Michael Giacchino: Land of the Lost

Universal Pictures has finally confirmed to Upcoming Film Scores that Michael Giacchino has been signed to score Land of the Lost, the studio's sci-fi adventure which is based on the 1970s live-action show by Sid and Marty Krofft. Will Ferrell, Anna Friel and Danny R. McBride play the main characters, who discover a mysterious land populated by dinosaurs and other creatures. Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Casper, City of Angels) directs. Film is scheduled to premiere on July 17 next year. Michael Giacchino's score for Speed Racer is currently heard in cinemas worldwide and he is also working on the music for the upcoming Star Trek movie.

Stephen Trask: Cirque du Freak

Stephen Trask (Dreamgirls, In Good Company, Hedwig and the Angry Inch) has been hired to compose the original music for Paul Weitz's horror film Cirque du Freak, starring Salma Hayek, Chris Massoglia and John C. Reilly. Universal Pictures produces and will distribute the film, which tells the story about a boy who is forced to leave become a vampire and join the freak show Cirque du Freak. Produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and scripted by Brian Helgeland, the film is based on Darren Shan's novel. Stephen Trask and Paul Weitz previously collaborated on American Dreamz and In Good Company.

Paul Haslinger: Death Race

Paul Haslinger has landed what is possibly his biggest feature film project so far: Death Race, the upcoming sci-fi action spectacle directed by Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson. The film, which is prestigiously produced by Jeremy Bolt, Roger Corman, Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, takes place in a future American prison where the inmates are forced to compete in a deadly car race. Jason Statham, Joan Allen and Ian McShane constitute the top of the cast. The film is a remake of the 1975 cult movie Death Race 2000, which was also produced by Roger Corman. Paul Haslinger's recent credits include Shoot 'Em Up, Prom Night and Vacancy. Among his other upcoming films are thriller While She Was Out (starring Kim Basinger) and dance drama Make It Happen. Death Race will be released by Universal Pictures on September 26.

Marco Beltrami: Repossession Mambo

Several sources has confirmed to Upcoming Film Scores that Marco Beltrami will compose the original score for Repossession Mambo, a science fiction thriller starring Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schreiber and Carice van Houten. Produced by Mary Parent and Scott Stuber (The Kingdom), and helmed by Miguel Sapochnik, doing his feature film directing debut, the film is about a future world where artificial organs can be bought on credit and where a man struggles to pay for the heart he has purchased. Universal Pictures will distribute the film set for a release next year. Marco Beltrami, who recently finished work on horror movie Amusement and Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, is also in negotiations to score sci-fi thriller Knowing, reuniting with I Robot director Alex Proyas. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne.

Hans Zimmer: Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa

The Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency is now including Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa in Hans Zimmer's filmography, which is the first official confirmation of Zimmer's involvement in the project. It does not come as a big surprise, however, since the first film from 2005 was scored by the same composer. Zimmer has just finished work on another animated feature, Kung Fu Panda, together with John Powell. The Madagascar sequel is directed by Eric Darnell, who helmed Antz, and Tom McGrath who also directed the first film. The voice cast includes Ben Stiller, Sacha Baron Cohen, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Chris Rock. Dreamworks will release on November 7.

Atli Örvarsson: Whiteout

Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson, who recently scored Vantage Point and the upcoming Babylon A.D., adds another action thriller to his quickly growing resumee: Whiteout. This is the new film of Dominic Sena (Gone in Sixty Seconds, Swordfish, Kalifornia), starring Kate Beckinsale as a U.S. Marshal who tracks a killer in Antarctica. Joel Silver produces and Warner Bros will release the film later this year. Atli Örvarsson, who is repped by Gorfaine-Schwartz, was also recently assigned to Mimi Leder's new film, The Code.

Chad Fischer: The Rocker

According to the Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency, Chad Fischer is doing the music for The Rocker, a comedy about a drummer (Rainn Wilson) who gets the opportunity of his lifetime when his nephew's rock band is looking for a new drummer. Other cast members include Emma Stone, Christina Applegate, Jane Lynch and Josh Gad. The film is directed by UK veteran Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty) and scheduled to premiere on August 1, with distribution in the US being handled by Fox Atomic. Chad Fischer, who recently moved from Greenspan to Gorfaine-Schwartz, is best known for indie hit Garden State and recently scored The Babysitters.

Jeff Cardoni: Beer For My Horses

Jeff Cardoni (Just Friends, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, Firehouse Dog) reports on his web site that he has been signed to score Beer For My Horses, a comedy directed by Michael Salomon (not to be confused with Hard Rain director Mikael Salomon). Starring Claire Forlani, Tom Skerritt, Barry Corbin and Willie Nelson, the film tells the story of two deputies who head off on a road trip to save a woman from drug lord kidnappers. B4MH Productions produces for release later this year.

Tim DeLaughter: Visioneers

Polyphonic Spree frontman Tim DeLaughter is doing the music for Visioneers, an independent comedy directed by Jared Drake, starring Judy Greer, Missi Pyle and Zach Galifianakis. The story is about a man who tries to ignore an epidemic which causes people to explode from stress (!). Fireside Film produces. Earlier, we reported that, according to the Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency, DeLaughter was going to score Assassination of a High School President. As it turned out, DeLaughter didn't write the music for this film - the composer on that project was Daniele Luppi.

Mark Mancina: Nowhereland

Mark Mancina has replaced Theodore Shapiro as the score composer on the upcoming Eddie Murphy comedy Nowhereland, which is now scheduled to premiere in June 2009, pushed from its original release date, September 26, 2008. The film is directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, whose recent credits include directing the animated Over the Hedge and writing the script for and producing The Spiderwick Chronicles. Lorenzo di Bonaventura produces the film. Mark Mancina's other upcoming films include Stopping Power (Speed director Jan de Bont's new action thriller which is currently being shot in Holland and Germany), Without a Badge and Like Dandelion Dust.