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IMDbPro

John Debney

  • Composer
  • Music Department
  • Soundtrack
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John Debney
Watch The Jungle Book- Behind The Scenes Interview with Composer John Debney
Play demo reel1:52
The Jungle Book- Behind The Scenes Interview with Composer John Debney
6 Videos
17 Photos
John Debney's career seemed destined for Hollywood, the son of Disney Studios producer Louis Debney, John grew up in nearby Glendale, California where he got early inspiration for film and music growing up on the Disney Studio lot. The child of two musicians, John showed an early aptitude for music and began guitar lessons at age six, later playing in rock bands throughout college. Debney earned his B.A. in Music Composition from California Institute of the Arts in 1979, and after four years immersing himself in the business at Disney Studios, Debney made a professional entry into the industry, composing for TV, working with Steven Spielberg and Mike Post on shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tiny Tunes, and Sea Quest DSV. Debney continued his hands-on training, working with Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtin, and went on to score major television projects such as which he won an Emmy for Best Main Title.

Debney's first big film break came in 1997 with an offer to work on Liar Liar with director Tom Shadyac. With the success of this blockbuster comedy under his belt, Debney went on to work on a variety of different major films including Elf, Iron Man 2, Spy Kids (1 & 2), and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Debney and Shadyac continued to collaborate, going on to do Bruce Almighty in 2003 and the spinoff Evan Almighty together. In 2005, Debney formed a successful partnership with director Robert Rodriguez, creating scores for his movies Sin City and Machete.

Although Debney was widely known within the industry as a versatile and talented composer, the world wouldn't discover him until he composed the landmark score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Enticed by the idea of working on a project that held deep, spiritual meaning for him, Debney's score, which blended symphonic orchestra, a wide range of world instruments, and the beauty of the human voice, connected on an emotional level with viewers and listeners, and rose to #1 on Billboard's charts for Soundtrack and Christian Albums, and #19 on the Billboard Top 200. The record was certified gold by the RIAA and won the Dove award for Best Instrumental Album, as well as garnering Debney an Oscar nomination.

Shortly after the movie release, Debney premiered "The Passion of the Christ Symphony" in Rome, Italy, a highly successful performance featuring an 83-person choir and a 96-piece orchestra, plus solo musicians and guest vocalists from both the film and the classical worlds, which received a 15-minute standing ovation from the audience. In the tradition of classical composers, John Debney enjoys conducting his own work and has conducted some of the world's greatest orchestras. "A big part of the joy in what I do is that I consider it an honor to stand in front of live musicians and have the opportunity to hear my music played by these talented people."

Debney's most commercially successful work to date is Disney's live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau, released in 2016. Debney credits the success of the movie to the fact that both the film and the score, "Embraced the history" of the original. Long-time collaborator, Jon Favreau and John Debney have worked on a variety of films together including Elf, Zathura, Iron Man 2, and The Jungle Book. Among John Debney's other most recent works are scores for Draft Day, Stoneheart Asylum and History's Emmy-nominated Hatfields & McCoys as well as the History's most recent mini-series Houdini, and A&E mini-series Bonnie & Clyde.

Considered one of the most prolific and successful composers in Hollywood, Debney has won 3 Emmy's and been nominated for 7, he is also an Academy Award nominee, and the youngest recipient of ASCAP's prestigious Henry Mancini Lifetime Achievement Award.
BornAugust 18, 1956
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BornAugust 18, 1956
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  • Nominated for 1 Oscar

Photos17

John Debney at an event for Chicken Little (2005)
John Debney at an event for New Year's Eve (2011)
John Debney
John Debney
John Debney and Alan Silvestri
John Debney at an event for Chicken Little (2005)
John Debney
John Debney
John Debney, composer of the film's original score for the film's songs
John Debney
John Debney at an event for Chicken Little (2005)
John Debney, Marilyn Bergman, and Mark Snow

Known for

Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Neel Sethi in The Jungle Book (2016)
The Jungle Book
7.4
  • Composer
  • 2016
Rebecca Ferguson, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Radu Spinghel, Ilia Jessica Castro, Zac Efron, Martha Nichols, Christina Glur, Shannon Holtzapffel, Zendaya, Keala Settle, Jonathan Redavid, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Luciano Acuna Jr., Daniel Everidge, Skylar Dunn, Timothy Hughes, Cameron Seely, Sam Humphrey, Yusaku Komori, and Danial Son in The Greatest Showman (2017)
The Greatest Showman
7.5
  • Composer(score by)
  • 2017
Jim Caviezel in The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The Passion of the Christ
7.2
  • Composer
  • 2004
Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Paul Bettany, Clark Gregg, Scarlett Johansson, Garry Shandling, and John Slattery in Iron Man 2 (2010)
Iron Man 2
6.9
  • Composer
  • 2010

Credits

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IMDbPro

Composer

  • Under the Boardwalk
    • Post-production
  • Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Lily Tomlin in 80 for Brady (2023)
    80 for Brady
  • The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021)
    The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
  • Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Doug Jones, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, and Whitney Peak in Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
    Hocus Pocus 2
  • Simon Pegg and Eva Noblezada in Luck (2022)
    Luck
  • Scott Grimes, Penny Johnson Jerald, Seth MacFarlane, Peter Macon, Adrianne Palicki, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, and Halston Sage in The Orville (2017)
    The Orville
  • Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, and Maluma in Marry Me (2022)
    Marry Me
  • Giovanni Michael Abate in Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021)
    Clifford the Big Red Dog
    • (music by)
  • The Adventure Mania
    • (additioinal music by)
  • Archie Yates in Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
    Home Sweet Home Alone
    • (music by)
  • American Underdog (2021)
    American Underdog
    • (music by)
  • Madalen Mills in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
  • Asteroid Hunters (2020)
    Asteroid Hunters
  • Britt Robertson and K.J. Apa in I Still Believe (2020)
    I Still Believe
  • Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo in Come Away (2020)
    Come Away
  • Lake of Death (2019)
    Lake of Death

Music Department

  • The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection
    • Pre-production
  • Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Doug Jones, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, and Whitney Peak in Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
    Hocus Pocus 2
  • Scott Grimes, Penny Johnson Jerald, Seth MacFarlane, Peter Macon, Adrianne Palicki, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, and Halston Sage in The Orville (2017)
    The Orville
  • Archie Yates in Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
    Home Sweet Home Alone
  • Madalen Mills in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
  • Predator: Buck Fever (2020)
    Predator: Buck Fever
  • Benicio Del Toro, Danny Trejo, Eugenio Derbez, Isabela Merced, Madeleine Madden, and Jeff Wahlberg in Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)
    Dora and the Lost City of Gold
  • Oh! Squints III (2018)
    Oh! Squints III
  • Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike in Beirut (2018)
    Beirut
  • Rebecca Ferguson, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Radu Spinghel, Ilia Jessica Castro, Zac Efron, Martha Nichols, Christina Glur, Shannon Holtzapffel, Zendaya, Keala Settle, Jonathan Redavid, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Luciano Acuna Jr., Daniel Everidge, Skylar Dunn, Timothy Hughes, Cameron Seely, Sam Humphrey, Yusaku Komori, and Danial Son in The Greatest Showman (2017)
    The Greatest Showman
  • Doctor Who Online Adventures (2009)
    Doctor Who Online Adventures
  • Andrew Garfield in Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
    Hacksaw Ridge
  • John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Seann William Scott, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, and Jessie J in Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
    Ice Age: Collision Course
  • Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Neel Sethi in The Jungle Book (2016)
    The Jungle Book
  • Isabel Lucas and Nick Jonas in Careful What You Wish For (2015)
    Careful What You Wish For
  • The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)
    The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Soundtrack

  • Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, and Kyle Allen in Rosaline (2022)
    Rosaline
  • Owen Wilson, Tara Strong, Tom Hiddleston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Wunmi Mosaku in Loki (2021)
    Loki
  • Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
    The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
  • Archie Yates in Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
    Home Sweet Home Alone
  • Britt Robertson and K.J. Apa in I Still Believe (2020)
    I Still Believe
  • Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant in Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
    Santa Clarita Diet
  • Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond in The Grand Tour (2016)
    The Grand Tour
    • (uncredited)
  • Watch Dogs 2 (2016)
    Watch Dogs 2
    • (uncredited)
  • John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Seann William Scott, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, and Jessie J in Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
    Ice Age: Collision Course
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
  • Hollywood in Vienna 2019: A Night at the Oscars & A Tribute to Gabriel Yared (2019)
    Hollywood in Vienna
  • Anna Friel in American Odyssey (2015)
    American Odyssey
    • (uncredited)
  • Megan Follows, Rachel Skarsten, and Adelaide Kane in Reign (2013)
    Reign
    • (uncredited)
  • Kate Beckinsale, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and Jim Sturgess in Stonehearst Asylum (2014)
    Stonehearst Asylum
  • Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton in Hatfields & McCoys (2012)
    Hatfields & McCoys
    • (uncredited)
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos6

The Jungle Book- Behind The Scenes Interview with Composer John Debney
Demo Reel 1:52
The Jungle Book- Behind The Scenes Interview with Composer John Debney
John Debney on his first professional job as a composer
Demo Reel 7:22
John Debney on his first professional job as a composer
Blu-ray Marv List
Featurette 0:49
Blu-ray Marv List
Blu-ray Kevin
Featurette 0:44
Blu-ray Kevin
Blu-ray Villains Montage
Featurette 0:27
Blu-ray Villains Montage
Blu-ray Cars Montage
Featurette 1:08
Blu-ray Cars Montage

Personal details

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  • Official sites
    • Bandcamp
    • Facebook
    • August 18, 1956
    • Glendale, California, USA

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Composed the music for the "Phantom Manor" ride at Disneyland, Paris.
  • Quotes
    I hate, hate being on a movie set. It takes about 5 hours just to light the thing.
    • Often composes music for comedy movies

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