WIRE Buzz: Avengers theme goes global; Daisy Ridley asks 'Where’s the love gone?' from Star Wars fans

Alan Silvestri's epic theme for the Avengers films is one of the most iconic pieces of music ever written for modern cinema. And now, thanks to the Virtual Youth Orchestra, you can hear it played by more than 200 young musicians from all over the globe. It's so good, in fact, that Marvel's official Avengers Twitter account (a social media page that has over 5 million followers) shared the video.

"This is our third week and we doubled in size with the additions of six French horn players," VYO founder Alex Pope said in a statement to SYFY WIRE. "I had to think of something big for horns and so Avengers it was! I'm inspired by Alan Silvestri’s music and knew this would be something the kids would love to do and they did! Can’t believe it’s been shared by the Avengers page!"

Based in the United Kingdom, the VYO is a totally free project that currently has over 500 registered members from the USA, Australia, Ghana, Japan, Europe, and the UAE. The kids involved learn a new piece of music each week and record their parts for video launches every Sunday.

"They love spotting themselves in the videos," Pope added. "Music is so important for their well-being and if we can impact that in a positive way during these times of global uncertainty, then I am so happy!!"

Alan Silvestri is famous for scoring such genre classics as Back to the Future, Predator, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Women in the Star Wars universe don’t have the luxury of being on social media thanks to toxic corners of the sci-fi franchise’s fandom, leading actresses Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran to depart online culture, vowing never to return. The backlash from a small contingent during the period of director Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi was already a bad bump in the road for the fan community, and, for Ridley at least, the negative responses to The Rise of Skywalker were a rough indication of how some audiences had turned around since the generally positive welcome given to The Force Awakens.

The final film in the Skywalker saga is also its lowest rated: The Rise of Skywalker’s 52 percent on Rotten Tomatoes is even beneath The Phantom Menace. That turnaround from TFA, which kicked off the new trilogy with a high 93 percent, is tough for anyone associated with the franchise to see — but especially for Ridley. Speaking on the DragCast, Ridley explained that, from her perspective, the progression of films and their respective responses ended on a sour note.

“[The fandom] changed film by film, honestly, like 98 percent, it’s so amazing. This last film, it was really tricky,” Ridley said. “January was not that nice. It was weird, I felt like all of this love that we’d sort of been shown the first time around; I was like, ‘Where’s the love gone?’”

Ridley’s been outspoken in the past about social media, but she again went in on those sharing negative opinions online. “I watched the documentary, the making-of, this week, and it’s so filled with love; and I think it’s that tricky thing of when you’re part of something that is so filled with love and then people … You know, everyone’s entitled to not like something, but it feels like it’s changed slightly. I think in general that’s because social media and what have you.”

“If I went to a film and didn’t like it, I just wouldn’t tweet about it,” she said. “I guess now conversations are just more public, so there’s stuff I wouldn’t have seen, but honestly trying to scroll through my news feed in January and trying not to see Star Wars stuff, I’d see headlines and be like, ‘Oh my god, this is so upsetting.’”

Now, however, Star Wars is in a holding pattern. The Mandalorian is on its way back for a second season, Obi-Wan is getting a show scripted, and, as far as fans know, the cinematic universe (and any hate levied its way) is going to rest for a little while, at least.

Lastly, as movie theaters attempt to fight off bankruptcy while the world isolates due to the coronavirus pandemic, those films releasing straight to digital are finding some unprecedented successes. Trolls World Tour, the animated sequel to the big-haired toy adaptation that bit the bullet and passed a theatrical release by as it headed straight to homes, is already posting big numbers.

According to a release, Trolls World Tour is finding plenty of VOD success on FandangoNOW, Fandango’s own movie rental service. Not only did the film top its charts upon its debut, beating out the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Birds of Prey, The Invisible Man, Dolittle, and Bloodshot — some of which were also its peers in the early release market, though they at least got a few weeks on the big screen — it also earned the title of the service’s most pre-ordered film of all time and its best-selling film on its opening day.

“Following weeks of anticipation for its home premiere, Trolls World Tour is now FandangoNOW’s streaming debut champ, with the best preorders, first day and opening weekend sales we’ve ever seen,” FandangoNOW Head Cameron Douglas said in a statement.

Universal claimed the film as the biggest digital release debut ever, though the exact numbers aren't exactly clear on that front. Regardless, the sequel is certainly topping rental charts as the industry continues to adapt to its altered landscape.

Trolls World Tour is available to rent, for an increased $19.99 price tag, now.