Walt Disney Animation Zootopia lands composer Michael Giacchino
Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino marks his first-ever feature collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios for next spring’s big-screen adventure Zootopia. Featuring an 80-piece orchestra and conductor Tim Simonec, Giacchino’s score is being recorded this week.
“In a world as vast as Zootopia, we needed someone who could deliver a score that can feel exotic and powerful, but also provide that same emotional intimacy,” said director Byron Howard. “We tell stories with images, Michael tells stories with music. ‘Zootopia’ is a massive film with deep emotional themes running throughout the story, and Michael was the perfect choice to bring the music of this extraordinary animal world to life.”
Added director Rich Moore, “Zootopia is a thriving metropolis inhabited by animals from around globe, and Michael’s music has captured a wonderful international spirit that marries perfectly with the visuals. I’m very excited for audiences to experience this incredible new world we’ve created together.”
According to the composer, the score is very diverse instrumentally. “There are flavors of world music sprinkled in everywhere. But at its core, the score always follows the emotional story of Hopps and Nick.”
Giacchino’s credits feature some of the most popular and acclaimed film projects in recent history, including Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out, The Incredibles and Ratatouille, as well as Jurassic World, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. His score for Disney•Pixar’s 2009 feature Up earned him an Oscar, a Golden Globe, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award and two GRAMMY Awards.
“The process of working with Michael is unique in that it doesn’t feel like a process,” said Moore. “It feels more like visiting with a childhood friend. We started by talking about the film—the themes, the tone, the characters, the emotional moments. We talked about what inspired us, and our hopes for the movie. And from those conversations, Michael began building the score. When we listened to his work together, an amazing thing happened. Michael somehow took those conversations and turned them into music. It’s creative collaboration, pure and simple.”
Said Giacchino, “We’ve had a lot of fun working together and the directors have been wonderfully supportive of me throughout the entire process, giving me an incredible amount of freedom to really explore the tone and emotional side of the story.
“I am really proud to be a part of this film,” continued Giacchino. “It’s one of those films with a huge heart and wonderfully realized characters set within a story that’s not only incredibly fun and entertaining but takes an honest look at our own world and the important issues we deal with living in such a diverse society. That’s what really attracted me to the film—the chance to write music that reflects these kind of challenges.”
Added Howard, “Michael approaches composing from an intuitive, emotional place that’s so completely personal to him, but at the same time, his themes and musical storytelling are completely universal. You fall in love with the music the instant you hear it.”
Zootopia opens March 4, 2016.
(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios)
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured: Judy Hopps. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Judy, Bonnie, and Stu Hopps. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – RAINFOREST DISTRICT. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – TRAIN STATION. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Mr. Big. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Judy Hopps & Clawhauser. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Assistant Mayor Bellwether & Mrs. Otterton. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Mr. Big. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R) Mayor Lionheart, Assistant Mayor Bellwether. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured: Judy Hopps. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Chief Bogo, Judy Hopps. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured: Gazelle. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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RELUCTANT PARTNER -- Fast-talking, con-artist fox Nick Wilde is not really interested in helping rookie officer Judy Hopps crack her first case. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, and produced by Clark Spencer, Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia" opens in theaters on March 4, 2016. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured: Judy Hopps. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – Pictured: Chief Bogo. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – TUNDRATOWN. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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A WORLD FOR BIG AND SMALL — Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia" features a vast world where humans never existed. With advanced transportation systems that accommodate mammals of all shapes and sizes, the modern mammal metropolis was built by animals for animals. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, and produced by Clark Spencer, "Zootopia" opens in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2016. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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MR. BIG — The most fearsome crime boss in Tundratown, Mr. Big commands respect—and when he feels disrespected, bad things happen. A small mammal with a big personality, Mr. Big is voiced by Maurice La Marche. Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia" opens in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2016. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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A NEW VIEW — Unlikely partners Judy Hopps, Zootopia's first bunny cop, and Nick Wilde, a con-artist fox, find themselves riding high above the modern mammal metropolis while working together to solve a mystery. Featuring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde, Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia" opens in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2016. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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SUPERSTAR — Revered worldwide by herds of fans, Zootopia's biggest pop star Gazelle is a socially conscious celebrity with equal parts talent and heart. Shakira lends her Grammy®-winning voice to the phenom. Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia" opens in U.S. theaters on March 4, 2016. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – ASSISTANT MAYOR BELLWETHER, a sweet sheep with a little voice and a lot of wool, who constantly finds herself under foot of the larger-than-life Mayor Lionheart. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – (Left) BONNIE HOPPS, mother of Judy—and her 275 brothers and sisters. Mrs. Hopps loves and supports her daughter, but is a hare nervous about Judy moving to Zootopia to become a big-city police officer. (Right) Judy's father, STU HOPPS, a carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow. Along with Mrs. Hopps, he is worried about Judy moving to Zootopia and the untrustworthy big-city mammals who live there—especially foxes. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – CHIEF BOGO, head of the Zootopia Police Department. A tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude, Bogo is reluctant to add Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s first bunny cop, to his squad of hardened rhinos, elephants and hippos. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – The Zootopia Police Department’s most charming cheetah, BENJAMIN CLAWHAUSER. Clawhauser loves two things: pop star Gazelle and donuts. From his reception desk, he greets everyone with a warm smile and a helpful paw—covered in sprinkles. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – DUKE WEASELTON, a small-time weasel crook with a big-time weasel mouth, who tries to give Judy the slip during a police chase. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – FINNICK, a fennec fox with a big chip on his adorable shoulder. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – FLASH, the fastest sloth working at the DMV—the Department of Mammal Vehicles. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – JUDY HOPPS, an optimistic bunny who’s new to Zootopia’s police department. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – MAYOR LEODORE LIONHEART, the noble leader of Zootopia, who coined the city’s mantra that Judy Hopps lives by: “In Zootopia, anyone can be anything." ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – MRS. OTTERTON, a desperate otter who turns to Officer Judy Hopps for help in solving her husband’s mysterious disappearance. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – NICK WILDE, the scamming fox who Judy reluctantly teams up with to crack her first case. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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ZOOTOPIA – YAX THE YAK, the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia. When Judy Hopps is on a case, Yax is full of revealing insights. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
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