Last week, Universal Orlando revealed more details about Dark Universe, the new land dedicated to Universal Monsters that will be part of the brand new Epic Universe theme park. Along with the announcement came some videos that included original music, which was hard not to describe it as “Danny Elfman-like.” Well, as It turns out, there was a good reason for that. Elfman did indeed write the tunes, and he confirmed that excellent news with a sweet message.
In a post shared to his Instagram story, Danny Elfman confirmed that he will be writing much, if not all, of the original music that will be part of Dark Universe. The veteran composer specifically posted a note, saying he was “honored” to have been chosen to write the music because of what the classic Universal Monsters mean to him. Elfman said…
The Universal Monsters have always been such a big part of my life. I’m grateful and honored to have been chosen to compose the music for the new Dark Universe in [Universal Orlando]. I can’t wait to go.
It's hard to understate the importance of music in a theme park land. It sets the mood of the place you’re in, helping to immerse you into that particular world. It’s not difficult to imagine why Danny Elfman would get the call to handle music for a land like this. His frequent collaborations with Tim Burton alone have seen him write music for some pretty spooky movies. So there’s no question that Elfman can handle this assignment.
It’s unclear exactly what tunes the Sleepy Hollow composer has written or will be writing, or where it will be heard. There will certainly be ambient music that guests will hear when they are walking through the land, but there will also be music for the attractions as well as ambient music in the restaurants. From the way the Academy Award nominee's statement reads, it certainly sounds like he’ll be handling all of it.
Check out the fly-through video of Dark Universe below, where you’ll hear what is almost certainly the first piece of the Edward Scissorhands alum's music for the themed locale. It sounds pretty damn perfect, if you ask me:
Monstrous details released! Explore a twisted landscape where unearthly creatures roam. Dark Universe opens 2025 at Universal Epic Universe. #EpicUniverse Visit the link to learn more: https://t.co/tKZOherbb5 pic.twitter.com/jgpLqoQ0JvJune 20, 2024
While theme park music may not be seen as the highest form of artistic expression, some truly great composers have created some truly great music over the years specifically for theme parks. John Williams won a Grammy for writing Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, the first one ever awarded for music written for a theme park. We may want to watch that award ceremony after Epic Universe opens to see if Danny Elfman can match that feat.
Most of the other lands in Epic Universe will likely use music that we already know as most are dedicated to a specific IP. For example, How to Train Your Dragon has a themed land in Isle of Berk. Super Nintendo World will use classic Nintendo music as the other versions of the land that are already open have done. The one place that we're still waiting on details for, Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, will likely use music from the Potter film franchise. The only other location that may have some original music is the entrance land, Celestial Gardens. We'll have to wait and see if that land has an equally big name behind it.
Honestly, this Danny Elfman news makes Dark Universe all the more exciting. Not only will it have a land dedicated to Universal Monsters that looks like the best part of an incredible park, but it will also have amazing music that you’ll need to visit the park to hear.
