# David Newman (composer)

David Louis Newman (born March 11, 1954) is an American composer and conductor known particularly for his film scores. In a career spanning more than thirty years, he has composed music for nearly 100 feature films, as well as the 1997 and 1998 versions of the 20th Century Fox fanfare. He received an Academy Award nomination for writing the score to the 1997 film Anastasia, contributing to the Newmans being the most nominated Academy Award extended family, with a collective 92 nominations in various music categories.

## Life and career

Newman was born on March 11, 1954, in Los Angeles, California, the son of Mississippi-born Martha Louis (née Montgomery) and Hollywood composer Alfred Newman. His paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. He is the older brother of Thomas Newman, Maria Newman and the cousin of Randy Newman, all of whom are also composers. He is also the nephew of composers Lionel Newman and Emil Newman, and first cousin, once removed, of musician Joey Newman. An accomplished violinist, and successful concert conductor, Newman was educated at the University of Southern California. From the late 1970s until the early 1980s he played violin on most of John Williams' L.A. scoring sessions, and credits him for learning much about film-music composition.
His first film work was on Tim Burton's short film Frankenweenie in 1984. In 1987, he scored Danny DeVito's Throw Momma from the Train. This was his first collaboration with DeVito, and he went on to score nearly all of his subsequent films, including The War of the Roses (1989), Other People's Money (1991), Hoffa (1992), Matilda (1996) and Death to Smoochy (2002). Newman has also scored the comedies The Flintstones (1994), The Mighty Ducks (1992), The Nutty Professor (1996), Paradise (1991), and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).
Newman's credits during the early years of his career were mostly scoring B-movies such as The Kindred (1987) and The Runestone (1990) before he gradually transitioned to score mostly comedy films during his prime such as Bowfinger (1999), The Freshman (1990), and The Spy Next Door (2010). His score for The Spirit (2008) was a tribute to Mancini's 1950s and 60s neo-noir scores such as Touch of Evil (1958) or Experiment in Terror (1962).
He received an Academy Award nomination for the score to the animated Don Bluth film Anastasia (1997), following his father, who scored the 1956 live-action version. However, he lost to Anne Dudley for The Full Monty. His other scores include Critters, The Phantom, The Brave Little Toaster, Malone, Ice Age, 102 Dalmatians and Serenity, among others.
In 1997, Newman began a four-year stint as the music director for the Sundance Institute, and he has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra on several occasions. That year, he also re-recorded the 20th Century Fox Fanfare that was originally composed by his father Alfred, to coincide with the re-opening of the Newman Scoring Stage at the Fox Studios Lot in LA, which debuted in the aforementioned Anastasia and is still being used as of today (albeit using the 1998 version).
In February 2007, he was elected president of The Film Music Society.
On May 21, 2009, Newman was honored with the Richard Kirk award at the annual BMI Film & Television Awards. The prestigious award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.
Since 2012, Newman has conducted the RSO Vienna orchestra at the annual film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna which is broadcast on radio and TV.
Newman is an alumnus and Board Member of the American Youth Symphony.

## Filmography
### Film
#### 1980s

| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
| 1984 | Frankenweenie | Tim Burton | Walt Disney Pictures | Short film |
| 1986 | Critters | Stephen Herek | New Line Cinema | — |
| 1986 | Vendetta | Bruce Logan | Vestron Pictures | — |
| 1987 | The Kindred | Stephen Carpenter Jeffrey Obrow | FM Entertainment | — |
| 1987 | My Demon Lover | Charlie Loventhal | New Line Cinema | — |
| 1987 | Malone | Harley Cokeliss | Orion Pictures | — |
| 1987 | The Brave Little Toaster | Jerry Rees | The Kushner-Locke Company Hyperion Pictures Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (US theatrical release) ITC Entertainment (UK theatrical release) Walt Disney Home Video (US video release) | David Newman's first score for an animated film |
| 1987 | Throw Momma from the Train | Danny DeVito | Orion Pictures | — |
| 1988 | Heathers | Michael Lehmann | New World Pictures | — |
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Stephen Herek | Nelson Entertainment Interscope Communications Orion Pictures (US) De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (International) | — |
| 1989 | Disorganized Crime | Jim Kouf | Silver Screen Partners IV Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1989 | Little Monsters | Richard Alan Greenberg | Allied Stars Ltd Davis Entertainment Vestron Pictures (original production and distribution company) United Artists (theatrical distribution; Vestron sold the movie to United Artists) | — |
| 1989 | Gross Anatomy | Thom Eberhardt | Sandollar Productions Silver Screen Partners IV Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1989 | The War of the Roses | Danny DeVito | Gracie Films 20th Century Fox | — |

#### 1990s

| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
| 1990 | Madhouse | Tom Ropelewski | Orion Pictures | — |
| 1990 | Fire Birds | David Green | Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1990 | The Freshman | Andrew Bergman | TriStar Pictures | — |
| 1990 | DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp | Bob Hathcock | DisneyToon Studios Walt Disney Pictures | — |
| 1990 | Mr. Destiny | James Orr | Silver Screen Partners IV Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1990 | Meet the Applegates | Michael Lehmann | New World Pictures | — |
| 1991 | The Marrying Man | Jerry Rees | Silver Screen Partners IV Hollywood Pictures | — |
| 1991 | Talent for the Game | Robert M. Young | Paramount Pictures | — |
| 1991 | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead | Stephen Herek | HBO Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Peter Hewitt | Nelson Entertainment Interscope Communications Orion Pictures | — |
| 1991 | Rover Dangerfield | James L. George Bob Seeley | Hyperion Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 1991 | Paradise | Mary Agnes Donoghue | Interscope Communications Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1991 | Other People's Money | Norman Jewison | Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 1991 | The Runestone | Willard Carroll | Hyperion Pictures LIVE Entertainment | — |
| 1992 | Itsy Bitsy Spider | Matthew O'Callaghan | Hyperion Pictures Paramount Pictures | Short film |
| 1992 | Honeymoon in Vegas | Andrew Bergman | Castle Rock Entertainment New Line Cinema Columbia Pictures | — |
| 1992 | The Mighty Ducks | Stephen Herek | Avnet-Kerner Productions Walt Disney Pictures | — |
| 1992 | That Night | Craig Bolotin | Le Studio Canal+ Regency Enterprises Alcor Films Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 1992 | Hoffa | Danny DeVito | Le Studio Canal+ Jersey Films 20th Century Fox | — |
| 1993 | The Sandlot | David Mickey Evans | Island World 20th Century Fox | — |
| 1993 | Coneheads | Steve Barron | NBC Films Paramount Pictures | — |
| 1993 | Undercover Blues | Herbert Ross | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | — |
| 1994 | The Air Up There | Paul Michael Glaser | Nomura Babcock & Brown Interscope Communications PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Hollywood Pictures | — |
| 1994 | My Father the Hero | Steve Miner | Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1994 | The Flintstones | Brian Levant | Hanna-Barbera Productions Amblin Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 1994 | The Cowboy Way | Gregg Champion | Imagine Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 1994 | I Love Trouble | Charles Shyer | Caravan Pictures Touchstone Pictures | — |
| 1995 | Boys on the Side | Herbert Ross | Le Studio Canal+ Regency Enterprises Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 1995 | Tommy Boy | Peter Segal | Paramount Pictures | — |
| 1995 | Operation Dumbo Drop | Simon Wincer | Interscope Communications PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Walt Disney Pictures | — |
| 1996 | Big Bully | Steve Miner | Morgan Creek Productions Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 1996 | The Phantom | Simon Wincer | The Ladd Company Village Roadshow Pictures Paramount Pictures | — |
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Tom Shadyac | Imagine Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 1996 | Matilda | Danny DeVito | Jersey Films TriStar Pictures | — |
| 1996 | Jingle All the Way | Brian Levant | 1492 Pictures 20th Century Fox | — |
| 1997 | Out to Sea | Martha Coolidge | Davis Entertainment 20th Century Fox | — |
| 1997 | Anastasia | Don Bluth Gary Goldman | 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Animation Fox Animation Studios | — |
| 1999 | Never Been Kissed | Raja Gosnell | Fox 2000 Pictures Flower Films 20th Century Fox | — |
| 1999 | Bowfinger | Frank Oz | Imagine Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 1999 | Brokedown Palace | Jonathan Kaplan | 20th Century Fox | — |
| 1999 | Galaxy Quest | Dean Parisot | DreamWorks Pictures | — |

#### 2000s

| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
| 2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Brian Levant | Hanna-Barbera Productions Amblin Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Peter Segal | Imagine Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 2000 | Duets | Bruce Paltrow | Hollywood Pictures | — |
| 2000 | Bedazzled | Harold Ramis | Regency Enterprises 20th Century Fox | — |
| 2000 | 102 Dalmatians | Kevin Lima | Walt Disney Pictures | — |
| 2001 | The Flamingo Rising | Martha Coolidge | CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame | Television film |
| 2001 | Lost Soul | David Mickey Evans | Brocita Entertainment (S) Pte Ltd Onetree Pictures United International Pictures | — |
| 2001 | Dr. Dolittle 2 | Steve Carr | Davis Entertainment 20th Century Fox | — |
| 2001 | The Affair of the Necklace | Charles Shyer | Alcon Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 2002 | Ice Age | Chris Wedge | Blue Sky Studios 20th Century Fox Animation 20th Century Fox | — |
| 2002 | Death to Smoochy | Danny DeVito | Jersey Films Film4 Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 2002 | Life or Something Like It | Stephen Herek | Regency Enterprises Davis Entertainment 20th Century Fox | — |
| 2002 | Scooby-Doo | Raja Gosnell | Atlas Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 2003 | How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | Donald Petrie | Paramount Pictures | — |
| 2003 | Daddy Day Care | Steve Carr | Revolution Studios Davis Entertainment Columbia Pictures | — |
| 2003 | Duplex | Danny DeVito | Flower Films Red Hour Productions FilmColony Miramax Films | — |
| 2003 | The Cat in the Hat | Bo Welch | Imagine Entertainment Universal Pictures (North America) DreamWorks Pictures (International) | Replaced Marc Shaiman |
| 2004 | Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed | Raja Gosnell | Warner Bros. Pictures | — |
| 2005 | Are We There Yet? | Brian Levant | Revolution Studios Columbia Pictures | — |
| 2005 | Man of the House | Stephen Herek | Bel Air Entertainment Revolution Studios Columbia Pictures | — |
| 2005 | Monster-in-Law | Robert Luketic | Allied Stars Ltd New Line Cinema | — |
| 2005 | Serenity | Joss Whedon | Universal Pictures | — |
| 2007 | Norbit | Brian Robbins | Tollin/Robbins Productions Davis Entertainment DreamWorks Pictures Paramount Pictures | — |
| 2008 | Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins | Malcolm D. Lee | Spyglass Entertainment Universal Pictures | — |
| 2008 | The Spirit | Frank Miller | OddLot Entertainment Lionsgate | — |
| 2009 | My Life in Ruins | Donald Petrie | Playtone Echo Bridge Entertainment Fox Searchlight Pictures | — |
| 2009 | Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins | Brian Levant | Cartoon Network Warner Premiere | Television film |
| 2009 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | Betty Thomas | Bagdasarian Productions Dune Entertainment Regency Enterprises 20th Century Fox | — |

#### 2010s

| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
| 2010 | Crazy on the Outside | Tim Allen | Freestyle Releasing | — |
| 2010 | The Spy Next Door | Brian Levant | Relativity Media Lionsgate | — |
| 2010 | Animals United | Reinhard Klooss Holger Tappe | Ambient Entertainment Constantin Film | — |
| 2010 | Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster | Brian Levant | Atlas Entertainment Warner Premiere | Television film |
| 2011 | Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son | John Whitesell | Regency Enterprises 20th Century Fox | — |
| 2012 | A Christmas Story 2 | Brian Levant | Warner Premiere Warner Bros. Pictures | Direct-to-video film |
| 2013 | Tarzan | Reinhard Klooss | Ambient Entertainment Constantin Film | — |
| 2014 | Behaving Badly | Tim Garrick | Vertical Entertainment | — |
| 2014 | 5 Flights Up | Richard Loncraine | Focus World | — |
| 2016 | Army of One | Larry Charles | Conde Nast Entertainment Endgame Entertainment Kasbah-Film Tanger | — |
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Malcolm D. Lee | Universal Pictures Will Packer Productions | — |
| 2017 | Naked | Michael Tiddes | Netflix Wayans Alvarez Productions | — |
| 2018 | Night School | Malcolm D. Lee | Universal Pictures | — |
| 2019 | Pets United | Reinhard Klooss | Netflix | — |

#### 2020s

| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
| 2021 | West Side Story | Steven Spielberg | 20th Century Studios Amblin Entertainment | As arranger and adapter. Original themes and songs by Leonard Bernstein. Fifth Steven Spielberg film without his long-time collaborator, John Williams, since Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), The Color Purple (1985), Bridge of Spies (2015) and Ready Player One (2018). Second Spielberg film to be scored by a Newman family member after Bridge of Spies, which was composed by Thomas Newman, David's younger brother. |

### Television

| Year | Title | Creator | Studio(s) | Notes |
| 2019-2022 | Green Eggs and Ham | Jared Stern | Gulfstream Pictures A Stern Talking To A Very Good Production Warner Bros. Animation Netflix | Newman's first score for an animated series |