Music Score Change Aboard the Doomed Ship Demeter

June 22, 2023

Bear McCreary Assumes Composing Duties on THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, Originally Assigned to Thomas Newman

From DreamWorks Pictures the film is directed by Norwegian horror virtuoso André Øvredal (SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, TROLLHUNTER), and is based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula. The film (as with Stoker’s short book chapter) tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo – fifty unmarked wooden crates – from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.

Originally Thomas Newman (SKYFALL, FINDING NEMO, THE GREEN MILE, AMERICAN BEAUTY, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) was announced as composer for the film, but this was changed and only recently announced, officially, that Bear McCreary (THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER, THE WITCHER: BLOOD ORIGIN, FOUNDATION, THE WALKING DEAD, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) has assumed composing duties on the film due to Newman’s scheduling conflicts. “As far as I know Newman didn’t record anything for the film” reported Mikael Carlsson of MovieScore Media/MovieScore Wire.

“Thanks [to] Amblin and Universal Pictures for giving me the chance to write a cinematic theme for Dracula,” McCreary wrote in a Facebook post today. “A dream come true for any composer!”

The film is scheduled for release by Universal Pictures on August 11, 2023.