David Arnold Currently Working on VDT Score

David Arnold tweeted seven hours ago that he is currently in the process of working on the score for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He writes, “I am now deep into the Wardrobe ( or in this case, the Painting) in Narnia.Looking gorgeous…..lots to write,going to be epic.” We’re looking forward to it!

64 Responses

  1. King_Cor_the_Great says:

    Yes first person!

  2. Aslan's Meadow says:

    The Soundtrack is my favorite thing (next to the movies).
    CAN'T WAIT!!
    Doesn't the soundtrack come out before the movie? Or while it is in theaters?

  3. Pepper Darcy says:

    YES! I AM SOOOOO BUYING THIS SOUNDTRACK! I CANNOT WAIT! WHOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

  4. fantasia_kitty says:

    Depends on what the studio wants to do. Usually it's in the range of two weeks before to two weeks after the movie's release in theaters.

  5. GlimGlum says:

    Looking forward to David's score. I am sure it will be a major asset to VDT and will contribute to its success. I will definitely get the soundtrack if it is even close to his Stargate score. 🙂

    Sail on VDT!

  6. Bookwyrm says:

    Hopefully it will be better than the last two scores.

  7. Narnian Meerkat says:

    Oooooooooo!!!!!!!!! Can't wait!!!!! I really do hope it's going to be EPIC!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE do a good job David Arnold!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. Narnian Meerkat says:

    I don't know about you guys, but I am PLANNING to get the soundtrack AFTER I see the movie. Cause I don't want to spoil the music in theaters. It will be AWESOME!!!!!

  9. Aravis & Hwin says:

    I can't wait to get the soundtrack!!! The books, movies, and soundtracks are my favorite Narnia items! I really enjoyed the last two soundtracks and can't wait to hear how David Arnold does the music.

  10. The Batman says:

    I'm curious to see how much of the themes from the previous two movies Mr. Arnold incorporates. (if any) Can't wait to hear the music!

  11. Starlily says:

    I hope David Arnold tries to be a little more original and varied with this soundtrack. I liked the LWW music, but I wish they hadn't used the same theme over and over. And it was pretty redundant in PC too. But I still liked the old Narnia music, and I'm really looking forward to the new stuff! I hope it IS epic, because that's what VDT kind of is. Go for it, David! 🙂

  12. icarus says:

    I never really cared much for Harry Gregson Williams' score in the first two movies. "Narnian Lullaby" was the only piece which i felt ever really came close to greatness, the rest was either distinctly average or outright awful. Likewise on Prince Caspian, there were only a handful of moments where he successfully managed to echo the previous themes in a subtle way, for the most part it was just note-for-note repeat of the first score. Very disappointing. I have absolutely no doubt that David Arnold will be able to do better.

  13. Lucy says:

    I'm surprised the score isn't DONE yet. I mean the movie only has five or six months till its release, one would think they'd pick up the pace…

  14. Eliseo says:

    ooh Epic.. I like the sound of that a lot!

  15. Andreya of Narnia says:

    I hope so too. 🙂 Not only do I like things to be consistent, I also love the theme songs that Harry Gregson Williams wrote. :)Keep the story of Aslan alive!

  16. Bookwyrm says:

    Scoring has to be done late in the movie-making process. You can't score a movie if the footage hasn't been edited into a movie yet.

  17. Mary says:

    Hey! Hugh Marsh will play??

  18. HighQueen_Of_LanternWaste says:

    I loved the music for both LWW and PC, I hope he keeps the same sort of feel but adds a bit something new of his own. Very excited to hear the soundtrack!

  19. Violamom says:

    I think he'll do a fantastic job…I loved his work on "Amazing Grace" (which Michael Apted also directed). They make a good team. Really looking forward to this. 🙂 <><

  20. Skandar4Lyfe says:

    the soundtrack is my favorite part of the movies too!!
    i can't wait!!

  21. violetfirekrazed says:

    WHAT HAPPENED TO HARRY GREGSON WILLIAMS?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!? *freaks out and hyperventilates*

  22. Bookwyrm says:

    It was known Dave Arnold would be scoring this movie before they even started filming. As for HGW, glad he's gone. His scoring was mediocre at best.

  23. Quinlin says:

    In my opinion Dave Arnold has a lot to stand up to in order to match the magnificent and sheerly magical scores Harry Gregson Williams wrote for the previous two Narnia films. I absolutely adore the soundtracks for LWW & PC and hopefully will feel the same for VDT. I am definitely certain that Dave will not let us down, but am still disappointed Harry will not be composing again! His unique Narnian music style will definitely be missed by me!

  24. CEP Paul T says:

    I have no business being a music critic. That said, I firmly believe Mr Arnold's score has the potential to be absolutely magical. 🙂 No doubt, I did not dislike the first two scores. I will make a judgment when I see VDT.

  25. I wonder what the music will be like when they on the lilies. Oh, I can only imagine.

  26. aravis tarkeena says:

    I absoloutly loved the scores from the first two movies. I have them both on my iPod and I think they are just like the theme of Narnia. I'm not discouraged that David's composing, I just hope he keeps the Narnian themes.

  27. Aliea says:

    It's only 150ish days till the movie and he's just /Now/ writeing the score? 😕 …. ok….

  28. Aliea says:

    He did the score for "Amazing Grace"? awesome, then i know he's good 😀 !

  29. Lucy says:

    Hmm, that does make sense.

  30. CEP Paul T says:

    Yep. That is normal.

  31. Lucy says:

    I disagree, I thought HGW's score was really pretty-I liked it.

  32. Jeremy says:

    When Howard Shore was replaced on the movie King Kong, James Howard had to write 150 minutes of music in only 5 weeks. Now that's crazy!

  33. coracle says:

    I'm sure he isn't actually "just writing" it, but turning themes, melodies and musical motifs into fully fledged dramatic accompaniment for this film.
    I hope he will make skilful use of the themes from LWW/PC (without labouring the point that he is reincorp-ing it).
    It's very interesting to see the diverse views here on PC/LWW music – quite polarised!

  34. Knight of the Lion says:

    I have allways thought that Harry Gregson-Williams did a pretty good job with the Soundtracks for the first two films. It will be interesting to see if David Arnold simply picks up where Harry left off, or if he will take a totally different aproach.

  35. TigerPole says:

    StarLilly, you are sooo right! I LOVED the LWW soundtrack, and the way it went with the film! Absolutely beautiful! But using basically the same soundtrack for PC was a little strange, but ok. I watched PC a few days ago ( I was able to say which scene from LWW a lot of the music came from! ) but I realized, that PC isn't such a bad movie after all! At first I didn't really like it, I won't lie, but now I find myself enjoying it! I'm not much of a fan of the PC book, so I think they actually did a very nice job with the movie!
    That doesn't have much to do with the soundtrack, but I had to say it!!!

  36. narnian resident says:

    im really hoping he will do as wonderful of a job as Harry Gregson-Williams. Harry did such a brilliant job, so im kinda sad that he's no longer the composer, but this guy did the movie Amazing Grace so that gives me hope. i really liked that movie and its music. soundtracks are my favorite thing about movies. i always listen very closely to the soundtrack when i watch movies. its like a whole thing in itself, and the movie just wouldnt be complete without it 🙂

  37. narnian resident says:

    yes i agree. the thing i loved about PC's music is that they brought back the themes from LWW, even the White Witch's theme, if you noticed. and then they had awesome new themes for new characters like Caspian and Reepicheep. ohh! i really really hope David Arnold keeps that really awesome french horn theme for Reep, i would love him for that! that was my favorite theme from PC.

  38. narnian resident says:

    Howard Shore did King Kong? no wonder i liked its music so much, cuz he did Lord of the Rings and thats my favorite soundtrack. he is really good.

  39. narnian resident says:

    oh yes, im anticipating the music during that scene. i bet it'll be very enchanting and mysterious, just like the lily lake.

  40. narnian resident says:

    same here. i just loved that movie, and it gives me high hopes and confidence in both David Arnold and Michael Apted.

  41. QueenLucy12 says:

    I loved HGW music for narnia! I hope that David can do an AMAZING Job on VDT! I am SOOOO getting the soundtrack!!! and I didn't really like LWW and PC music were almost the same. But anyway HGW is a great composer.

  42. narnian resident says:

    yes, a movie composer's work is often very difficult, cuz they change scenes and do rewrites and stuff, so they have to keep changing what they wrote and stuff. Howard Shore, when he did Lord of the Rings, was very stressed when he composed its music cuz they did soooo many rewrites and changes during filming that he was constantly having to rewrite and change the music to fit the scenes. i cant imagine how annoying that must be. thats why they wait until filming is done, and then they do the music.

  43. The Batman says:

    I LOVE Reep's horn theme, too! 🙂

  44. elanor says:

    YAY! I've been waiting to hear about the score!!! So excited!

    Yes, while I liked the music for the first two movies and listen to it all the time, I definately felt like it could have been so much more magical and deep and inspiring. I think that a movie and it's music are inseparably intertwined. And I feel I can (not always :)) tell what kind of movie it is and going to be by the music, if it is written by someone who really knows his stuff.

    It's so fun to hear David Arnold's comment–it sounds like he's having a great time! And being a musician myself, I think I can say that if a musician is writing his own music (and if he is a perfectionist) and is saying that he is happy with his music, that is extremely encouraging!!

  45. elanor says:

    My favorite section of Howard Shore's music from LOTR is in the Fellowship of the Ring. It is when Sam stamps recklessly into the water after Frodo, sinks when he can't swim and then Frodo reaches down to save him–that is my favorite out of the whole three movies. It's not bombastic and grand like the rest of the movie, and the harmony in the string sections is heart-wrenching. Just love that part!

  46. pselpevensie says:

    can't wait to hear it!!!!!!!!!!!

  47. Me too! The only spoilers I will see are, all the trailers, posters, & clips! I know David Arnold did "The Musketeer" from 2001. Hopefully, he will be good.

  48. Howard Shore didn't do King Kong, he got replaced. Sad. 🙁
    @elanor: I like that part too, but I like the "bombastic & grand parts the best. It makes it seem very glorious. i.e.: The Lighting of the Beacons, Gondor themes, especially the Minas Tirith one, Rohan, etc. But I my absolute fav themes are the Shire, all themes of the Elves, Rohan phanfare, & Bilbo's birthday music (Flaming Red Hair by Plan 9). Man, I wish Howard Shore would do the music, or even Hans Zimmer. BTW, I have all 3 The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Recordings. Everything's in it, even stuff that's not on the Extended DVD movie.

  49. Yeah, I love Reep's horn, also! I also like it when Georgie Henley imitates it in the DVD commentary! 🙂

  50. Interesting use of phrase: "I thought HGW’s score was really pretty." Because, as many others have noted, much of it really was the exact same score, spread out over two films. 😛

    That is probably why I rarely listen to the "Prince Caspian" score; so much of it is repeated verbatim, with only a few instruments removed. (This is especially noticeable in the Sorcery and Sudden Vengeance scene, though it would make sense to recall hints of the Witch's battle music, the composer reused almost all of it!)

    However, though it's not my all-time favorite soundtrack ("The Lord of the Rings" is the best, and it does not share power) I still enjoy "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" score. My wife and I even used the coronation themes in our wedding.

  51. The Batman says:

    lol yeah when Georgie starts singing it it's so funny! 🙂

  52. Fire Fairy says:

    The Prince Caspian soundtrack came out a few weeks before, but since it's Fox this time, that's no indication of when it'll be released.

    I love the soundtracks as well!

  53. Fire Fairy says:

    Actually, while a lot of themes from LWW were used in PC, to a musician's ear, they are drastically different. PC had a very different feel from LWW. I think the main reason a lot of the themes from LWW were used was to give the movie a nostalgic feeling, a sense of times past and memories lost.

  54. Fire Fairy says:

    I have to disagree as well. I listen to both scores regularly and have found that they are very different from each other, while still both "sounding" like Narnia. Perhaps it's because I'm a musician, though, and can tell the difference, because my family members also think it sounds all the same. Hmmm…something to think about…

  55. Bookwyrm says:

    He isn't just repetitious in the Narnia scores. Every score he does sounds the same. It's like listening to John Williams' scores and hearing Star Wars in all of them.

  56. Lord of Cair Paravel says:

    My concerns exactly!

  57. TigerPole says:

    @Fire Fairy. I meant the themes of course! I wasn't paying all that much attention to the music, although it plays a HUGE part in the movie. I was more focused on trying to enjoy the film!

    Please don't think you are the only musician on Narniaweb. I have studied and played the piano for 8 or 9 years! Do you play piano maybe? That would be fun! I play other things as well, but I enjoy playing piano best! What's your favorite instrument? I hope to hear back from you soon!

  58. TigerPole says:

    @Fire Fairy. Maybe I should have said that I could hear where the music ORIGINATED from LWW!? Instead of that I could here where some of the music actually CAME from in LWW.

  59. TigerPole says:

    Sorry! Typo! I meant (wow do I say that a lot?) HEAR instead of here

  60. TigerPole says:

    Really? Amazing Grace was SO well done! I had realized that Michael Apted was the director, but I never made the connection with Mr. Arnold! Cool!