Tonight marks the debut of Damien, A&E’s new horror / thriller series that serves as a continuation of Richard Donner’s 1976 classic film, The Omen. That film had a profound impact on me growing up, in particular because of its Academy-Award-winning Jerry Goldsmith score. I was thrilled, and a little intimidated, to dive into this unique cinematic world and compose original score for Damien.

I first heard about this show over a year ago, when I got a call from my friend Glen Mazzara, the showrunner with whom I had collaborated on two seasons of The Walking Dead.

“Bear’s score brought so much to The Walking Dead. I knew music would be an even bigger component of Damien, that it would have to become a character in itself, representing Satan’s presence,” Glen recalled recently. “I called Bear as I was driving home from my first meeting. He’s so busy, I needed to get him excited so that if the show were ever to become a reality, he’d already be on board. I could not imagine making this show without him.” (more…)