Silva Screen

DYNASTIES II

PUMA * ELEPHANT * CHEETAH * HYENA * MACAQUE

Composers BENJI MERRISON and WILL SLATER return to the worlds of the DAVID ATTENBOROUGH hosted DYNASTIES.

In 2018, more than eight million viewers were captivated by each episode of DYNASTIES, and the unbelievable daily struggles faced by David the chimpanzee, Charm the lioness, Blacktip the painted wolf and more.

DYNASTIES II debuted in March 2022 to equal acclaim. Like the first series, each episode delved deep into the lives of individual groups, filming in a single, iconic location, focusing on a protagonist leader and following them on their daunting quest to keep their family safe and establish their genetic line, or dynasty.

And as with DYNASTIES, composers Benji Merrison and Will Slater were called back to provide the thrilling and expansive aural backdrops to these individual stories.

Each a leader in their own right; Angelina the matriarch elephant, she-cheetah Kali, Rupestre the puma and hyena clan-leader Suma, are confronted by a rapidly changing world with relentless competition for dwindling resources that stacks perilous odds against them. These pioneers must adapt quickly, or face losing their dynasty forever.

High in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco lives a group of Barbary macaque monkeys. The alpha male, known as Mac, has just battled to win the leadership of the troop. He must now lead and protect them while fending off rivals who still want his crown

1. Puma

In the highlands of Patagonia, a solitary puma named Rupestre battles to raise her four cubs.

Benji and Will’s approach was inspired by the story backdrops -

“The score for Puma was borne out of the landscape itself. Patagonia’s stark, remote beauty provided the perfect backdrop, shaping music that needed to reflect both the majesty of the environment and the harsh realities of survival. Our aim was to create a sound that felt both intimate and expansive—a delicate balance between the tenderness of the Rupestre with her cubs and the intense drama of her struggle to provide for them.

The music had to capture the tension, resilience, and fragility of life in the wild without overshadowing the breathtaking setting or natural soundscape. We focused on crafting something sparse and organic, allowing the score to evolve naturally alongside the puma’s experiences. Whether through motifs inspired by the natural sounds of the environment or more dramatic orchestral moments, we wanted the music to draw viewers deeper into Rupestre’s world, making it as much a part of her landscape as the wind and the mountains.”