Who composed the original score for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight?

Ennio Morricone composed the original score for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. The music marked a major collaboration between the director and the celebrated Italian composer, whose work strongly shaped the film’s wintry, suspenseful mood.

Morricone wrote new material for the film, including ominous orchestral passages that build tension inside the isolated cabin. Tarantino also used previously unreleased music from Morricone’s score for John Carpenter’s 1982 horror film The Thing.

The Hateful Eight became especially notable during the brief revival of 70 mm roadshow presentation. Its wide images and deliberate pacing contrast with the claustrophobic conflict among the characters trapped by a blizzard.

Morricone won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the film. Although he had worked with Tarantino before, including through music used in earlier films, The Hateful Eight was their first project for which he composed a complete original score.