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From Marvel to Planet of the Apes: 7 Captivating Film Scores of Michael Giacchino

Musicnotes

• 4 min read
From Marvel to Planet of the Apes: 7 Captivating Film Scores of Michael Giacchino

Michael Giacchino is one of the most sought-after film composers in the industry today. For many, he is the obvious successor to the throne that was held by the great John Williams for decades. Giacchino is a prolific composer, once scoring five films in a single year. His work in film, television and video game composing has earned him worldwide recognition, and he has won numerous awards, including Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Emmys and Grammys.

Michael Giacchino Work Outside of Films

Before delving into Giacchino's extensive film compositions, it's worth taking a moment to review his work outside of the film industry. He has composed the music for many popular video games and began his relationship with famed director J.J. Abrams through work he did in television.

Video Games

In an online interview with Den of Geek, Giacchino reveals that he loves the creative freedom he is allowed when working on video game compositions, and he credits the industry with teaching him time management and to trust his own instincts.

It is tempting to look at Giacchino's career as a succession from video games to television to film, but actually, the composer has continued to work on video game compositions throughout his career. He composed the soundtrack for the video game Black by EA Games in 2023. Other notable video game contributions include these:

He has also composed music for several video games that are based on films or TV shows he composed, including Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles and Lost.

Television

It was his work in video game soundtracks that got Michael Giacchino his first television gig. Director J.J. Abrams heard Giacchino's score for the Medal of Honor games and reached out to him to compose for his spy series, Alias, in 2001.

The artistic partnership with Abrams would lead to further television work on the series Fringe and, most notably, the hit TV series Lost. Giacchino would go on to win an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for his work on the pilot episode of Lost in 2005.

Michael Giacchino Movies

While moviegoers may be aware of Giacchino's Oscar and Grammy award-winning music for Up and Ratatouille, they may not be aware of just how many of their favorite films have been scored by the composer. His resume is too extensive to look at in its entirety, but here are eight of the most well-known and celebrated Michael Giacchino movies.

1. Up

Giacchino's score for Up is a masterclass in the way in which music can shape the trajectory of a story. In particular, his composition "Married Life," which plays over the introductory story of the main character's epic love story with his deceased wife, poignantly allows the viewer to feel the old man's pain and illustrates the need for his journey back to a connection with others. Giacchino won multiple awards for his work on Up, including an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globes and two Grammys.

2. Ratatouille

Giacchino scored Ratatouille in the same year as Up. With the score of Ratatouille, Giacchino created a sound that was part modern pop music and yet somehow inescapably French. His compositions are integral to the creation of the world of the film. He won a Grammy for Best Score.

3. Star Trek (2009)

Giacchino not only created an original score that was epic enough for the scale of this Star Trek, but he made the brilliant decision to respect fans by incorporating the score from the original series into his work.

4. Spiderman: Homecoming

Comic book fans are some of the most passionate fans out there, and Spiderman is one of the fandom's favorite characters. Along with Tom Holland's wonderful portrayal of Peter Parker, Giacchino's music captures the humor and angst of the young superhero's journey in Homecoming with a nod to the classic 1960s theme song.

5. The Batman

Michael Giacchino created the perfect soundscape for director Matt Reeves' darker, grittier Gotham story, The Batman. He steered away from the typical sweeping orchestration of most superhero movies and created a score as dark, cold and tragically hopeless as the movie's visuals.

6. Rogue One

Those who are not fans of this score dislike it for the same reason that some dislike the film itself. It is more intimate, more personal and significantly more tragic than any other Star Wars film. Giacchino manages to honor John Williams' original score while creating a score that embraces its emotional themes in Rogue One.

7. JoJo Rabbit

This tragic satire is like a dark fairy tale, and Giacchomo's score plays a large part in guiding viewers down the twisting path of JoJo Rabbit. His music is sometimes whimsical but manages to make sure the viewer never forgets the horrors of the Nazi Regime.If you are inspired to try and recreate some of the brilliant music from Michael Giacchino movies, Musicnotes has an extensive collection of piano sheet music for compositions such as "Married Life" and "The Batman.'' If you are a beginner, Musicnotes collections include selections of easy piano versions to get you started.