Benjamin Wallfisch (Twisters, Alien: Romulus) | Full Interview

Score: The Podcast returns for a sixth season with in-person interviews filmed in 4K, and new original footage inside composers’ studios. Presented by Vienna Symphonic Library

In this season premiere episode, Benjamin Wallfisch breaks down his explosive blockbuster summer with TWISTERS and ALIEN: ROMULUS becoming sensations. The inside scoop on whether Glen Powell’s romantic ending in TWISTERS was intended to have a kiss (which became a social media firestorm), and how Benjamin channeled Danny Elfman’s iconic BATMAN theme in Michael Keaton’s masked return in THE FLASH. Plus, how the score for the hit ALIEN sequel broke new ground with themes echoing sunlight in darkness and an experimental DNA strain that appropriately mutates the score for a powerfully haunting emotional reaction from audiences.

Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

For exclusive and 4K footage inside studios of your favorite composers, follow Score on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.

Score: The Podcast is a presentation of Epicleff Media and is produced by Holmes Productions.

Video Timecodes
0:00 Season 6 Premiere!
3:35 Vienna Symphonic Library
7:20 Benjamin Wallfisch
1:17:06 VSL Synchron Series
1:19:13 VSL "Fantastic Beasts" Demo

[HammerdownProtocol]

I can't believe its taken me so long to find you lads, but I'm glad I did. Keep up the great work. All the best from northern England.

[marcus_ohreallyus]

Loved the Goldsmith vibe in the Alien Romulus score.

[Woogadahoomph]

Loved this chat and I’m a huge fan of Benjamin’s work. My favourite scores of his are IT, A Cure for Wellness & Alien Romulus ❤

[Dave-npwr]

Thanks for this! Great episode. Timecode/chapters would be great added value for listeners.

[J.Livermore]

where is the bonus tour of ben's studio?..

[dioxattteen]

ben was my top artist on Spotify this year had 1, 305 minutes listened to him

[rasiaijauoren]

Alien is a great score…! What a surprise… congratulations being shortlisted in Oscar. Ive listened through movie and listen to the score themselves. I can say that this score is better than The Brutalist, Challenger, Emelia Perez, and Babygirl.

[magicmike]

Sorry. It's only fair that there's also a bit of negative commentary out there to balance things out. Of course, it's worth what it's worth, but so be it.

To me, this talented (yes, talented) student of the Master Hans Zimmer only makes, at best, passable atmospheric music. Nothing, absolutely nothing, in his music grabs me. Nothing. Nada. To me. he is one of the students of Remote Control who will leave no musical trace that will mark the history of soundtracks. Until now, anyway. When you look at all the incredible films he was lucky enough to participate in (Aliens, It, Shazam, The Flash, Hellboy, Invisible Man, Kraven The Hunter, Twisters, etc.), it is an absolute shame that none of his melodies will remain etched in my head. None what-so-ever. I can only cry thinking what other students like, for example, Ramin Djawadi, Steve Jablonsky, Junkie XL, the Gregson-Williams brothers, Lorne Balfe or even Geoff Zanelli would have done in his place. Heck, I even shed a torrent of musical tears when I think about what Brian Tyler, a student of Zimmer's without actually being a student, would have done.

Is it really that hard to design something with a semblance of a theme that you can whistle along to? Every other student mentioned has done it. Why not him? There's no way these are just orders from the directors he works with. At this point, that's his style. Athmospheric and without catchy themes. And with Flash, Alien, Shazam, It, and Kraven, to name a few, it's a musical crime.

How do I know this? I love the students of Remote Control so much that I regularly make CDs of their best compilations. I choose the most melodic and catchy tracks, of course. It makes for incredible listening hours. Not original at all, but incredible all the same. And with Benjamin Wallfisch, I always struggle to choose something. It's always something atmospheric between two other tracks by other students. If you choose it well and incorporate it well, his music blends in admirably well. But I quickly forget about it.

There. It had to be said. let it now be forgotten.

[JoshuaHendricksMusic]

That new approach to Twisters was a mistake.