Tony Gilroy’s drama Behemoth! premiered at the New York Film Festival on Friday, September 2, featuring a sprawling musical landscape crafted not by a single composer, but by nine distinct artists known collectively as the Behemoth Collective. Distributed by Searchlight Pictures, the film stars Pedro Pascal as a returning Los Angeles cellist whose past triggers flashbacks scored by industry veterans.
The Bottom Line
- The Collective Approach: Tony Gilroy assembled nine notable composers—credited as the Behemoth Collective—to score separate fictional films and television shows embedded within the narrative.
- Star-Studded Cast & Plot: Pedro Pascal stars as Alex, a cellist returning to Los Angeles after a life on the road, alongside an ensemble cast including Hank Azaria, Olivia Wilde, and Will Arnett, as reported by filmmusicreporter.com.
- Theatrical Launch: Searchlight Pictures has slated the film for a wide theatrical release on December 4, following its high-profile festival bow at Lincoln Center’s Tully Hall.
Why Tony Gilroy Chased a Multi-Composer Strategy
Music serves as the emotional engine driving the narrative of Behemoth!. Rather than relying on a traditional single-composer framework, Gilroy wanted to treat the musical cues for fictional projects as if they were independent entities. “I knew I had to have different voices, and once you’re going to open it up, you want to cast it like actors,” Gilroy explained to variety.com. To achieve this, he constructed elaborate backstories for every fictional show and movie featured in the script, equipping each composer with specific plot points and historical contexts before they ever stepped into a recording studio.
Henry Jackman came aboard first, writing the score for a fictional action-comedy franchise titled Spies Don’t Run, which soundtracks a Chicago flashback sequence. From there, Gilroy brought in a roster of heavy hitters to capture distinct eras and genres. Michael Giacchino penned the music for a 1960s-style cartoon titled Happy & Slappy, while Alan Silvestri tackled the blockbuster cue for Open World—serving as a decoy title for the fictional production inside the narrative, as detailed by filmmusicreporter.com.
Inside the Recording Stages and Fictional Film Scores
Brandon Roberts contributed the theme to Look Away Jones, an 1980s fictional TV detective show. Meanwhile, Emily Bear composed a lush, 1960s-inspired love theme for the romantic drama Seasons of Glass, alongside a slow, tense waltz featuring intricate chromatic counterpoint. Bear also co-wrote a 1950s-style song titled Make Mine Salty with Gilroy, which plays during the film’s conclusion.
Other vital musical threads include Michael Abels composing the cello practice etudes and Bach pieces performed by a young Alex. Lukas Frank handled the Serian Suite—utilizing a prepared piano with low droning elements—as well as a club performance track titled “Your God Is Sleeping.” James Newton Howard scored the material presented by character Viviana Glenn, including a requiem and a closing duet. Finally, Nami Melumad contributed harp cues sourced from the fictional movie-scoring session for Tolerance Hill, according to filmmusicreporter.com.
| Composer | Fictional Project / Contribution | Key Musical Style |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Jackman | Spies Don’t Run | Action-comedy scoring session |
| Michael Giacchino | Happy & Slappy | 1960s cartoon cue |
| Alan Silvestri | Open World / Behemoth! | Blockbuster feature score |
| Emily Bear | Seasons of Glass | 1960s French/Italian lush strings |
| Michael Abels | Alex’s Cello Practice Sessions | Solo cello etudes & Bach prelude |
The Road to the December Theatrical Rollout
The film’s premiere at Lincoln Center’s Tully Hall drew substantial industry attention, positioning the Searchlight Pictures release as a major player in the late-year awards conversation. Alongside Pedro Pascal, the film features performances by Alexa Swinton, Hank Azaria, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Kaya Ralls, Erik Griffin, Margarita Levieva, and Will Arnett. With its intricate web of fictional cinematic worlds brought to life by the Behemoth Collective, the project stands out as a unique cinematic love letter to the art of film scoring.
