People | Composer Heitor Pereira
Composer Heitor Pereira returns to work with director Raja Gosnell on Columbia Pictures’ TheSmurfs 2, in theaters July 31, 2013. The Smurfs 2 follows Smurfette, voiced by Katy Perry, after the wicked smurfs kidnap her in order to obtain her secret spell that transforms non-smurfs into smurfs. Following the The Smurfs, Pereira incorporates a children’s choir of whistling and whooshing with a full orchestra to highlight the many playful moments of the smurfs as well as the mischief the wicked smurfs cause. Pereira also recently scored Despicable Me 2, currently in theaters.
A celebrated musician, Heitor Pereira sings to the hearts of children through his scores for his numerous animated films. For Smurfs 2, Pereira created an alternative musical world very different from the traditional music of the 1980’s cartoon. With a heavy emphasis on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven for the cartoon show, Pereira incorporates orchestral music and a children’s choir creating musical sounds rather than simple singing to embellish the actions of the smurfs.
Originally, Heitor Pereira strived to be a song writer until discovering his love for scoring films and began his career as a musician. After leaving the platinum selling group Simply Red, Pereira focused on film composing. A member of Han Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios, Pereira has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Jack Johnson, Bryan Adams, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Seal, Nelly Furtado, and most recently Pharrell Williams. Pereira received the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist in collaboration with Sting and Chris Bottie. Pereira’s film scoring credits includeDespicable Me 1 & 2, The Smurfs 1 & 2, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, A Little Bit of Heaven and From Prada to Nada. He has written additional music for films such as Mission Impossible II, Something’s Gotta Give, and It’s Complicated, on which he performed on guitar for the film’s memorable theme. His other accolades include numerous ASCAP Film and TV Music Awards.
