Well if this doesn’t put a lump in your throat, or speak to the good that can be found in humanity, I’m not sure what will. Speaking with NPR, Southpaw director Antoine Fuqua had some touching words when it came to the late film composer James Horner who passed away last June in a plane crash.
The Oscar-winning composer’s work will be heard in Fuqua’s Southpaw this Friday and in The 33 later this year, but that’s not the end of it. Fuqua will turn his attention next to a remake of The Magnificent Seven and while he hasn’t shot the film yet he reveals to NPR he already has a score:
“James was an incredible human being. He was a filmmaker through and through. He was one of the most gentle people I’ve ever met. Even the way he spoke was very soft and thoughtful. He was magical. He had this childlike wonderment in his eyes, but he was an amazing artist, an amazing poet. I loved him and we became friends.
“James was a family man. He loved his children. He called me on a Saturday after he watched [Southpaw], and I said ‘I don’t have any money,; because it wasn’t a big budget movie. And he said to me. ‘I love the movie. I love the father-daughter relationship. Don’t worry about the money, I’m just going to do it.’ And he did it for nothing. He paid his crew out of his own pocket.
“And I just found out a few days ago – his team flew out here, to Baton Rouge, and they brought me all the music for The Magnificent Seven. He already wrote it for me based on the script. He did it all off the script because he wanted to surprise me. I thought it was a gift or something. And they all came out here and said, ‘Antoine, James wrote the music for Magnificent Seven already and it’s just glorious.’ So that’s my memory of James.”
While I won’t be surprised if another composer comes in to compose a couple of extra pieces for the film, the mere fact Horner did this speaks to his character and legacy. In fact, the number one reason my wife and I recently rewatched Braveheart was because she had been playing his Oscar-nominated score on loop lately and we decided to experience it in greater context.
The Magnificent Seven is slated to hit theaters on January 13, 2017 and features a massive cast including Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Chris Pratt, Haley Bennett, Byung-hun Lee, Vincent D’Onofrio, Wagner Moura, Matt Bomer and Peter Sarsgaard.
