ONE OF THIS YEAR’S MOST HOTLY ANTICIPATED FILM SCORES GLADIATOR II ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK BY HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 15
LEAD SINGLE “STRENGTH AND HONOR” OUT NOW
LISTEN & PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE
“Strength and Honor” single: HERE
Gladiator II: Music From The Motion Picture Pre-Order: HERE
Press assets: HERE
04 OCTOBER 2024 (TORONTO, ON) — Decca Records US is set to release the soundtrack to Ridley Scott’s highly-anticipated Gladiator sequel on November 15, 2024. Gladiator II: Music From The Motion Picture by composer Harry Gregson-Williams features an epic orchestral score, comprised of over 100 musicians and singers from across the globe, and meticulously crafted to accompany the blockbuster new movie starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. The soundtrack also includes the timeless hit song “Now We Are Free” composed by Hans Zimmer for the original Gladiator film almost 25 years ago and featuring singer Lisa Gerrard. Listen to the lead single “Strength and Honor” from Harry Gregson-Williams’ new Gladiator II score and pre-order the album HERE.
On scoring Gladiator II, Harry Gregson-Williams says: “My approach to the score for Gladiator II was to create music that embodied the spiritual essence of the original film whilst creating a fresh sound for Lucius and the other leading characters we encounter (such as Acacius – strong and bold – and Macrinus – scheming and calculating). Thematically, Lucius needed a very versatile melody – he is the center of the film, and his love, leadership, rage and need for vengeance all had to be reflected in his music. Beyond the large orchestra and choirs that this epic tale called for, I felt the need to employ some unique instrumentation to help shape the storytelling. Whether it was the sliding, discomforting strings of a baritone violin or electric cello to represent Macrinus’ scheming and plotting, or the primitive horns that helped place us back in Ancient Rome, special instrumentation helped bring a sense of uniqueness to these characters and places. From specially recorded vocals representing the Numidian fighters, to the esoteric and otherwordly vocals of Lisa Gerrard, all of these different unique sounds and colors were necessary to tell Lucius’ story.”
In order to create the sound world of Gladiator II, Gregson-Williams took a truly international approach; working with musicians from around the world to bring his extraordinary score to life. Having initially penned the main musical themes at his studio in Los Angeles, the composer then traveled to northern Spain to record some unusual historic instruments (such as the Carnyx and Iberian Horn) with performer Abraham Cupeiro, to bring the sound of Ancient Rome to life. In other parts of Europe he recorded soloists including singers Lisa Gerrard, Grace Davidson, Lior Attar, Antonio Lizana, Ejigayehu ‘Gigi’ Shibabaw, and Ayo Adeyemi, as well as instrumentalists Richard Harvey (Ney and Ancient Flutes), Hugh Marsh (electric violin), Martin Tillman (electric cello), Hamid Saeidi (Kantele/Santur) and Loga Ramin Torkian (GuitarViol).
Gregson-Williams returned to his native UK to record the main score with a huge orchestra, the leading independent UK chorus The Bach Choir, and the internationally renowned Viol Consort Fretwork at Abbey Road Studios – where he has recorded many scores before (including those for the The Martian, Shrek and The Chronicles of Narnia). During the session, which Gregson-Williams was conducting, Hans Zimmer appeared via video link to hear the new score being performed.
Now almost 25 years old, Zimmer’s original Gladiator score continues to be one of the most beloved and enduring soundtracks. The lead song “Now We Are Free” makes a reappearance in the new film and on the soundtrack – providing the ideal connection between both musical worlds.
Harry Gregson-Williams brings his unique compositional voice to Gladiator II – embracing the epic moments on screen with monumental musical forces, whilst also accompanying intimate moments with beautiful harmonies – this is a score which provides a stirring counterpart to Ridley Scott’s remarkable new movie. Gladiator II marks the seventh collaboration between Gregson-Williams and Ridley Scott with Gregson-Williams writing original scores for The Martian, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel and House of Gucci and themes for Prometheus and Exodus: Gods and Kings.
Gladiator II: Music From The Motion Picture, is set to release on November 15, 2024. Pre-order the album via Decca Records US, HERE. Gladiator II is in theaters internationally on November 15, with the US and Canada following on November 22.
Gladiator II — Tracklisting:
1. GLADIATOR II OVERTURE
2. LUCIUS, ARISHAT AND THE ROMAN INVASION
3. I’LL WAIT FOR YOU
4. OSTIA
5. ANGRY BABOONS
6. STRENGTH AND HONOR
7. ACACIUS RETURNS
8. CITY OF ROME
9. DEFIANCE
10. I SEE HIM IN YOU
11. ACACIUS IN THE COLOSSEUM
12. LET THE GODS DECIDE
13. MACRINUS’ PLAN
14. I NEED YOU TO DO THIS
15. SMOOTH IS THE DESCENT
16. NOW THAT I HAVE FOUND YOU
17. ECHOES IN ETERNITY
18. WAR, REAL WAR
19. THE DREAM IS LOST
20. NOW WE ARE FREE
ABOUT GLADIATOR II
From legendary director Ridley Scott, and a screenplay by David Scarpa, story by Peter Craig and David Scarpa, and based on characters created by David Franzoni, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
ABOUT HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS
Harry Gregson-Williams is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and prolific composers whose long list of film and television credits underscore the diverse range of his talents. He has received the BMI Icon Award in recognition of his unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers, and was awarded the prestigious Ambassador Award by the Society of Composers & Lyricists. Born in England to a musical family, he earned a choral scholarship to St. John’s College, Cambridge, at the age of 7 and later gained a coveted spot at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama, from which he received an honorary fellowship. He most recently wrote the music for Ridley Scott’s feature film Gladiator II being released in November 2024. Gregson-Williams was the composer on all four installments of the animated blockbuster Shrek franchise, garnering a BAFTA Award nomination for the score for the Oscar-winning Shrek. He also received Golden Globe and Grammy Award nominations for his score for Andrew Adamson’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. He has collaborated multiple times with a number of directors, including Ben Affleck on the films Live by Night, The Town and Gone Baby Gone; Tony Scott on Unstoppable, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Déjà Vu, Domino, Man on Fire, Spy Game and Enemy of the State; Ridley Scott on original scores for The Martian, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, House of Gucci, Life in a Day and the upcoming Gladiator II and themes for Prometheus and Exodus: Gods and Kings; Andrew Adamson on the Shrek series, the first two Narnia movies and Mr. Pip; and Antoine Fuqua on The Replacement Killers, The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2. Other recent credits include Disney’s live-action feature film Mulan, The Meg, Early Man (Annie nominated) and Penguins. His television credits include Return to Space and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams both of which he was Emmy nominated, as well as Catch-22 and most recently The Gilded Age series which is heading into season 3, both projects with his brother Rupert Gregson-Williams.