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Is David Arnold unemployable/blacklisted

Pierce2DanielPierce2Daniel
in Music Posts: 4,412
I'm not sure if there has been a discussion about this or not, but I thought it may be something worth discussing.

But is David Arnold unemployable? Did he burn some bridges? Because despite his fairly lofty status, this guy is either turning down all work or not getting the offers.

It's startlingly, especially considering he was personally selected by John Barry to be the heir to Bond throne. Not only that but in the 1990s, Arnold was on a roll - he was the go to composer for Roland Emmerich, who was producing some of the most successful movies of the decade. Furthermore, his work on the Bond films has always been heralded as fantastic and he has a deep appreciation within the fan community. If anything, there was never a case of diminishing returns with Arnold - he was on ofthe few composers who actually got better with each consecutive Bond film.

I understand that Sam Mendes was an "auter" and had to bring on his own personal composer. But why won't anyone else hire Arnold?

I heard a rumour on the grapevine that he burnt some bridges within the film community (clearly not EON) and many others blacklisted him. I don't know if it's true, nonetheless, this guy has all but vanished.
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Comments

  • tanaka123tanaka123
    Posts: 4,325
    Where'd you hear the rumours?
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    If he is black-listed for Bond then the Bond franchise will lose out..we need him back for BOND25 asap !!
  • tanaka123tanaka123
    edited April 2017 Posts: 4,325
    He has of course scored Sherlock, but now I think about it I can't think of any films he's scored of late.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    And Sherlock's score is immense as well...
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,455
    Yeah, he should be the Bond composer again. They returned to Barry so many times, why not Arnold?

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I'd love to have him back scoring for Bond.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,592
    Yeah, I would love for Arnold to return. Not because he's a "safe choice" but rather because I want his sound back in Bond.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,455
    jake24 wrote: »
    Yeah, I would love for Arnold to return. Not because he's a "safe choice" but rather because I want his sound back in Bond.

    Exactly. And he developed the sound as the films progressed.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    In this day in age where composers are forced to be as bland and uninspired as possible, I don't think he's been blacklisted but sadly movie scores don't demand a great use of brass and electronic elements Arnold's known for using. I'd welcome him back to the series with open arms any day.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,348
    Thunderpussy wrote: »
    I'd love to have him back scoring for Bond.

    Me too, at the drop of a hat!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,264
    Didn't he do "just" the Sherlock theme and not the 'score' for the series?
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    He worked on the score with Michael Price. I listened to the series 4 score and it's very good.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    Murdock wrote: »
    He worked on the score with Michael Price. I listened to the series 4 score and it's very good.

    Yes, the two have collaborated throughout. You hear a lot of Arnold's signature sound in Sherlock. There are parts where you hear a brief influence from Casino Royale or QoS or TWINE or even Godzilla I believe.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,264
    Okay, I didn't know that. :) Thanks for the information, guys. :)
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited April 2017 Posts: 23,883
    I haven't noticed a major film score from him for some time and was curious to know why, so I'm not surprised to read this rumour even if it's untrue. He appears to be old news for some reason.

    I'm not losing too much sleep over it because as I've said elsewhere, I'm looking forward to someone new for B25 and beyond. I suspect they'll get a big name on board, given they are doing that in all other departments these days.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    Perhaps Arnold is keeping himself available until he's needed. ;)
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    I'm not sure what Arnold's deal is with the larger Hollywood community—over the past decade he does seem to have stuck mostly to working with UK productions and with people he knows—but I don't think he's at risk of finding future work with the Bond team. He's only ever had good things to say about his time with Bond and the Bond team has historically been known for keeping on their own. I don't think we've heard the last David Arnold James Bond score yet. Not by a long shot.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    He's easily accessible on Twitter, I've conversed with him a few times - just go ask him.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    BTW, he's stated his affection for Bond numerous times - and I've even asked him about him returning one day, and he's said that his door is always open and they know how to get in touch with him..... It just seems like its up to the directors from now on.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,255
    As I've stated previously, with a bit of time away I think he would return to the franchise with a renewed enthusiasm and would build on his two finest scores, CR and Qos.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    As it has been pointed out, the newest scores for Sherlock showed that Arnold has no signs of slowing down creatively. He's a massive Bond nut, and would be back the minute he was asked because his passion and love for the series is so high. He's just got to be asked.

    In a sense, David is the Bond of LTK in this whole situation and Barbara (and the rest of EON) is Pam. He's jumping over balconies and into pools to get her attention, all while saying, "So why don't you ask me to?" Somewhere in there a fish would wink, too.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited April 2017 Posts: 23,883
    It was Dalton's last time on screen, and I'm willing to bet that Arnold has coincidentally had his five. We'll see when B25 is announced. My bet: It's someone big or a critically loved up and comer.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    I don't care who composes B25 as long as the score is good and memorable.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Murdock wrote: »
    I don't care who composes B25 as long as the score is good and memorable.
    +1. I can live with him if he gives us something of the quality of CR/QoS but I have big hopes for Bond scores after 20 long yrs of Arnold and Newman.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    i don't mind something/someone different if it weren't Arnold coming back...

    i've seen enough from Newman to know that if he came back for a 3rd, he'd most likely just continue to purge whole sections of music from the last 2 films - sprinkle in some new stuff, and call it a soundtrack (especially if Mendes is brought back)..

    to me, Barry set the tone of what a Bond score should sound like - not that future composers need to be lock step in line with Barry's style.. but Bond scores are as much a character in their own way - the sweeping melodies, which are then used re-occuringly throughout the film (and also incorporated into the title song please ***glares at you Newman***) to build a theme, and give each film it's own musical identity... that was probably one of the chief things that annoyed about the soundtracks to SF and SP - they are 75% identical to the point that you could interchange the tracks, and it wouldn't make the difference...
  • SeanCraigSeanCraig Germany
    Posts: 732
    David Arnold is the onl true heir of John Barry - we can only hope for a good script and that Arnold does the film score for B25. I was OK with the Skyfall soundtrack myself (not that great except the title song, but OK) and shocked by the Spectre soundtrack. On the other side I constantly listen to the CR and QoS soundtracks.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    In any case I hope we get something with more use of the Bond theme.
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    Posts: 1,890
    HASEROT wrote: »
    He's easily accessible on Twitter, I've conversed with him a few times - just go ask him.

    Yeah, he once told me that he was waiting for them to ask to return and score a Bond film. His enthusiasm is unparalleled for the job but he just isn't getting approached. Shame that MGW+BB have given Mendes a little too much creative control w/ his films and pushed Arnold out of the picture.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Arnold out of the franchise is grand there are far better composers I would like to see working with the Bondfranchise ewer since CR the Grandness and originality of music in the movies has been gone. Of course nobody ever will be as influential as John Barry [he even got the right initials JB) but there are composers out there I would like to see improving the musical inheritance of the 007 franchise.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,361
    Let's hope so. I'm worried we'll get more below average Newman type scores in the future...
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