Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross Score New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Film

Nine Inch Nails bandmates and composers, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, have scored the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie, out August 2, 2023

“Well now that my teenage hero [Tony Hawk] has leaked that my music heroes are doing this I can add that the score is absolutely amazing,” wrote director Jeff Rowe, confirming Reznor and Ross’ involvement in the film. “Exhilarating, terrifying, heartbreaking, full of sounds I didn’t know existed. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe it. I love it so much.”

Seth Rogen, who also stars, writes, and produces the film, added, “This has been a thrilling process and I can’t wait for you all to see this movie and hear this incredible score.” Along with Rogen, the film also stars voice acting by Jackie Chan, John Cena, Ice Cube, Post Malone, Maya Rudolph, Hannibal Buress, and Paul Rudd, among others.

The movie follows the continuing storyline of Ninja Turtles Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. “After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts,” reads a synopsis of the film. “Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.”

In 2021, Reznor, Ross, and Jon Batiste won an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Pixar animated film Soul. The duo, along with Batiste, also won Best Original Score at The Golden Globes, The Critics’ Choice Awards, The BAFTA’s, The Annie Awards, and The Society of Composers & Lyricists. 

The Academy Award win marked the second for Reznor and Ross, who won their first Oscar for their original score for the David Fincher-directed The Social Network in 2011. 

The duo was also nominated for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA Award, a Critics’ Choice Award, and an SCL Award for Best Original Score for the Fincher-helmed Netflix drama Mank. In 2020, Reznor and Ross also earned an Emmy for their work on HBO’s Watchmen, putting them one award away from achieving an EGOT. That same year, they were inducted into the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Nine Inch Nails.

Working with Fincher again, Ross and Reznor recently scored his film The Killer, premiering on Netflix on November 10. Based on the French comic book series of the same name created and written by Alexis Nolent (a.k.a. Matz), the film stars Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton. The Killer follows the story of an assassin who faces the psychological consequences of his actions.

Photo: R. Diamond/Getty Images for VetsAid 2022