Talking Soundtracks: Interview With Michael Abels

Award-winning composer Michael Abels is one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and influential composers. Among his accolades, Abels’ scores for US and NOPE were Academy Award-shortlisted for Best Original Score. For his US score, he received a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Black Reel Award, and multiple critics' awards, as well as Critics Choice and IFMCA Award nominations.

His latest score is for HOPE. Written and directed by Hong-jin, HOPE concerns a police chief and his rookie deputy who must defend their local community, a remote South Korean Harbour Village, from a mysterious creature after wildfires sever all communications. Nearby, a local hunting party sets out to track the beast but finds themselves hunted instead.

Abels’ score evolves over the course of the film, the first half predominantly in the suspense/horror genre, with tense ambient textures and unsettling harmonies, until the second half turns into an epic adventure.

In late September 2026, for TALKING SOUNDTRACKS on the CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST NETWORK, Jason Drury had the pleasure of talking to Michael Abels via Zoom from his studio in Los Angeles.

During the interview, they talked about his career to date, how he entered the world of film music, his relationship with Director Jordan Peele and his score for HOPE. During the show, we play music from the career of Michael Abels, including HOPE, one of the scores of 2026, featuring "Freeway Chase," one of the cues of 2026.

Enjoy!

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