Composer Dan Romer reunite with Cary Fukunaga for Bond 25

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2019-07-02

Having previously scored the soundtracks to Beasts of No Nation (2015) and Maniac (2018) for director Cury Fukunaga, Dan Romer is an interesting choice and a perfect fit for Bond 25 with his quirky, eclectic unpredictability.

IndieWire reporter and FSWL reader Bill Desowitz wrote the following on July 2, 2019:

‘Bond 25’: Composer Dan Romer to Reunite with Director Cary Fukunaga to Shake Up the Franchise [Exclusive]

The search for a “Bond 25” composer has ended with the perfect choice: Dan Romer, who provided offbeat, eclectic scores for director Cary Fukunaga’s trippy Maniac series and haunting Beasts of No Nation feature. IndieWire has learned that Romer will soon reunite with Fukunaga on “Bond 25,” currently shooting in London.

There had been speculation that the director might tap Oscar-winner Justin Hurwitz (forming a Team Damien Chazelle triumvirate with cinematographer Linus Sandgren and editor Tom Cross) or franchise vet David Arnold, who brilliantly scored Daniel Craig’s first two Bond outings, Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008).

But after glimpsing last week’s tantalizing Jamaican sizzle reel with the spicy temp track, “Boom Shot Dis” by Kully B & Gussy G, it became clear that Romer could provide the right musical ingredient for “Bond 25” (which was nearly titled “A Reason to Die” ). That’s because Romer excels at finding the appropriate vibe with quirky, eclectic unpredictability. And that’s in sync with Fukunaga’s reel, which was luscious, dark, and frenetic. His message was clear: Bond in Jamaica is still hot, hot, hot!

While Bond has slipped into comfortable solitude, soaking up the Jamaican scenery, old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) comes calling, as does sultry MI6 agent Nomi (“Captain Marvel’s” Lashana Lynch). The respective encounters in the sizzle reel are a case of neon meets noir, which hints at a fresh visual palette for Craig’s last mission as Bond. It’s apparently about genetic engineering with Rami Malek as the latest baddie. Judging from composer Romer’s previous work, though, his eclecticism will come in handy.

The challenge of scoring Bond, of course, has always been about bending but not breaking the rules established by John Barry. Arnold was successful in launching the Craig era, but it was more of a struggle for Thomas Newman on Skyfall (2012) and SPECTRE (2015). He was out of his comfort zone when it came to action, and it showed on Spectre when he leaned heavily on his Skyfall themes. And it didn’t make it any easier with director Sam Mendes adding more touches from the Connery era.

But imagine Romer musically shaking up the Bond franchise. He could be as bold as Fukunaga allows, experimenting with strange sounds and haunting themes. And the fact that the film is set in Jamaica, Italy, Norway, and London should play to the composer’s versatility. Plus, there’s no reason why exotic flavor can’t punctuate the action scenes with location-specific instrumentation. As for the iconic Bond theme, Romer can make use of Arnold’s familiar version while offering his own unique twist.

For the latest official announcements on Bond 25, visit the official website.

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Composer Dan Romer reunite with Cary Fukunaga for Bond 25

‘Bond 25’: Composer Dan Romer to Reunite with Director Cary Fukunaga to Shake Up the Franchise [Exclusive]

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