Danny Elfman

After opening weekend box office earnings of approximately $35 million and a hefty production budget of $150 million, Joe Johnston's The Wolfman has its tail tucked somewhat between its legs. Reviews for Universal's remake of the 1941 classic have been mixed, which comes as almost no surprise, after such a troubled production history--including delays, reshoots and editorial changes. The film's score was originally being done by movie maestro Danny Elfman, but Universal swapped him for former Tangerine Dream member, Paul Haslinger (Near Dark) and then ran back to Elfman. As a Moog mogul I was curious about Haslinger's crack at the score and Shock recently posted a sample of his work on their site, which you can listen to after the jump.

Granted, it is hard to imagine Haslinger's harsher sounds completely befitting of the classic, Gothic backdrop of Wolfman, but was Elfman's score really that much more amazing? I recognize Elfman's ability as a composer and like all composers he sounds, well, like himself--but he hasn't delivered something that blew me away in quite some time. Yep, I said it. I think Danny Elfman is regurgitating the same score over and over again and I'm expecting the same old stuff in the upcoming Burton flick, Alice in Wonderland. And while we're at it, Burton has managed to become a total ADD, snooze fest all at once. Bring on the hate.

Listen to Haslinger's clip after the jump. [update: it looks as though the folks at AICN have debunked this story. read on for more info!]

I was actually getting excited about former Tangerine Dream member Paul Haslinger's score for Universal's remake of The Wolfman. I've liked the band since the days of yore when a boyfriend gave me a tape of some of their early hypno-Moog tunes. Like many people, I revisited their work through the soundtracks they did for films like Legend and Near Dark. Well it seems that Universal has asked Danny Elfman back, after announcing last November that Haslinger would be replacing Elfman for unknown reasons. Since the film has been plagued by a number of issues including delays, reshoots and editorial changes this announcement really comes as no surprise.

Shock Till You Drop delivered the news that Elfman's (incomplete) score is making a return. Since Elfman is currently working on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, Universal has tapped composer Conrad Pope to help finish the job. Pope worked with Elfman on Sleepy Hollow so he's familiar with the maestro's methods.

Will this movie ever make it out on time? Does anyone else love Danny Elfman's score for Mars Attacks! as much as I do? Does The Wolfman really just need more theremin to make it all better?

As if a massively disappointing delay in release date wasn't bad enough, the upcoming Wolfman remake has suffered yet another setback. Dread Central, by way of Cinemusic, is reporting that legendary film composer Danny Elfman is off the project and Paul Haslinger will be taking his place. Technically the word is that "scheduling conflicts" are to blame, but if you buy that nonsense I have a case of werewolf repellent I would love to sell to you. The film opens in February and I am honestly supposed to believe that Elfman plumb forgot he had a previous engagement? Or that he wouldn't be in the final stages of putting the music together anyway? The damn thing was supposed to come out this week. No, this reeks of studio politics and publicity malarkey.

How can you replace Danny Elfman with a guy whose biggest score credit to date is Crank?! Wait, Crank? There was music in Crank? Here's a little tip for Universal, if you are aiming for an old-school horror flick to bring class and glamor back to both the genre and your studio, bailing on Danny Elfman in favor of a guy whose credits include Vacancy and Death Race is not the right move. If I hear one more person bitch about Elfman's scores all sounding the same I may bite their jugular. It's not like John Williams went through a freaking experimental techno phase, but that doesn't mean he isn't a great composer. Elfman understands how to create an exciting, gothic landscape with music that perfectly heralds a classic horror atmosphere. His dismissal from this project, if that is in fact what happened, effectively downgrades this film from something I was highly anticipating to something about which I feel tremendous consternation. But that's just me.

Full story at Dread Central