Composer James S. Levine and music supervisor Mark Wike: ‘The New Look’ is the ‘story of art, war, survival, hope’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“The New Look” is “the story of art, the story of war, the story of survival, the story of hope,” declares composer James S. Levine about what he believes are the core themes of the Apple TV+ period drama. For our recent webchat with the composer and “The New Look” collaborator; music supervisor Mark Wike, Levine adds, “We wanted to underscore all of those things and specifically, in some way through the darkness allow the music to have a very human quality. Therefore, strings, there’s a lot of piano and voice. It’s pretty bold; nothing’s hidden, it’s very exposed.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
SEE Exclusive Video Interview: Juliette Binoche (‘The New Look’)
“The New Look” was created by Todd A. Kessler, a seven-time Emmy nominee for “The Sopranos” and “Damages,” who worked with Levine and Wike on his FX legal drama and also on his follow-up Netflix thriller “Bloodline.” The period drama explores the rivalry between a then-emerging fashion designer Christian Dior, who rose to stardom with his first collection in 1947, and established designer Chanel during World War II-era Paris. Oscar winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient” headlines the 10-part AppleTV+ prestige drama as Chanel alongside Emmy winner Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline”) who stars as Dior, with two-time Emmy nominee Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”) co-starring as Dior’s younger sister and muse Catherine Dior. The ensemble also features two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Malkovich as French couturier Lucien Lelong, Claes Bang as Nazi spy Hans von Dincklage, and eight-time Oscar nominee and three-time Emmy and Tony winner Glenn Close as fashion doyenne Carmel Snow.
“We’re always trying to push the boundaries wherever we can. Not for just that sake, but for what’s right,” Wike says about marrying Levine’s ambitious orchestral score with his chosen needle drops, as well as the many covers of classic songs from yesteryear, which were ultimately repackaged into a new covers album produced by Grammy winner Jack Antonoff, featuring an array of diverse artists like Florence Welch, Nick Cave and Lana del Rey. “We usually find creating space and finding what doesn’t work allows us to figure out what works, Wike says, with Levine adding, “we were so into the story and so connected. We start with the brutality of war and then we go into this idea of creation as means of survival, and ultimately hope for the future.”
PREDICT the 2024 Emmy nominees through July 17
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions