Music - Gotham Knights : Composer David Russo Returns to Score His 3rd Batman TV Series

By Mulder, 20 march 2023

Composer David Russo returns to DC’s Batman television franchise to compose the score for the newest DC Arrowverse series, CW’s Gotham Knights. Russo began in the Batman Universe as a protégé of composer Graeme Revell (Sin City, The Crow, The Chronicles of Riddick), co-composing the first season of the award-winning Gotham with Revell. Russo became the sole composer by the second season when Revell retired. He went on to compose the Gotham HBOMax spin-off, Pennyworth. He continues to foreboding and moody musical landscape of the lawless city with his Gotham Knights score. 

In Gotham Knights, Bruce Wayne is murdered, and his adopted son forges an alliance with the children of Batman's enemies. As the city becomes more dangerous, these mismatched fugitives will become the  next generation of saviors, the Gotham Knights. Gotham Knights premiered on March 14th with new episodes on Tuesdays on the CW.

David Russo is an award-winning composer, songwriter, and music producer. The self-taught musical prodigy was offered a prestigious scholarship at the renowned Sorbonne University in Paris while still in high school. He rejected this scholarship to take advantage of the Los Angeles music scene. The Los Angeles native studied Communications at UCLA, scoring student films and joining his first bands. David Russo has contributed to over 150 films, TV shows, and projects for directors including Robert Rodriguez, Adam McKay, Danny Cannon, David Gordon-Green, Michael Mann and Barry Levinson. Russo has also worked in the studio or toured with some of music’s biggest artists, including Rage Against the Machine, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sheryl Crowe, 50-Cent, Paul Weller, Crowded House, Dave Navarro, and super-producer Rick Rubin. 

Prior to composing for film and television, Russo saw success in L.A.’s indie-rock scene as a founding member of alt-rock band Sun-60 and chief architect of their soaring soundscapes. Sony’s Epic Records signed the band and released three critically acclaimed albums along with a worldwide tour.

Batman is dead, and a powder keg has ignited Gotham City without the Dark Knight to protect it. In the wake of Bruce Wayne’s murder, his adopted son Turner Hayes (Oscar Morgan) is framed for killing the Caped Crusader, along with the children of some of Batman’s enemies: Duela (Olivia Rose Keegan), an unpredictable fighter and skilled thief who was born in Arkham Asylum and abandoned by her father, Harper Row (Fallon Smythe), a streetwise and acerbic engineer who can fix anything, and her brother Cullen Row (Tyler DiChiara), a clever transgender teen who is tired of being polite and agreeable. With the charismatic and hard-charging District Attorney Harvey Dent (Misha Collins) and the GCPD hot on their trail, Turner will rely on allies including his best friend and formidable coder Stephanie Brown (Anna Lore), and unlikely Batman sidekick Carrie Kelley (Navia Robinson).  But our Knights will soon learn there is a larger, more nefarious force at work within Gotham City. This team of mismatched fugitives must band together to become its next generation of saviors known as the Gotham Knights.

From Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Gotham Knights is written by Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux and Natalie Abrams. Fiveash and Stoteraux serve as showrunners and executive produce the series alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Leigh London Redman. Abrams also serves as co-executive producer. Danny Cannon directed and served as an executive producer on the pilot, along with David Madden. Gotham Knights is based on characters created for DC by Bob Kane with Bill Finger.

Synopsis : 
In the wake of Bruce Wayne's murder, his wayward adopted son decides to form an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman's enemies, all of whom are suspected of the Dark Knight's murder. As they become the city's most wanted criminals, the members of this gang will have to fight to clear their names. But in a Gotham without the Batman to protect it, the city is now more dangerous than it has ever been. But this team of fugitives may well become the next generation of saviors, known as the Gotham Knights...

Gotham Knights
Based on Characters by Bob Kane, Bill Finger
Developed by Natalie Abrams Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux
Starring  Oscar Morgan, Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, Fallon Smythe, Tyler DiChiara, Anna Lore, Rahart Adams, Misha Collins
Music by David Russo
Executive producers : David Madden, Danny Cannon, Sarah Schechter, Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux, Greg Berlanti
Producers : Carl Ogawa, Jennifer Lence, Melissa Girotti
Cinematography : James Hawkinson
Editor : Mark C. Baldwin
Production companies : Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television
Original network : The CW
Original release March 14, 2023 – present

(Source : press release)