Inside ‘Behemoth!’: How Tony Gilroy Assembled a Collective of Nine Composers for His Latest Film

Directed and written by Tony Gilroy, “Behemoth!” premiered at the New York Film Festival on Friday in Lincoln Center’s Tully Hall, a venue fitting for a story centered on a musician. The film follows Pedro Pascal as Alex, a cellist returning to Los Angeles after years on the road. Music is central to the narrative, with Alex’s performances triggering flashbacks that explore his departure from Hollywood and his eventual return.

To achieve the film’s distinct auditory landscape, Gilroy recruited nine composers, dubbed the Behemoth Collective: Michael Abels, Emily Bear, Lukas Frank, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, and Alan Silvestri. Rather than assigning a single composer, Gilroy sought unique voices for the various fictional movies Alex appears in.

Gilroy revealed that the concept had been developing for years, inspired by his experiences in scoring stages like the John Williams Scoring Stage. “You get in there, and there’s the emotional power and the smell of that room. It’s such a place of work,” Gilroy told Variety. “I just kept wondering every time I went there — why didn’t anybody make a movie about this?”

Once the script was finalized as a homage to the art of film scoring, Gilroy approached the project with an actor-casting mindset. “I knew I had to have different voices, and once you’re going to open it up, you want to cast it like actors,” he explained. He provided each composer with detailed backstories for their respective fictional projects. Henry Jackman was the first to join, providing the momentum Gilroy needed to continue assembling the team.

Below is a breakdown of each composer’s contribution:

Michael Abels composed the music for Alex’s solo cello practice sessions. In one key sequence, the score transitions from a warm-up exercise into Bach’s Cello Prelude No. 1, mirroring a flashback to Alex as a six-year-old prodigy performing on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.”

Emily Bear crafted the love theme for the fictional film “Season of Glass.” Drawing inspiration from 1960s French and Italian scores, the piece features lush strings and jazz-inspired harmonies. She also wrote an intimate waltz for a scene involving a young widow and a boy, incorporating counterpoint and chromatic elements to reflect underlying tension.

Lukas Frank delivered the original song “Your God Is Dying” and the “Serian Suite,” which serves as the film’s underscore. Frank highlighted the use of a prepared piano, including the sound of someone drilling on a string to create a low drone, which opens the movie alongside simple string arrangements.

Michael Giacchino composed the score for “Happy & Slappy,” a cartoon series from the 1960s created by Alex’s father. The cue is designed to mimic the style of classic cartoons like “Tom and Jerry,” syncing humorously with a scene where Alex watches his brother fight.

Henry Jackman created the music for “Spies Don’t Run,” describing it as having a “Jason Bourne-ish” feel with a Middle Eastern flavor. He scored a six-minute suite utilizing a combination of orchestra, abstracted vocals, and heavy percussion.

Nami Melumad contributed to the period piece “Tolerance Hill.” Guided by Gilroy’s direction to evoke Alex’s revisitation of his childhood home, Melumad used the harp—an instrument played by Alex’s mother—to convey warmth, nostalgia, and sadness.

James Newton Howard composed the film’s emotional finale. The piece is primarily underscored by a solo piano to express the story’s sadness, with additional variations including a piano-and-cello duet and orchestral arrangements.

Brandon Roberts wrote “Look Away Jones,” a theme for a fictional TV show about an ex-football star turned detective. Roberts studied the style of Quincy Jones and other era-appropriate theme music to ensure authenticity, collaborating with flutist Katisse Buckingham and musician Tim Liu.

Alan Silvestri scored the cue for “Open World,” a decoy title for a blockbuster production within the film. Describing the piece as a “big caper moment,” Silvestri used a large orchestra to treat the heist plot straight, despite its humorous premise.

“Behemoth!” is scheduled for theatrical release on December 4.