Longtime Pixar Composer Michael Giacchino to Score Disney’s ‘Zootopia’

Oscar-winning Pixar composer Michael Giacchino has been selected as the composer of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new animated film Zootopia.

Giacchino scored a variety of Pixar films over the years such as Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Inside Out, in addition to scoring a number of WDAS shorts such as The Ballad of Nessie and Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa. Giacchino’s work on Zootopia, however, will mark his first collaboration with the Walt Disney Animation Studios for a feature-length animated film.

According to the press release, the score will feature an 80-piece orchestra led by conductor Tim Simonec and is being recorded this week. According to Giacchino, the score is very diverse and features “flavors of world music sprinkled in everywhere.”

Regarding the composer choice, Zootopia director Byron Howard said:

“In a world as vast as ‘Zootopia’, we needed someone who could deliver a score that can feel exotic and powerful, but also provide that same emotional intimacy. We tell stories with images, Michael tells stories with music. ‘Zootopia’ is a massive film with deep emotional themes running throughout the story, and Michael was the perfect choice to bring the music of this extraordinary animal world to life.”

Co-director Rich Moore also added insight into the process of working with the Jurassic World composer:

“The process of working with Michael is unique in that it doesn’t feel like a process. It feels more like visiting with a childhood friend. We started by talking about the film—the themes, the tone, the characters, the emotional moments. We talked about what inspired us, and our hopes for the movie. And from those conversations, Michael began building the score. When we listened to his work together, an amazing thing happened. Michael somehow took those conversations and turned them into music. It’s creative collaboration, pure and simple.”

Regarding the project, Giacchino said:

“We’ve had a lot of fun working together and the directors have been wonderfully supportive of me throughout the entire process, giving me an incredible amount of freedom to really explore the tone and emotional side of the story. I am really proud to be a part of this film. It’s one of those films with a huge heart and wonderfully realized characters set within a story that’s not only incredibly fun and entertaining but takes an honest look at our own world and the important issues we deal with living in such a diverse society.  That’s what really attracted me to the film—the chance to write music that reflects these kind of challenges.”

As if we haven’t already fallen in love with every score Giacchino wrote, Howard added, “You fall in love with the music the instant you hear it.”

Zootopia hits US theatres on March 4, 2016.

What do you think about this announcement? Are you excited to see Giacchino work on his first feature-length score for WDAS?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes