Having stuck a first couple of toes into directing with his short Monster Challenge and the impressive, entertaining Werewolf By Night MCU Halloween special, composer Michael Giacchino is looking to prove they weren't flukes by making his feature shot-calling debut with a reboot of classic sci-fi thriller Them!
The 1954 original, directed by Gordon Douglas, saw a huge nest of irradiated ants discovered in the New Mexico desert. They become a national threat when two young queen ants and their consorts escape to set up new nests. The national search that ensues culminates in a battle in spillways and storm drains of Los Angeles…
It definitely sounds like something Giacchino could give a fresh spin to, and he's on the hunt for a writer to start bringing it to life in script form.
"There’s always a movie in your mind that never leaves your head," Giacchino tells Deadline. "For me, that’s Them! It wasn’t until much later in life until I learned what it was about – the nuclear age."
"What I love about Them! is exactly what it’s called: Them! It’s about the other, the unknown which one refuses or can’t understand," he adds. "The current version of Them! is about immigration, and to tell a story about the subject through a lens of this insane science fiction monster movie."
Warner Bros. is backing the new movie, and while we're encouraged to see Giacchino spreading his wings, it also means a chance for more composers to show their stuff. And if directors are looking for alternatives, might we recommend the Empire Podcast Marvel Studios Fanfare Orchestra? They are available. And cheap. And bring their own kazoos, thus avoiding the need for pricey orchestras. Did we mention they're cheap?
