Moonrise Kingdom is the new movie directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore). Following the much acclaimed-animated feature Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson returns to live-action filmmaking with Moonrise Kingdom. The movie will have its world-premieres as the Opening Night film of next month’s Cannes International Film Festival; and opens in N.Y. and L.A. on May 25 and in additional cities throughout June.
On May 22, days before its theatrical release, ABKCO Records will release the soundtrack to Moonrise Kingdom. Grounded in the elegiac compositions of classical composer Benjamin Britten, whose majestic choral NOYES FLUDDE ignites the film’s young lovers, Moonrise Kingdom features masterworks performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic as well as popular gems performed by French chanteuse Françoise Hardy and the legendary country troubadour Hank Williams.
As in all of Anderson’s previous films, music is an essential element and once again it is used to masterful effect. Moonrise Kingdom includes an original suite by renowned film composer Alexandre Desplat as well as percussion compositions by longtime Anderson collaborator and Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh. This soundtrack promises to be one of this year’s most interesting and compelling releases.
Set amongst the widow’s walks and Yankee traditions of 1965 New England, Anderson and co-screenwriter Roman Coppola create an incomparable tale of romance between two 12-year-olds, rogue Khaki Scout Sam and the beautiful and troubled Suzy, who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff, Captain Sharp. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader, Scout Master Ward. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban; and introduces Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as Sam and Suzy, the boy and girl.
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (Original Music) previously composed the original score for Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, which brought him his third of four Academy Award nominations.
In January 2007, Mr. Desplat won the Golden Globe Award for his score for John Curran’s The Painted Veil; he was also simultaneously nominated for his score to Stephen Frears’ The Queen. He was subsequently an Academy Award nominee for his score for the latter film. His scores for both films earned him the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Best Music award.
He has since been an Academy Award, Grammy Award, and Golden Globe Award nominee for his scores for David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech. The latter score earned him the BAFTA Award for Best Music.
Mr. Desplat is a classically trained musician, and fuses that knowledge with his love of American jazz and classic movie scores in the film scores that he composes.
He has composed the music for over four dozen European films, earning multiple César (France’s equivalent of the Oscar) Award nominations, including for scoring Jacques Audiard’s Un héros très discret [a.k.a. A Self-Made Hero], Sur mes lèvres [a.k.a. Read My Lips], and Un prophète. Mr. Desplat won the César, and a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, for scoring Mr. Audiard’s De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté [The Beat That My Heart Skipped]. He also won the César for scoring Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer.
Mr. Desplat first came to U.S. film industry attention with his score for Peter Webber’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. The latter earned him Golden Globe, BAFTA, and European Film Award nominations. His subsequent scores have included the ones for Jonathan Glazer’s Birth; Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana, for which he was again a Golden Globe Award nominee; Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution, also for Focus Features; Chris Weitz’s The Golden Compass, [The Twilight Saga:] New Moon, and A Better Life; Stephen Frears’ Chéri and Tamara Drewe; Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia; David Yates’ two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films; George Clooney’s The Ides of March; Roman Polanski’s Carnage; Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; and Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.
Moonrise Kingdom (Original Soundtrack)
1. Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic – “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34: Themes A-F”
2. Peter Jarvis and His Drum Corps – “Camp Ivanhoe Cadence Medley”
3. English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten – “‘Playful Pizzicato’ from Simple Symphony, Op. 4”
4. Hank Williams – “Kaw-Liga”
5. Trevor Anthony, Owen Brannigan, David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, Caroline Clack, Marie-Therese Pinto, Eileen O’Donovan, Chorus of Animals, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘Noye, Noye, Take Thou Thy Company'”
6. Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
7. Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 2: Smoke/Fire”
8. Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 3: The Salt Air”
9. Choir of Downside School, Purley, Emanuel School Wandsworth, Boys’ Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2: ‘On the Ground, Sleep Sound'”
10. Hank Williams – “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”
11. Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic – “Le Carnaval des Animaux: ‘Volière'”
12. Françoise Hardy – “Le Temps de l’Amour”
13. Alexandra Rubner, Christopher Manien – “An die Musik”
14. Hank Williams – “Ramblin’ Man”
15. Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten – “Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: ‘Old Abram Brown'”
16. Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe Parts 4-6: Thunder, Lightning, and Rain”
17. David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, Owen Brannigan, Sheila Rex, Caroline Clack, Marie-Therese Pinto, Eileen O’Donovan, Patricia Garrod, Margaret Hawes, Kathleen Petch, Gillian Saunders, Trevor Anthony, Chorus of Animals, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘The Spacious Firmament on High'”
18. Trevor Anthony, Chorus of Animals, Sheila Rex, David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘Noye, Take Thy Wife Anone'”
19. Leonard Bernstein & The New York Philharmonic – “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 Fugue: Allegro Motto”
20. Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten – “Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: ‘Cuckoo!'”
21. Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 7: After The Storm”