We’re just a couple of days away from the release of Wonder Woman, the fourth instalment of the DC Extended Universe (and by all accounts the best). Ahead of its opening, Flickering Myth’s Sean Wilson caught up with composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, who discussed his work on the film, and his approach to crafting the score for the Amazon Princess’ solo big screen debut.
“The story of Diana Prince is that she’s naive and not a woman of the world when we first meet her,” said Gregson-Williams. “She lives in a beautiful, sheltered island paradise with no real knowledge of the outside world, whilst also training to be an unconquerable warrior. So there’s a lot of naiveté to her and yet also that sense of discovery, too. It’s all about the journey for her in this initial film, because she learns there is conflict raging in the outside world and she believes she can stop it. So my writing of her theme really grew with her, the creation of a character from a little girl through to a young woman who is able to fight really well but doesn’t really understand the true powers she possesses. Then by the end she is a fully formed superhero. So there is a journey in the thematic writing that mirrors the character.”
“I think she needed and deserved a melody,” he continued. “And it’s a compassionate melody because she has a great understanding of justice, but she also has love and wisdom. And that’s all part of her strength. So musically I felt it was rich ground for writing themes. She isn’t just a brutal warrior, nor does she simply jump an awfully long way. She has a lot of emotional depth to her, and that was always very important to Patty and I when we worked together. The purpose of the story is to recognise that Diana has this emotional depth. Her understanding of the human race grows throughout the film. She’s a princess with the heart of a human, she’s compassionate and stands for wisdom and justice. It’s fertile ground for a composer, for sure.”
SEE ALSO: Wonder Woman cinematographer compares the film to Superman: The Movie and Batman Begins
Be sure to read our full interview with Rupert Gregson-Williams here.
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.
Wonder Woman will hit cinemas on June 1st in the UK and June 2nd in North America, with Patty Jenkins (Monster) directing a cast that includes Gal Gadot (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Chris Pine (Star Trek), Connie Nielsen (Gladiator), Robin Wright (House of Cards), Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine), David Thewlis (The Theory of Everything), Ewen Bremner (Snowpiercer), Said Taghmaoui (American Hustle), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In), Lisa Loven Kongsli (Force Majeure), Lucy Davis (Shaun of the Dead) and Ann Wolf.
Originally published May 30, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
