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IMDbPro

James Newton Howard

  • Music Department
  • Composer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
James Newton Howard
Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love is a music-infused cinematic journey about the power of one man's voice to inspire millions.
Play trailer2:45
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love (2008)
2 Videos
12 Photos
James Newton Howard attended the University of Southern California's music school, but dropped out to tour with Elton John, and eventually compose music for film and television. He started with Head Office (1985) in 1985. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. He currently is a songwriter, record producer, conductor, keyboardist, and film composer.
BornJune 9, 1951
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJune 9, 1951
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 9 Oscars
    • 78 wins & 120 nominations total

Photos12

James Newton Howard and Emma Smetana in DVTV (2014)
Composer James Newton Howard (left) and Latin jazz legend Arturo Sandoval (center left) collaborated with Sonnenfeld (center right) and producer Tom Jacobson (right).
Acclaimed composer James Newton Howard, who has scored more than 65 feature films and earned six Academy Award® nominations, wrote the sweeping, emotion-filled score.
Composer James Newton Howard
Elton John and James Newton Howard at an event for Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
James Newton Howard at an event for Defiance (2008)
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard at an event for Batman Begins (2005)
Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, and Jeff Robinov at an event for Batman Begins (2005)
Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard at an event for Batman Begins (2005)
Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, and Christopher Nolan at an event for Batman Begins (2005)
James Newton Howard at an event for Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Known for

Andy Serkis and Naomi Watts in King Kong (2005)
King Kong
7.2
  • Composer
  • 2005
Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, and Chin Han in The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight
9.0
  • Music Department(piano, uncredited)
  • 2008
Will Smith, Kona, and Abbey in I Am Legend (2007)
I Am Legend
7.2
  • Music Department(uncredited)
  • 2007
The Village (2004)
The Village
6.6
  • Composer
  • 2004

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Music Department

  • The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
    • conductor, music producer
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • The Fall Guy
    • conductor, song: music composed and conducted by
    • Post-production
    • 2024
  • Christmas Bells
    • orchestrator
    • Pre-production
    • TV Movie
    • 2024
  • Willow (2022)
    Willow
    • main themes by
    • TV Series
    • 2022–2023
  • Lily Collins in Emily in Paris (2020)
    Emily in Paris
    • theme music composer
    • composer: original theme music
    • TV Series
    • 2021–2022
  • Jude Law, Dan Fogler, Mads Mikkelsen, William Nadylam, Alison Sudol, Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Ezra Miller, Victoria Yeates, and Callum Turner in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
    Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
    • score producer
    • 2022
  • EXTRAS-The Hunger Games
    • music
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2020
  • The Truffle Hunters (2020)
    The Truffle Hunters
    • music: Sundance Lab Fellows & Community
    • 2020
  • Michelle Pfeiffer, Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elle Fanning, Ed Skrein, and Harris Dickinson in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
    Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
    • composer: music themes (uncredited)
    • 2019
  • A Hidden Life (2019)
    A Hidden Life
    • score producer
    • 2019
  • Tobias Bastian Them Burø, Bastian Lars Andreasen, Vigga Rohweder, and Morgan Batchelor in BaseBoys (2018)
    BaseBoys
    • music
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Richard E. Grant, Eugenio Derbez, Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Misty Copeland, and Jayden Fowora-Knight in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
    The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
    • score producer (uncredited)
    • 2018
  • Johnny Depp, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ashley Jensen, Matt Lucas, James McAvoy, Stephen Merchant, Emily Blunt, Julio Bonet, and Eve Webster in Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
    Sherlock Gnomes
    • music consultant
    • 2018
  • Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow (2018)
    Red Sparrow
    • score producer
    • 2018
  • James McAvoy in Split (2016)
    Split
    • composer: theme from "Unbreakable"
    • 2016
  • Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
    The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
    • score producer (uncredited)
    • 2015
  • Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)
    The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
    • score producer (uncredited)
    • 2014
  • Tobey Maguire in Pawn Sacrifice (2014)
    Pawn Sacrifice
    • score producer
    • 2014

Composer

  • Pain Hustlers
    • Composer
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • All the Light We Cannot See
    • Composer
    • Post-production
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2023
  • The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
    • Composer
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • Willow (2022)
    Willow
    • Composer
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • George Lucas in Light & Magic (2022)
    Light & Magic
    • Composer
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2022
  • Jude Law, Dan Fogler, Mads Mikkelsen, William Nadylam, Alison Sudol, Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Williams, Ezra Miller, Victoria Yeates, and Callum Turner in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
    Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2022
  • Paul Giamatti, Dwayne Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Edgar Ramírez, Emily Blunt, and Jack Whitehall in Jungle Cruise (2021)
    Jungle Cruise
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2021
  • Alan Tudyk, Benedict Wong, Gemma Chan, Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Thalia Tran, and Izaac Wang in Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
    Raya and the Last Dragon
    • Composer (original score by)
    • 2021
  • Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel in News of the World (2020)
    News of the World
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2020
  • Lily Collins in Emily in Paris (2020)
    Emily in Paris
    • Composer
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Thierry Genovese in Cine Chalom (2019)
    Cine Chalom
    • Composer (music by)
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2020
  • The Last Ice (2020)
    The Last Ice
    • Composer
    • 2020
  • A Hidden Life (2019)
    A Hidden Life
    • Composer
    • 2019
  • Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Dan Fogler, William Nadylam, Alison Sudol, Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Claudia Kim, Zoë Kravitz, Ezra Miller, and Callum Turner in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
    Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2018
  • Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Richard E. Grant, Eugenio Derbez, Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Misty Copeland, and Jayden Fowora-Knight in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
    The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2018
  • Allison Trammell, Chris R. Notarile, Brian C. Chenworth, Marshall Foster, and Tim Younger in Saved (2018)
    Saved
    • Composer
    • Short
    • 2018
  • Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow (2018)
    Red Sparrow
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2018
  • Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)
    Roman J. Israel, Esq.
    • Composer (music by)
    • 2017

Soundtrack

  • Paul Giamatti, Dwayne Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Edgar Ramírez, Emily Blunt, and Jack Whitehall in Jungle Cruise (2021)
    Jungle Cruise
    • Soundtrack ("Nothing Else Matters")
    • 2021
  • Diminishing Returns (2016)
    Diminishing Returns
    • writer: "Buggin'"
    • Podcast Series
    • 2021
  • Eustachy Da Niero and Stanislaw Szymkiewicz in Forfiter (2021)
    Forfiter
    • performer: "Head Towards The Animals"
    • Short
    • 2021
  • Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington, and Keegan-Michael Key in The Prom (2020)
    The Prom
    • writer: "You Were Jealous"
    • 2020
  • Diminishing Returns Diminisodes (2017)
    Diminishing Returns Diminisodes
    • Soundtrack ("Theme from The Hunger Games")
    • Podcast Series
    • 2020
  • Pose (2018)
    Pose
    • writer: "Everything"
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, and James McAvoy in Glass (2019)
    Glass
    • performer: "Goodnight", "Mr. Glass", "Falling Down"
    • writer: "Goodnight", "Mr. Glass", "Falling Down" ("David at Home", "Joseph Parking Lot", "Joseph Leaves Casey Arrives", "David and Elijah Speak", "Joseph and David")
    • 2019
  • Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Richard E. Grant, Eugenio Derbez, Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Misty Copeland, and Jayden Fowora-Knight in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
    The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
    • producer: "The Nutcracker Suite", "When You Wish Upon A Star"
    • 2018
  • Kayla Sturgeon and Sean Barlow in The Hunger Flames (2018)
    The Hunger Flames
    • performer: "Katniss", "Incoming Bombers", "The Games Begin", "Horn of Plenty", "Mockingjay Graffiti", "Muttations", "Jamming the Capitol", "Katniss Afoot", "The Fog"
    • writer: "Katniss", "Incoming Bombers", "The Games Begin", "Horn of Plenty", "Mockingjay Graffiti", "Muttations", "Jamming the Capitol", "Katniss Afoot", "The Fog"
    • Short
    • 2018
  • Star Wars Ep 6: The Last Laser Master (2018)
    Star Wars Ep 6: The Last Laser Master
    • performer: "Tarawa"
    • Video
    • 2018
  • The Footy Show (1994)
    The Footy Show
    • writer: "Theme from ER" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • DVTV (2014)
    DVTV
    • music: "The Hanging Tree"
    • performer: "The Hanging Tree"
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • Octavia Spencer and Sam Worthington in The Shack (2017)
    The Shack
    • performer: "Bobby Wins"
    • writer: "Bobby Wins"
    • 2017
  • Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)
    The Simpsons
    • writer: "Theme from ER" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • James McAvoy in Split (2016)
    Split
    • performer: "Unbreakable"
    • writer: "Unbreakable"
    • 2016
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos2

The Dark Knight Project
Full Movie 14:47
The Dark Knight Project
Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love
Trailer 2:45
Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • Alternative names
    • James Howard Newton
  • Height
    • 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
  • Born
    • June 9, 1951
    • Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Spouses
      Sofie Lena BarronApril 25, 1992 - present (2 children)
  • Relatives
      Jim Howard(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Wrote original music for the theatrical trailer of Batman Begins (2005).

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Although he scored the two first Batman films from Christopher Nolan's reboot, along with Hans Zimmer, he turned down the opportunity to score The Dark Knight Rises (2012), as he felt that Nolan and Zimmer make a better partnership than the three combined.
  • Quotes
    I wish I had some great words of advice. The only advice I have ever been able to give anybody is to focus on writing music, and if you're writing a movie score particularly, don't worry about the picture. Just write great music and the rest will take care of itself.
  • Trademarks
      Never conducts his own music

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