Summary
Slingshotis a new science fiction psychological thriller from director Mikael Håfström, andScreen Rantis excited to debut a key piece of music from the film.Slingshotstars Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, and Emily Beecham, and tells the story of John (Affleck), an astronaut who struggles to keep his grip on reality onboard a potentially compromised journey to Saturn’s moon Titan. The movie was written by R. Scott Adams (Donner Pass) and Nathan Parker (Moon, The Underground Railroad).
Slingshot Official Trailer
Bleecker Street releases the official trailer for Slingshot.
Screen Rantis happy to present the main theme forSlingshot, written by composer Steffen Thum. Thum is a musician with a long resume—in addition to scoring his own films and television projects, the composer has provided additional music and orchestration to dozens of hit projects includingTop Gun: Maverick, Twisters, andAlien: Romulus. Check out “The Titan Mission (Main Theme)” below, either by itself or with behind-the-scenes footage of the orchestral recording session.
“The Titan Mission (Main Theme)” Recording Session
Why Great Musical Scores Are Key For Movies Like Slingshot
Film scores are often referred to as the soul of a movie, and a score that doesn’t fit a film can ruin its chances of connecting emotionally with audiences. Thebest movie scoresinvite viewers along for the emotional journeys of their characters, which is especially important when a movie tells a story outside the range of a viewer’s normal experience.Slingshotis a sci-fi psychological thriller set against the backdrop of interplanetary discovery, and Thum was tasked with making a story set nearly 500 million miles away from Earth feel relatable. That’s not all, as Thum revealed when discussing the movie’s main theme:
Steffen Thum: The Main Theme is the first thing I wrote for Slingshot. After my initial conversations with director Mikael Håfström about story, characters and style, I knew we needed a piece of music that would have to encompass three different aspects: Firstly, an expression of awe and John’s commitment to this larger-than-life journey to Saturn’s moon, Titan. Secondly, his growing sense of solitude, longing and regret as he remembers Zoe, the woman he left behind on Earth. Lastly, the complexities of his mind and his struggle with reality. The Main Theme had to be the emotional centerpiece of the entire score, and I knew I wanted a full orchestra carrying that emotion. My thanks go out to all the wonderful musicians in Budapest, where we recorded this score.
“The Titan Mission (Main Theme)” certainly does what Thum says. It’s a complex piece of music that has a lush soundscape evoking the vastness of space paired with intricate rhythms that can be tied to an uneasy mind. The theme is also just a taste of what Thum wrote forSlingshot, especially regarding the movie’spsychological thrilleraspects. This is important as well, as music can build tension in a subtle way that makes a thriller truly activate an audience’s adrenaline. When discussing the movie’s score as a whole, Thum teased more of what’s to come, leaning into themes of psychological confusion.
Steffen Thum: It is very much a hybrid score, heavily blurring the lines between organic and electronic textures. That space where you can’t really tell what’s what is always fascinating to me. In dealing with John’s confusion and loss of reality, I worked with various musical motifs and patterns that could shift and overlap, as well as organic sounds like strings and pianos that I’d let warp and deteriorate through electronic processing. Throughout the score, there’s this balancing act between the tensions and escalations onboard the mission, as well as the emotional weight of the flashback scenes based on Earth.
The score forSlingshotis also sure to help elevate the performances by the movie’s star cast. TheSlingshot trailerteases the performances of Affleck, Fishburne, and Beecham, and Thum’s work will likely make the work of the already celebrated cast even more emotional and believable. To fully see how Thum’s work fits with the film, be sure to check it out when it hits theaters on August 30.
Slingshothits theaters on August 30 alongside its soundtrack album by Steffen Thum. “The Titan Mission (Main Theme)” hits digital platforms on August 23.
Slingshot
Cast
Slingshot, released in 2024, follows an elite trio of astronauts on a potentially compromised mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. As they prepare for a dangerous slingshot maneuver, the crew faces the perilous reality of either reaching Titan or being cast into deep space.
