New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ CineMedia Promotions) Sony Classical is pleased to announce the release of the original motion picture soundtrack of Hercules, composed by World
Soundtrack Award nominee Fernando Velázquez. Directed by
Brett Ratner, the film stars Dwayne Johnson in the title role alongside Ian McShane, John Hurt and
Rufus Sewell. The soundtrack will be available digitally on July 22 and on CD August 5.
Velázquez is a Spanish-born orchestral music, television and film composer, as well as an accomplished cello player who has played in various orchestras. In 2010 he was selected to create symphonic works for the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. Velázquez composed the award-winning soundtracks for The Impossible, starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, and Guillermo del Toro's The Orphanage for which he was nominated for The World
Soundtrack Award. His other credits include M. Night Shayamalan's The Devil, Guillermo del Toro's Mama, BackWoods starring Gary Oldman and
Savage Grace starring Julianne Moore.
"I really tried to address the strength and nobility of Hercules in the movie," comments Velázquez on the score, which was recorded with the London Philharmonia Orchestra. "The music tries to capture this kindness along with the great strength. It sounds modern and yet it feels classical as it is completely symphonic, even when incorporating electronics and all kind of 'modern' drums." In tracks such as "Pirates' Camp," "Bessi-Battle" and "Centaurs," Velázquez conjures up stirring feelings of combat and excitement. In "Hercules" and "The Statue Falls," he finds a heroic vein. The combined resources of orchestral and electronic music create powerful mythical sounds in the tracks "Athens" and "Dungeon," while in "I Will Believe in You" Velázquez shows his skill at evoking sincere emotion.
About Hercules
From Paramount
Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Hercules stars Dwayne Johnson as both man and myth, leading a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human. Unimaginable villains will test the mythical power of Hercules in director
Brett Ratner's gritty take on one of the most epic action heroes of the ages. The film also stars Ian McShane,
Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes,
Peter Mullan, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Tobias Santelmann, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaac Andrews and John Hurt. Hercules is produced by Beau Flynn, Barry Levine and
Brett Ratner. Based on Radical Comics' "Hercules" by Steve Moore, with a screenplay by Ryan J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Directed by
Brett Ratner.
