After Disney revealed at D23 that Marvel fans had something to look forward to during the Halloween season, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was shaken up with the announcement of the streaming-exclusive special Werewolf By Night. The project itself sparked attention because of the subject — the black and white horror feature stars Gael García Bernal (Old) as a man gathered together with a group of monster hunters, all out for the same mysterious and deadly goal: to find the imposter among them. At the same time, the title also became a must-watch because it marks internationally famous composer and Academy Award winner Michael Giacchino’s directorial debut on a high profile project.
During an extended interview with Collider, Giacchino himself talked about Werewolf By Night. On top of directing the feature, Giacchino also takes on the dual role of composer – a job he couldn’t leave behind after several years of composing world-famous scores. That’s what prompted our own Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub to ask: Would Giacchino ever direct a project in which he left somebody else in charge of the music? Giacchino responded:
“I would feel so bad for that composer. I would probably be such a pain in the butt in terms of getting very specific. I know so much in my head what I want and what that feeling needs to be. I mean, never say never. And J.J. [Abrams] and I have always talked about the fact that I think it'd be fun to have him score something I direct because J.J.'s actually quite a great composer himself and he's so good at music and I think that would be fun. I think doing something like that would be fun.”
J.J. Abrams is, of course, the director and producer who kicked back to life the two biggest sci-fi franchises in the world: Star Trek (2009) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Abrams and Giacchino have been working partners for decades: Giacchino composed the theme song for Abrams’ hit series Alias back in 2001, and then gained international fame – and awards – for composing the score for another hit series, ABC's Lost. When Abrams made the switch from directing TV episodes to movies, Giacchino kept working with his friend and composed the score for Mission: Impossible 3, Star Trek, and Super 8.
With Disney, Giacchino’s work as composer dates as far back as The Incredibles. His work on Ratatouille scored his first Academy Award nomination, and Up earned him the prize in 2010. Ever since then, Giacchino has been a frequent player when it comes to music in Pixar and superhero movies. In 2022 alone, we were treated to four major titles that featured Giacchino’s music: The Batman, Jurassic World Dominion, Lightyear, and Thor: Love and Thunder. And now, it looks like we'll be seeing even more of his work with Disney, if Werewolf by Night is any indication — still behind the camera, but now in a different capacity.
While it might be awhile before we hear Abrams contributions to a soundtrack, if Giacchino says he’s a great composer, I’m ready to hear it.
Werewolf By Night premieres on Disney+ on October 7. Here's part of our interview with Giacchino, look for a lot more with him soon.