Men In Black 2 Opens With Music By Chance Thomas

Hollywood turns to veteran videogame composer for blockbuster score in Columbia Pictures' CG film The ChubbChubbs.

Chance Thomas, the award-winning composer most widely known for his innovative work in interactive games, has created the music for The ChubbChubbs, which is currently playing at 1500 theaters nationwide in front of this summers blockbuster movie, Men In Black 2. Released by Columbia Pictures, The ChubbChubbs is a CG animated short film developed and produced by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Ken Ralston, President of Sony Pictures' Imageworks and winner of 5 Academy Awards, said, "Chance Thomas' music for The ChubbChubbs is fantastic. I first heard Chance's work when my wife recommended I listen to the compositions for a computer game called Quest for Glory V. It had a terrific motion picture feel to it, and seemed Chance would be the perfect choice for Sony's first all computer graphic mini-movie. Chance did some wild renditions of some well known songs for ChubbChubbs, plus a wonderful musical score. We couldn't be happier."

This marks another turning point in the growing leadership of the videogame industry as Hollywood recruits musical talent from the interactive entertainment sector.

"There is increasing interest from the film studios in game composers who have an excellent track record composing music to picture", says Bob Rice, CEO of Four Bars Intertainment, a management agency representing composers for film, television and games including Chance Thomas. "This will not only raise the level of awareness for A-list composers in the games business but highlights a tremendous pool of talent for the entertainment industry at large."

Thomas, whose credits include the immensely popular trailer for Universals upcoming games based on The Lord of the Rings, is responsible for composing and producing all of the original music for The ChubbChubbs. The original orchestral score composed and orchestrated by Chance was performed by the Utah Film Orchestra and recorded at LA East Recording Studios in Salt Lake City, UT. The film also features remakes of the classic songs, "Respect" and "Why Cant We Be Friends", which Chance produced as well.

Chance said of the experience, "Though we were relative newcomers to the film industry, everyone at Imageworks treated us with tremendous respect. Director Eric Armstrong and producer Jacquie Barnbrook were incredibly open-minded to lessons we'd learned from our game industry experience, and their leadership style encouraged a real spirit of collaboration among the creative team."

Chance produced one of the first live orchestral scores in an interactive game, Quest For Glory V: Dragon Fire, and will long be remembered for his winning game music Grammy campaign in the late 1990's. He is a winner of many accolades, having been honored by the Emmy Awards, Aurora Awards, Addy Awards, Telly Awards, the Vault Network Awards and others. Additional information is available online at HUGEsound.com.

The ChubbChubbs is released nationwide with Men In Black on July, 3rd 2002.