John Cardon Debney (born August 18, 1956) is an American composer and conductor of film, television, and video game scores. His work encompasses a variety of mediums and genres like comedy, horror, science fiction, thriller, fantasy, and action-adventure. He is a long-time collaborator of Disney and has written music for their films, television series, and theme parks. He has frequently collaborated with film directors Brian Robbins, Jon Favreau, Garry Marshall, Tom Shadyac, Peter Hyams, Mark Dindal, and Brad Anderson.
Debney has been the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004).
Career After ending his career with Disney, John Debney worked for Mike Post. Debney furthered his hands-on training working with Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtin. Then Debney scored television projects including Disneyland, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, SeaQuest DSV, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, The Cape, The Lazarus Man, Piggsburg Pigs!, The Further Adventures of SuperTed, Doctor Who, Cagney & Lacey, Tiny Toon Adventures, The Young Riders, The New Yogi Bear Show, Police Academy: The Animated Series, Fame, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Dragon's Lair, Freshman Dorm, Pop Quiz, and Dink, the Little Dinosaur, for which he won an Emmy for Best Main Title.
In the early 1990s, Debney began to score indie films and Disneyland attractions. In 1991, Debney composed the music for Phantom Manor and It's a Small World (also used at Disneyland from 1993 to 2002) in Disneyland Paris and SpectroMagic at Magic Kingdom. In 1993, he scored his first studio feature, the Disney comedy Hocus Pocus starring Bette Midler. In 1994, Debney wrote Friends Forever with Greg Scelsa from Greg & Steve's album We All Live Together, Vol. 5.
Debney has since composed scores for Cats & Dogs, The Passion of the Christ, Bruce Almighty, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Elf, Sin City, Chicken Little, Liar Liar, Spy Kids, The Scorpion King, The Princess Diaries, Predators, and other films.
He has also composed scores for Lair and The Sims Medieval, both video games. In 2010, he composed the theme music for the Nickelodeon television series Supah Ninjas. He composed some of Disney Parks's Nighttime Spectaculars including World Of Color Celebrate! in Disney California Adventure, The Magic, The Memories And You!, Celebrate the Magic in Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, and Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland in Tokyo Disneyland in addition to an arrangement of "When You Wish Upon a Star" as a fanfare (the music played when the Walt Disney Pictures logo was shown) from 1985 to 2006.
Filmography Film 1980s Year Title Director(s) Studio(s) Notes 1987 The Wild PairBeau BridgesTrans World Entertainment Composed with Michel Colombier 1988 The Further Adventures of Tennessee BuckDavid Keith Seven Hours to JudgmentBeau Bridges Not Since Casanova Brett Thompson The Brett Thompson CompanyWest Productions 1989 Trenchcoat in ParadiseMartha Coolidge Finnegan/Pinchuk ProductionsMGM Television
1990s Year Title Director(s) Studio(s) Notes1990Jetsons: The MovieWilliam HannaJoseph Barbera Universal PicturesHanna-Barbera Productions Debney's first score for an animated film1993Hocus PocusKenny Ortega Walt Disney Pictures 1994 GunmenDeran SarafianDimension Films (North America)Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (International)LIVE EntertainmentDavis EntertainmentGray Gunmen Productions White Fang 2: Myth of the White WolfKen Olin Walt Disney Pictures Little Giants Duwayne Dunham Warner Bros. PicturesAmblin Entertainment 1995 ChameleonMichael Pavone Rysher Entertainment Direct-to-video HouseguestRandall Miller Hollywood PicturesCaravan Pictures Runaway BrainChris Bailey Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Feature Animation Short film Cutthroat IslandRenny Harlin MGM/UA Distribution Co.Carolco PicturesCutthroat Productions Sudden DeathPeter Hyams Universal PicturesShattered Productions 1996 Getting Away with Murder Harvey Miller Savoy Pictures CarpoolArthur Hiller Warner Bros. PicturesRegency Enterprises 1997 The RelicPeter Hyams Paramount PicturesCloud Nine EntertainmentPolyGram Filmed EntertainmentMarubeniToho-TowaTele München GroupBBC FilmPacific Western Productions Liar LiarTom Shadyac Universal PicturesImagine Entertainment Themes by James Newton Howard I Know What You Did Last SummerJim Gillespie Columbia PicturesMandalay Entertainment 1998PaulieJohn Roberts DreamWorks PicturesMutual Film Company Nominated- IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Comedy Film I'll Be Home for ChristmasArlene Sanford Walt Disney PicturesMandeville Films 1999 My Favorite MartianDonald Petrie Walt Disney Pictures Lost & FoundJeff Pollack Warner Bros. PicturesAlcon Entertainment Inspector Gadget David Kellogg Walt Disney PicturesCaravan PicturesDIC EntertainmentAvnet/Kerner ProductionsRoger Birnbaum Productions DickAndrew Fleming Columbia PicturesPhoenix Pictures KomodoMichael Lantieri Scanbox Entertainment The Adventures of Elmo in GrouchlandGary Halvorson Columbia PicturesJim Henson PicturesChildren's Television Workshop End of DaysPeter Hyams Universal Pictures (North America)Buena Vista International (International)Beacon Pictures
2000s Year Title Director(s) Studio(s) Notes 2000 Michael Jordan to the Max James D. SternDon Kempf Giant Screen Films Documentary film Relative Values Eric Styles Alliance Atlantis CommunicationsStarz Encore Entertainment The Replacements Howard Deutch Warner Bros. PicturesBel Air Entertainment The Emperor's New GrooveMark Dindal Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Feature Animation Nominated- Annie Award for Music in a Feature Production 2001 See Spot RunJohn Whitesell Warner Bros. PicturesVillage Roadshow PicturesNPV EntertainmentRobert Simonds Productions HeartbreakersDavid Mirkin Metro-Goldwyn-MayerDavis EntertainmentWinchester Films Themes by Danny Elfman Spy Kids Robert Rodriguez Dimension FilmsTroublemaker Studios Composed with Danny Elfman, Heitor Pereira, Robert Rodriguez, Los Lobos, Gavin Greenaway, and Harry Gregson-WilliamsCats & DogsLawrence Guterman Warner Bros. PicturesCat Fight PicturesVillage Roadshow PicturesNPV EntertainmentMad ChanceZide/Perry Productions The Princess DiariesGarry Marshall Walt Disney PicturesBrownHouse Productions Jimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusJohn A. Davis Paramount PicturesNickelodeon MoviesO EntertainmentDNA Productions 2002 Snow DogsBrian Levant Walt Disney PicturesThe Kerner Entertainment Company DragonflyTom Shadyac Universal Pictures (North America)Spyglass Entertainment(International; through Buena Vista International) The Scorpion KingChuck Russell Universal PicturesWWE EntertainmentAlphaville FilmsMisher Films Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost DreamsRobert Rodriguez Dimension FilmsTroublemaker Studios Composed with Robert Rodriguez SwimfanJohn Polson 20th Century FoxGreeneStreet FilmsCobalt Media GroupFurthur Films Composed with Louis Febre The Tuxedo Kevin Donovan DreamWorks PicturesBlue Train ProductionsParkes/MacDonald Productions Composed with Christophe Beck The Hot ChickTom Brady Touchstone PicturesHappy Madison Productions 2003 Most Bobby Garabedian Short film Malibu's Most WantedJohn Whitesell Warner Bros. PicturesKarz Entertainment Composed with John Van Tongeren Bruce AlmightyTom Shadyac Universal Pictures (United States)Buena Vista International (international)Spyglass EntertainmentShady Acres EntertainmentPit Bull Productions ElfJon Favreau New Line CinemaGuy Walks Into a Bar Productions Looney Tunes: Back in ActionJoe Dante Warner Bros. PicturesWarner Bros. Feature AnimationBaltimore Spring Creek ProductionsGoldmann Pictures Additional music (score for final reel of the film)Main score composed by Jerry Goldsmith 2004 Welcome to MooseportDonald Petrie 20th Century FoxIntermedia Films The Passion of the ChristMel Gibson Icon ProductionsNewmarket Films Nominated-Academy Award for Best Original ScoreNominated-IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Drama Film The Whole Ten YardsHoward Deutch Warner Bros. PicturesFranchise PicturesCheyenne EnterprisesMHF Zweite Academy Film Raising HelenGarry Marshall Touchstone PicturesBeacon PicturesHyde Park EntertainmentMandeville Films Spider-Man 2Sam Raimi Columbia PicturesMarvel EnterprisesLaura Ziskin Productions Additional musicScore composed by Danny Elfman The Princess Diaries 2: Royal EngagementGarry Marshall Walt Disney PicturesShondaLandMartin Chase Productions Christmas with the KranksJoe Roth Columbia PicturesRevolution Studios1492 Pictures 2005 The PacifierAdam Shankman Walt Disney PicturesSpyglass Entertainment Sin CityRobert Rodriguez Miramax FilmsDimension FilmsTroublemaker Studios Composed with Robert Rodriguez & Graeme RevellThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D Miramax FilmsDimension FilmsColumbia PicturesTroublemaker Studios DumaCarroll Ballard Warner Bros. PicturesGaylord FilmsJohn Wells Productions Composed with George Acogny Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo Mike Bigelow Columbia PicturesHappy Madison ProductionsOut of the Blue... Entertainment Theme music onlyScore composed by James L. Venable DreamerJohn Gatins DreamWorks PicturesTollin/Robbins ProductionsHyde Park Entertainment VenomJim Gillespie Miramax FilmsDimension FilmsOuterbanks EntertainmentCollision Entertainment Theme music onlyScore composed by James L. Venable Chicken LittleMark Dindal Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Feature Animation Zathura: A Space AdventureJon Favreau Columbia PicturesRadar PicturesTeitler FilmMichael De Luca Productions Cheaper by the Dozen 2Adam Shankman 20th Century Fox21 Laps Entertainment 2006 Keeping Up with the SteinsScott Marshall Miramax Films The Ant Bully John A. Davis Warner Bros. PicturesLegendary PicturesPlaytoneDNA Productions Nominated- Annie Award for Music in a Feature ProductionNominated-IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Animated Film BarnyardSteve Oedekerk Paramount PicturesNickelodeon MoviesO Entertainment IdlewildBryan Barber Universal PicturesAtlas EntertainmentForensic FilmsHBO FilmsMosaic Media Group Everyone's HeroColin BradyDan St. PierreChristopher Reeve 20th Century FoxIDT Entertainment 2007 Spider-Man 3Sam Raimi Columbia PicturesMarvel EntertainmentLaura Ziskin Productions Additional musicScore composed by Christopher Young Georgia RuleGarry Marshall Universal PicturesMorgan Creek Productions Evan AlmightyTom Shadyac Universal PicturesSpyglass EntertainmentRelativity MediaShady Acres EntertainmentOriginal Film Nominated- IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Comedy FilmBig StanRob Schneider Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentCrystal Sky PicturesSilver NitrateFrom Out of Nowhere Productions Theme music onlyScore composed by John Hunter 2008 Meet DaveBrian Robbins 20th Century FoxDune EntertainmentRegency EnterprisesGuy Walks Into a Bar ProductionsFriendly Films The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorRob Cohen Universal PicturesRelativity MediaThe Sommers CompanyAlphaville Films Additional musicScore composed by Randy Edelman Swing Vote Joshua Michael Stern Touchstone PicturesTreehouse Films1821 PicturesRadar Pictures The Stoning of Soraya M.Cyrus Nowrasteh Roadside AttractionsMpower Pictures My Best Friend's GirlHoward Deutch Lionsgate FilmsTerra Firma FilmsManagement 360Superfinger Entertainment 2009 Hotel for DogsThor Freudenthal Paramount PicturesDreamWorks PicturesNickelodeon MoviesCold Spring PicturesThe Donners' CompanyThe Montecito Picture Company Hannah Montana: The MoviePeter Chelsom Walt Disney PicturesIt's a Laugh ProductionsMillar/Gough Ink Aliens in the AtticJohn Schultz 20th Century FoxRegency EnterprisesJosephson EntertainmentDune Entertainment Old DogsWalt Becker Walt Disney PicturesTapestry Films
2010s