Justin Burnett

Biography

Justin Caine Burnett, born on May 2, 1973, is an American composer renowned for his contributions to film and video game scores. His career is marked by significant collaborations with prominent Hollywood composers and a diverse discography spanning various genres.

Biography and Early Career:

Burnett's musical journey began at an early age. Born to a concert pianist and artist, he started studying music at eight and played in over 15 symphonic ensembles over 12 years. While composition was his primary passion, he also developed a strong interest in learning and playing various musical instruments. During his college years, he expanded his passion to electronic music, performing in several electronic bands.

In 1995, Burnett moved to Los Angeles, where he began a significant five-year tenure (1995-2000) as an assistant to acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer. During this period, he contributed to the music of notable films such as "Broken Arrow," "As Good as It Gets," "The Prince of Egypt," "The Road to El Dorado," and "Gladiator."

A Prolific Career in Film and Video Game Scoring:

After his time with Zimmer, Burnett embarked on a long-term collaboration with film composer Harry Gregson-Williams, which began in 2000 and continues to the present day. Their joint efforts include scores for films like "Spy Game," "Phone Booth," "Veronica Guerin," "Man on Fire," "Déjà Vu," "The Taking of Pelham 123," "Unstoppable," and "Cowboys & Aliens." He also worked with Walter Werzowa at Musikvergnuegen from 2000 to 2005, contributing to numerous commercials, movie trailers, and network branding projects.

Burnett's independent scoring career began with "Possums" (1998), which was featured at the Sundance Film Festival. His second notable film was "Dungeons & Dragons" (2000). He also composed the music for "An American Haunting" (2005) under the pseudonym Caine Davidson.

His extensive filmography as a composer includes scores for:

• The "After" film series: "After" (2019) and "After We Collided" (2020)
• "Getaway" (2013)
• "Crave" (2013)
• "Java Heat" (2013)
• "The Strangers: Chapter 1" (2024), "The Strangers: Chapter 2" (2025), and "The Strangers: Chapter 3" (2025)
• "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer" (2006)
• "Iron Cross" (2009)
• "The Freak Brothers" (2021-2023 TV series)
• "The Patient" (2022 TV mini-series)
• "9-1-1: Lone Star" (2020-2025 TV series, as composer)
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He has also contributed additional music or music programming to many other high-profile projects, such as "The Equalizer" (2014) and "The Equalizer 2" (2018), "The Turning" (2020), "The Hunt" (2020), "John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017), and several films directed by Tony Scott.

Beyond film, Burnett has also composed music for video games, including the soundtrack for "Unit 13" (2012). His diverse and extensive body of work solidifies his position as a sought-after composer in the entertainment industry.