Composer John Paesano Reveals Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Musical Secrets In The Big Score

Summary Screen Rant debuts the latest episode of The Big Score, detailing composer John Paesano's work on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

John Paesano's score for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes bridges the franchise's timeline with simplicity and unique instruments.

The composer's modern yet classic sound enhances the overall experience of watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Hollywood Records’ The Big Score series takes on the music of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and Screen Rant has a first look at the episode. The movie, directed by Wes Ball, marks another success in the Planet of the Apes franchise, earning impressive box office returns and garnering an 80% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also occupies a unique space in the franchise’s timeline and is the first in a planned trilogy of new movies.

Screen Rant is excited to offer a first look at the latest episode of The Big Score as it dives into the score for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The movie’s score was composed by John Paesano, whose other work includes the best Netflix Marvel show in Daredevil and the animated superhero epic Invincible. Take a look at the video, below, and learn how Paesano approached the newest entry in this sprawling franchise.

How John Paesano’s Music Fits Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Lore

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John Paesano’s music for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is notably different from that of other recent franchise entries like War for the Planet of the Apes, and with good reason. In the Planet of the Apes timeline, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is likely chronologically closer to the 1968 original movie than it is to its 2017 predecessor. In taking cues from Jerry Goldsmith’s work on the original Planet of the Apes, Paesano crafted a score that bridges the franchise’s century-spanning timeline.

Where Paesano especially deviates from the tone established by Goldsmith for Planet of the Apes is in the simplicity of his music. As seen in the video above, Paesano crafted themes for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes characters that were both simple in nature and brought to life through unique instruments reflecting the world of the movie. In that way, the composer was able to nod to the original movie while still writing toward the fact that music as we know it does not exist in the world of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Another way Paesano tied his music into the larger lore of the Planet of the Apes movies is by employing traditional recording techniques. As seen above, Paesano opted to record the full orchestra all at once rather than section by section. Audiences may not consciously notice the end result, but it does have an effect—recording orchestral sections together creates a more organic sound as the natural blend of the instruments is captured in real-time, rather than replicated. Ultimately, the classic-sounding yet modern score bridges Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to the most recent trilogy of movies as well as the original film.