Award winning composer Mark McKenzie returns to score The Ultimate Life, directed by Michael Landon Jr. Based on the novels by Jim Stovall, the film is a prequel and sequel to the film The Ultimate Gift, also scored by McKenzie. The composer recorded the score for The Ultimate Life with a full orchestra and choir. The film opens September 6, 2013 with The Ultimate Life - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack available on Varèse Sarabande Records September 10, 2013.
The Ultimate Life continues the story of Jason Stevens after surviving the quest he was sent on by his grandfather. Now... that gift, which includes managing a billion dollar foundation, is being challenged by his family. With Jason's assets being seized in a courtroom battle and his relationship with Alexia growing increasingly complicated, he sets out on a quest to discover what it truly means to fulfill his destiny.
McKenzie has a reputation for delivering scores that not only service the needs of the film, but also play outside the theatre. Two years ago, McKenzie's heartfelt and uplifting score for the faith-based film, The Greatest Miracle (El Gran Milagro) was performed live in Madrid, Spain in front of more than one million people as part of World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI in attendance. Reviewed as one of the top scores of the year, McKenzie also received the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Score for The Greatest Miracle (El Gran Milagro).
Mark McKenzie is one of a small number of composers working in Hollywood who orchestrates every note he composes. Although McKenzie has primarily scored independent features, he has garnered a reputation for the thematic richness, beauty, and warmth of his scores. The talented composer/orchestrator has collaborated with virtually every major film composer over the past 20 years including John Barry, Danny Elfman, John Williams, and the late Jerry Goldsmith.
McKenzie's film credits as both a composer and an orchestrator have totaled more than $6 billion in the box office. His extensive list of film orchestration credits include the films Spider-Man, Nightmare Before Christmas, Good Will Hunting and the Academy Award-winning Dances With Wolves. He also composed and orchestrated Francis Ford Coppola's My Family. McKenzie recently wrote new, original music for the opening and closing sequences for the award-winning television anthology Hallmark Hall of Fame series, the longest running television serial in history. Additionally, collaborating with composers Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori and Sir Paul McCartney, McKenzie orchestrated a 50 minute symphonic orchestral piece for Bungie Inc.'s upcoming video game following Halo.