‘My movies have grossed $9,000,000,000 but here’s why you’ve never seen me’-Danni Scott-Entertainment – Metro

Lorne Balfe has played a huge part in all your favourite films(Picture: Andy Paradise/Paradise Photo)

‘You’ve got to make sure you’re constantly evolving,’ says Lorne Balfe – and with over 192 credits to his name, we’re inclined to believe him.

From Mission: Impossible to the highly-anticipated new Wallace and Gromit film, Lorne has probably worked on your favourite movie without you even knowing.

You won’t have seen Lorne on screen but you will have undoubtedly heard his work as the composer of hundreds of epic film scores.

Megamind, Black Widow, Lego Batman, Dungeons & Dragons, The Crown, and even video games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard – his CV is endless.

It’s hardly surprising when you realise the 48-year-old composer started his career working with industry titan Hans Zimmer; an impressive resume indeed.

‘A [soundtrack] underscores the emotion,’ Lorne tells Metro of his work. ‘It helps you relate to these characters.

Lorne has worked on over 200 films (Picture: Marcus Maschwitz)

He has composed music for Mission Impossible and Wallace and Gromit (Picture: Ethan Gillespie)

‘I think when you hear that theme from a movie, and you can close your eyes and picture those characters that’s what makes it good.’

He added: ‘The original term was “underscoring” and that’s what it’s there to do. [Music] is to help the audience feel connected and not always stand out too much, but simply be there for support.’

Darth Vader’s iconic theme is the composer’s instinctive example, humbly choosing one of the few mega-franchises he has yet to work on.

Lorne took the reins of the Mission: Impossible franchise with 2018’s Fallout, returning for Dead Reckoning and Final Reckoning (which is set for release in 2025).

This content variety comes from a drive to work with people and subjects that interest him, rather than falling in love with a potentially changeable script.

He began working with Hans Zimmer at 21 years old (Picture: Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

A film score is there to ‘support’ the emotions of the characters (Picture: Mark Tipping)

‘It’s important to be varied with what you’re doing’ (Picture: Marcus Maschwitz)

The composer is the ‘last to arrive at the party’ when making a movie so Lorne spends plenty of time talking to the directors and filmmakers; so it helps if you get on well.

He started taking on more family-friendly and animated films after his children were born as he wanted them to be able to enjoy his work without the ‘swear tin overflowing’.

‘As a composer, if you keep doing the same genre, you get into a rut and you just start following the same path. So I think it’s important to be varied with what you’re doing.’

When the brand new Wallace and Gromit film was brought to his attention, the Scottish composer couldn’t possibly say no.

‘It’s so quintessentially British,’ Lorne, who also worked on Curse of the Were-Rabbit under Hans’ Remote Control Productions company, praises. ‘It’s part of our folklore.

‘You want to be part of that history’ (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)

‘For such a small island, we do extraordinarily well in the arts – whether it’s paintings or music or acting – that’s what makes it so special because it is part of our family. The world of Wallace has been there for a long time, 30 years, so you want to be part of that history.’

He calls the Aardman Animations world ‘very nostalgic’ with plenty of ‘nods to film noir’ and while there are no ‘rules’ there is something innate in the way the score played out.

Working with the legendary Julian Nott, who has worked with director Nick Park since A Grand Day Out (1989) was also a ‘weight off his shoulders’.

Despite having some huge films to his name, Lorne rarely rewatches his projects because ‘there’s always going to be something’ that he wishes he could change.

‘To achieve perfection is impossible,’ he says. ‘A composer always runs out of time, and we run over a budget, and that’s just the nature of it so there’s always a regret somehow.’

Lorne has two Grammy, four Bafta and two Emmy nominations (Picture: Mark Tipping)

He ‘couldn’t possibly pick a favourite’ project (Picture: Andy Paradise/Paradise Photo)

After a drama project during his GCSEs, Lorne decided he wanted to be a composer and wrote to the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stuart Copeland, and his future mentor Hans.

Each replied and at 16, the Argylle composer was writing jingles for adverts – five years later he moved across the world to Los Angeles to pursue his dream.

Coming from a musical family, the arts always ‘felt like a real possibility’ and working for Hans was ‘the best training and best experience ever.’

It wasn’t until years later that Lorne understood the ‘sheer size’ of what his mentor has created, calling his contribution to film history ‘spectacular’.

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl airs on Christmas Day (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)

Lorne has something he’d ‘absolutely love to be brought into’ (Picture: Mark Tipping)

As for his own films, Lorne couldn’t possibly pick one as a standout, sharing: ‘I have to be proud of everything. It’s like being asked “Who’s your favourite child.’

He refuses to share any potential movies or directors he’d like to work with as then it would ‘never happen’ but teases there is ‘absolutely something that I would love to be brought into.’

For now, fans will just have to wait until Wallace and Gromit’s Christmas Day release, with Lorne revealing the end credits feature a ‘proper piece of music’ written specifically to celebrate the historic franchise.

‘Normally you either put a song at the end or a montage so being able to do this as a kind of thank you was a very special thing.’

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is out in selected cinemas now and airs on BBC One at 6.10pm on Christmas Day.

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