Grammy winning musician and composer Heitor Pereira returns to score Despicable Me 2, with Grammy winning producer Pharrell Williams, in theaters July 3, 2013. Reuniting for the sequel following their successful collaboration on the first film, which garnered an Annie Award nomination, Pereira and Williams have created a musical world of soulful funk beats and summertime vibes. Featuring the voices of Steve Carrell, Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand and Miranda Cosgrove, Despicable Me 2 follows reformed villain Gru as he tries to balance being the perfect dad with unexpectedly finding himself working for the good guys. The Despicable Me 2 Soundtrack was released June 18, 2013, and is available now on Back Lot Music. Heitor Pereira is currently scoring The Smurfs 2 in theaters July 31, 2013.
"The music for the first film was distinctive and defined the character of the movie. It was borne out of collaboration between Pharrell and Heitor. It was clear that was a relationship that we wanted to continue for the second film," said director Chris Renaud. Building on the chemistry and momentum from the first film, Pereira and Williams set out to create a musical tone to match the character progression and film's storyline. Pereira created new and evolved character themes incorporating musical elements from his Latin roots. Pereira stated "For El Macho, I used a full choir with a latin flair to emphasize his presence." Additionally, the composing team arranged several iconic songs for the minions to sing in the film including renditions of "Y.M.C.A." and "I Swear."
Heitor Pereira has built a reputation for bringing a unique sensibility to his film scores built from his solid foundation of musical craftsmanship. Prior to beginning his career in film composing, Pereira was a member of the platinum selling band Simply Red. He has released three solo albums and has arranged music and performed with such artists as Elton John, Shania Twain, Willie Nelson, and Jack Johnson. He received a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist for his collaboration with Sting and Chris Botti. Pereira's film credits include Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Curious George, and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.