interested in mid-century architecture and, of course, the film was shot on location. Director, writer, editor Kogonada offers a love letter to Modernist architecture and the city of Columbus in this bitter-sweet indie romantic drama. Kogonada,who was born in South Korea but grew up in the Midwest, makes his narrative film debut with COLUMBUS but the director was already well-respected for his video clip compilation short films, or supercuts, and his essays on film making.
Cho and Richardson turn in fine performances as Jin and Casey, a pair of adult children still struggling with issues with a parent, his father and her mother. The story, centered on those concerns and their growing bond, is well-written. Kogonada’s drama is languidly-paced and meditative, focused on the obligations and relationship of grown children to their parents, as well as architecture. There is a little cross cultural element as well but generally the story is universal. Cho’s Jin has conflicted feelings about the father he is estranged from but Richardson’s Casey struggles with her own issues with her fragile working-class mother Maria (Michelle Forbes). Parker Posey is excellent as Eleanor, who serves a sort of confident for Jin, much as does Casey’s co-worker at the library Gabriel (an appealing Rory Culkin). Separation from a parent, though moving away or death, are looming topics throughout.
If one is a fan of modern architecture, the film has plenty of eye-candy, packed with long views down glass corridors, beautifully composed shots under concrete archways, soaring slim shapes against blue skies, and low-slung glass and concrete structures set in green lawns. Throughout, Elisha Christian’s cinematography is excellent, even making the modest home Casey shares with her mother look good. Every shot seems perfectly framed, like paintings. The music, by Hammock, adds a dreamlike touch to the film.
Sometimes it is like paging through Architectural Digest circa late 1950s. A couple of the houses mentioned or visited were designed by Eero Saarinen, but the Miller House gets a featured role, appearing in several scenes.
One’s degree of interest in mid-century architecture is one gauge of interest in this film. While I am interested in architecture, I must admit I am not much a fan of mid-century modern, as trendy as it is. Still, mid-century modern is wildly popular and COLUMBUS shines a spotlight on the many fine examples of that architectural style this little-known small city contains.
For fans of its Modernist architecture, COLUMBUS is a visual treat but others may find its serious, thoughtful story just as engaging.
The multiplex has been all about a certain science-fiction feature film franchise of late. I’m speaking of all the hoopla last December with the release of STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS (and it’s started up again for the stand alone flick ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY). And the year before that, 2014, the big buzz was about the new planet-hoppin’ series from Marvel Studios, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (a sequel touches down next May). Somehow, the grand-daddy (or maybe the older uncle) has been neglected. Star Trek has been drifting in the cinema cosmos for over three years. In 2009 Paramount Studios recruited J.J. Abrams to reboot the films with younger versions of the characters from the original TV show (and first seven features). Four years later they were back, with Abrams directing once more, for STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS. Soon after its release, he was whisked into that galaxy far, far away. So, what of Kirk and company? Abrams has stayed on as a producer, but the directing reins have been handed off to a film maker best known for another very successful film franchise, Justin Lin, the man behind most of those FAST & FURIOUS flicks. Can Lin handle starships after years with “muscle cars”. The result, STAR TREK BEYOND, beams onto big screens today.
As we revisit Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), he’s had a trying day at the office (his office being outer space). After a failed diplomatic mission with a testy alien race, he’s feeling “burnt out”. Three years into that fabled “five-year mission”, he feels his time on the starship Enterprise has become “episodic” (clever!). Neither a cocktail (secret scotch) with the ship’s MD, ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban), nor his upcoming birthday (he’ll be older than his father, the late Captain George Kirk, ever was) can cheer him up. Maybe a stopover at the Federation station Yorktown will help. Upon arrival, we see that the romance between Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) has soured. While the crew enjoys “shore leave”, Kirk meets with Commodore Paris (Shohreh Aghdashloo) to discuss his request to be promoted to vice-admiral and allow Spock to helm the Enterprise. But before any of this can happen, Yorktown security encounters a desperate alien in a battered space vessel. Her ship was attacked and her crew were taken prisoner on a planet protected by an unstable nebula. Kirk immediately volunteers his ship and crew. But things go badly when they are engulfed by a swarm of small hostile fighters. After a very rough landing, the crew is separated with many captured by the brutal mastermind known as Krall (Idris Elba), who is assembling a weapon that can destroy all life on the Federation’s united planets.
With the third outing, this talented cast slips into this iconic roles like sliding into a pair of comfy ole’ slippers. Mush of that pressure from the 2009 reboot is gone along with a need to mimic the original players. Pine tones down the swagger (not the stud of the galaxy here) to give us a hero at a crossroads, unsure of his future until duty steers him into “hero” mode. Kirk is a decisive man of action, almost a father figure to a crew that seems more like an extended family. Of course he’s got two brothers to help shoulder the burden. Quinto’s Spock learns to accept “illogical” humans more this time around, clueing us into his sly amusement via a raised eyebrow. This is evident as he frustrates the delightful Urban as the constantly agitated and worried “country” doctor. Happily the two are paired up for much of their time on the hostile planet, letting us enjoy this new interpretation of a classic comic “team”. Saldana is tender (in her romance with the unsteady Spock) and very tough, often rescuing her would-be rescuers. Simon Pegg uses his superb comedy timing to convey the fear and confusion of the pessimistic master engineer Scotty. John Cho projects an air of confidence as the cocky “space jockey” (maybe trying to bluff himself more than the captain). And the late, great Anton Yelchin is all youthful enthusiasm as he recites lotsa’ pseudoscience jargon at near light speed. He’ll be missed on the next “mission” (Abrams has said that the role will not be recast). As for the new additions, Sofia Boutella (the razor-legged hit-woman of KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE) is fierce and formidable as the exotic warrior Jaylah, an escaped planet prisoner who aids Mr. Scott. These impressive heroes need an equally impressive villain, and Elba superbly fills the bill as the brutish overlord Krall. An air of danger engulfs him and his many victims, as Krall drains the life out of the captured, like an unstoppable alien vampire (shades of LIFEFORCE!), as he spits out threats concerning the most hated Federation (the story’s big mystery).
Director Lin keeps the action racing along (a F&F callback!) making for a brisk two-hour action epic. The main problem may be that action, as most of the space battles are cut in such a frenetic fashion, that we often have problems following the flow and direction of the sequences. At least he’s not emulating Abram’s penchant for “light flares”, although many shots could use a bit more illumination. Another distraction is the constant camera movement through every opening of the ships and settings, like a “GoPro” camera strapped to a souped-up drone. We’re careening down a hallway, then up a wall, and now we’re upside-down (for mere seconds). It’s too often disorienting and the serviceable 3D doesn’t help, even in the bright sunlight of Yorktown, an M.C. Escher influenced shiny metropolis The true strength of this film is the original script by Doug Jung and a multi-tasking Mr. Pegg (now a true “geek god”). While the last entry was shackled to (one of the best of the film series) STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, this story can soar with no ties to former flicks or TV episodes. Perhaps the greatest part of this franchise (although the other “star” series and the Marvel Studio films come close) is the sense of family, the close-knit bond between these characters. The stellar menaces aren’t as interesting or as compelling as the interplay between this talented ensemble. Their affection for each other and their roles comes through with every glance, even as they’re dodging debris and laser blasts. It’s not all good-natured “joshing”, though. There are reflections on mortality that will make even the most casual Trek fan misty eyed. It’s the true human (and Vulcan) emotions that stick with us more than dozens of piranha-like missiles. Much better than the previous adventure, STAR TREK BEYOND reminds us why this little “failed” TV show has been part of our culture for fifty years. Here’s to many more “stardates”.
Check out images and video from the premiere of STAR TREK BEYOND at San Diego Comic-Con.
The premiere featured the first ever outdoor IMAX screening as well as Academy Award®-Winning Composer Michael Giacchino’s thrilling film score performed live-to picture by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.
(L-R) Actors Chris Pine, John Cho, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zachary Qunito, Justin Lin, Zoe Saldana, Sofia Boutella and J.J. Abrams pose together at the world premiere of the Paramount Pictures title “Star Trek Beyond” at Embarcadero Marina Park South on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
(Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
Actor Idris Elba attends the world premiere of the Paramount Pictures title Star Trek Beyond at Embarcadero Marina Park South on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)
Composer Michael Giacchino speaks onstage at the world premiere of the Paramount Pictures title ìStar Trek Beyondî at Embarcadero Marina Park South on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images)
A fireworks and laser display is seen during the world premiere of the Paramount Pictures title ìStar Trek Beyondî at Embarcadero Marina Park South on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Varèse Sarabande will release the STAR TREK BEYOND – Music From The Motion Picture digitally worldwide on July 22, on CD July 29 (U.S. and Canada) and rest of the world on August 5, 2016. The album features original music by Michael Giacchino (ZOOTOPIA, STAR TREK, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS).
Star Trek Beyond, the highly anticipated next installment in the globally popular Star Trek franchise, created by Gene Roddenberry and reintroduced by J.J. Abrams in 2009, returns with director Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious franchise) at the helm of this epic voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her intrepid crew. In Beyond, the Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
“To me it feels like an episode of the original series, but on a much grander scale. The crew is now on their five-year mission embarking on a completely new emotional journey than we have previously seen, ” said Giacchino. “It’s been a chance to create a new musical landscape for the film that reflects both hope and exploration.”
Composer Michael Giacchinohas credits that feature some of the most popular and acclaimed film projects in recent years including Zootopia, Inside Out, Jurassic World, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and MissionImpossible: Ghost Protocol. Giacchino’s 2009 score for the Pixar hit UP earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award and two GRAMMY® Awards.
Giacchino began his filmmaking career at the age of 10 in his backyard in Edgewater Park, New Jersey, and eventually went on to study filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. After college, he landed a marketing job at Disney and began studies in music composition, first at Juilliard and then at UCLA. From marketing, he became a producer in the fledgling Disney Interactive Division where he had the opportunity to write music for video games.
After moving to a producing job at the newly formed DreamWorks Interactive Division, he was asked to score the temp track for the video game adaptation of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Subsequently, Steven Spielberg hired him as the composer and it became the first PlayStation game to have a live orchestral score. Giacchino continued writing for video games and became well known for his Medal of Honor scores.
Giacchino’s work in video games sparked the interest of J.J. Abrams, and thus began their long-standing relationship that would lead to scores for the hit television series Alias and Lost, and the feature films Mission Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8 and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Additional projects include collaborations with Disney Imagineering on music for Space Mountain, Star Tours (with John Williams) and the Ratatouille ride in Disneyland Paris. Giacchino also was the musical director of the 81st Annual Academy Awards®. His music can be heard in concert halls internationally with Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Ratatouille films being performed live-to-picture with a full orchestra.
Star Trek Beyond, directed by Justin Lin, marks Giacchino’s third film in the franchise, and will be released this summer. Upcoming projects include Colin Trevorrow’s The Book of Henry and his first Marvel film, Dr. Strange, helmed by Scott Derrickson.
Giacchino serves as the Governor of the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and sits on the advisory board of Education Through Music Los Angeles.
Paramount Pictures presents STAR TREK BEYOND in theaters, REAL3D and IMAX 3D on July 22, 2016. Varèse Sarabande will release the STAR TREK BEYOND – Music From The Motion Picture digitally on July 22, on CD July 29 (U.S. and Canada), and August 5, 2016 (rest of the world).
Check out the final trailer for STAR TREK BEYOND featuring the new song, “Sledgehammer” from Rihanna.
Starring Idris Elba, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Karl Urban, STAR TREK BEYOND is coming to cinemas on July 22, 2016.
STAR TREK BEYOND, the highly anticipated next installment in the globally popular Star Trek franchise, created by Gene Roddenberry and reintroduced by J.J. Abrams in 2009, returns with director Justin Lin (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise) at the helm of this epic voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her intrepid crew.
In BEYOND, the Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
Directed by Justin Lin, the third film in the franchise series is produced by J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Lindsey Weber, and Justin Lin; and executive produced by Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Tommy Harper. Based upon “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry, the screenplay is written by Simon Pegg & Doug Jung.
