If you've watched any blockbuster film in the last decade, chances are you've heard the music of composer Michael Giacchino. The Oscar winner has put together quite the prolific résumé throughout his career, contributing his talents to a variety of Pixar films, Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline, Doctor Strange, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It's easy to see why he's so in-demand, since he's long shown a knack for crafting cues that set the tone for a scene and connect with the audience. Giacchino's work on Rogue One was particularly impressive, seeing that he had just four weeks to complete the soundtrack. He continues to line up high-profile gigs, with War for the Planet of the Apes and Spider-Man: Homecoming coming through the pipeline in 2017.
Rogue One wasn't the first time Giacchino worked in a classic sci-fi franchise best known for the themes of John Williams. Last year, he was the composer for the mega blockbuster Jurassic World, which has a sequel on track for a 2018 release. Jurassic World 2 is mixing things up a bit in the creative team with J.A. Bayona helming the followup, but there will be one constant between the two films. Giacchino will be handling the music for the next dinosaur adventure.
The news comes courtesy of THR, who did a short Q&A with Giacchino. Their post covered his upcoming projects, and the next Jurassic installment is among the list. This is not the most surprising development, seeing that Giacchino has frequently scored multiple entries in popular series. He's been behind all three modern Star Trek movies and two Mission: Impossible films. Giacchino has become a frequent collaborator of Colin Trevorrow, director of Jurassic World and 2017's The Book of Henry (which Giacchino is also composing). Trevorrow co-wrote the Jurassic World 2 script and is producing the movie.
It will be interesting to see how Giacchino approaches the sequel, which is said to be darker in tone when compared to its predecessor and have themes of animal abuse and political undertones. With Bayona's "dark side" being a main reason why he was brought on, Jurassic World 2 probably won't be a non-stop amusement park thrill ride like the first one was. Still, Giacchino should be a strong fit for the project. Hollywood tentpoles are very much his wheelhouse, and he has dealt with more serious-minded blockbusters before - like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Rogue One. He should be able to create suitably ominous and unsettling cues to complement the rousing main theme and whatever tracks play with the inevitable set pieces.
After working under the gun on Rogue One (where he filled in for the departed Alexandre Desplat), Giacchino will most definitely appreciate having a far more normal schedule for Jurassic World 2, which is currently scheduled for June 2018. Hopefully the added time gives him an opportunity to come up with a new hummable melody that enthralls audiences. In today's era of temp scoring, Giacchino is as prone as anyone to some repetition, but he's still proven he's one of the best composers working today. Chances are, he delivers another rousing soundtrack.
Source: THR
