Emmy-nominated composer Jeff Morrow recently scored Disney’s live-action feature Snow White, which opens in theatres on March 21st. Directed by Marc Webb and produced by Marc Platt, the film features songs by Pasek and Paul. Here, Jeff he shares insight into how he approached the project, his original themes and how he found balance between the score and its musical numbers.
Jeff, scoring a live-action reimagining of Disney’s Snow White must have been a massive undertaking. How did you approach balancing the legacy of the original film with Marc Webb’s vision?
“I had to pinch myself regularly! To be a part of the musical legacy of Disney’s Snow White was an incredible honor and a challenge for sure. My goal for the score was for it to feel modern, like it was written this year, but using some of the musical language of the original animated version and the scores of that time. That said, I tried not to ever get too wrapped up in the history of all of this. I probably never would have been able to write a note! In the end, I also had to deliver the right emotion and musical through-line for this film.”
As the new film is a musical, did you have to work closely with Pasek and Paul’s original songs? How did you integrate your score with their music while keeping a cohesive overall sound?
“To my ears, Benj and Justin’s songs do an amazing job of straddling feeling modern while also feeling timeless. It was listening to their songs that led me to try to do the same with the score. So in the end, to my ears anyways, it all sounds (like) one piece. I also directly quoted the songs in the score when it helped to tell the story. Throughout the film, whenever Snow White is remembering her father, I quoted the melody that the King sings to Snow White before leaving her: ‘Someone fearless, someone fair, someone brave, someone true.’ It was important to all of us making the film to keep this melody fresh in the audience’s ears so that it has an even bigger impact when Snow White sings it, backed up by all the townspeople, as she marches to confront the queen.
“This is also a Disney ‘Princess’ movie, so I knew I had to deliver the most lush and romantic version of Snow White and Jonathan’s love song ‘Something To Do With You’ when they kissed for the first time.
The world of Snow White is filled with magic and wonder. How did you translate those fantastical elements into a musical score that feels grounded in the live-action world?
“Marc Webb did the most amazing job of telling a very personal and intimate story about Snow White, surrounded with the lush and magical world she exists in. The visuals are so spectacular on their own that sometimes all that was needed is a solo flute. Other times, the score could step up and play a bigger part in telling the story.
“When Snow White escapes the dark forest and is greeted by many cute and cuddly animals, we had to find the right balance between playing the magical wonder of it all and underscoring a very intense emotional moment for this young girl, Snow White. We achieved this by starting with a small group of instruments that can do both, like flute, celeste and harp, before bringing in the full 100-piece orchestra as she discovers the miners’ cottage.”
Can you tell us about a specific musical motif in Snow White that you’re particularly proud of and how it develops throughout the film?
“This being a musical, there are a lot of melodic themes, but I knew I needed to have one that could follow Snow White from beginning to end. This had to be something that was both melancholy and full of hope. This film, as many Disney films do, starts with Snow White losing both her parents, so cheerful wouldn’t cut it. That said, somewhere inside this melody there needed to be strength and courage, so that with the right orchestration we could deliver the catharsis needed as Snow White succeeds in taking back the kingdom from the evil queen. If you’re interested in taking a listen, this moment is ‘I Remember’ on the score album.”
What’s next for you? Or what type of projects do you hope to explore next?
“Up next I’m scoring a documentary about Mel Brooks, directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. After that I’m jumping back into The Peanuts for Apple TV+.”