Cutting Edge acquires music catalog of composer John Paesano, including scores from ‘Maze Runner’ and ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’

Cutting Edge Group, a prominent buyer of film and TV music rights, has acquired the royalty streams to composer John Paesano’s catalog of more than 80 film, TV and video game scores.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal includes music from franchises that have generated cumulative global box office revenues of $1.8 billion.

The acquisition covers Paesano’s scores for the Maze Runner trilogy, which earned nearly $950 million worldwide across three films released between 2014 and 2018. The catalog also includes his work on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the 2024 film that launched a new trilogy within the Planet of the Apes franchise, as well as music from Marvel’s Daredevil series and Amazon‘s animated show Invincible.

Tara Finegan, COO of Cutting Edge Group, said: “John’s music has defined some of the most moving and visceral works of entertainment of the last decade.

“It is hard to imagine global hits like the Maze Runner trilogy or Daredevil series without the brilliant music that accompanied them, elevating their storytelling in ways that stick with viewers long after the credits roll.”

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to invest in John’s remarkable catalog and are excited to see how these works can continue to reach new audiences in the years to come.”

“John’s music has defined some of the most moving and visceral works of entertainment of the last decade. It is hard to imagine global hits like the Maze Runner trilogy or Daredevil series without the brilliant music that accompanied them.”

Tara Finegan, Cutting Edge Group

The transaction adds to Cutting Edge’s portfolio of more than 400,000 owned and managed media music rights, valued at over $1 billion.

In September 2025, the UK-born company acquired AMC Studios’ “full portfolio of TV music rights,” adding compositions from hit TV series including The Walking Dead franchise and Anne Rice adaptations to its media music portfolio.

In April 2024, Cutting Edge completed a USD $500 million debt refinancing with a syndicate of four banks led by US-based Fifth Third Bank and Toronto-headquartered private investment firm, Northleaf Capital Partners.

At the time, Cutting Edge said it had already identified a “circa USD $1.5 billion pipeline” of potential investments.

Last year, the company partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery to create a joint venture through which it now co-owns and co-manages the studio’s vast catalog of film and TV music, spanning almost a century including music from the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises, DC Comics movies, as well as TV shows such as Friends, Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, Two and Half Men, Succession, and The White Lotus.

The company’s latest acquisition covers Paesano’s scores for video games including Marvel’s Spider-Man series for PlayStation, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Gran Turismo Sport, and Detroit: Become Human. His work on Spider-Man: Miles Morales earned him a BAFTA Games Award for music composition. He has received Emmy and Grammy nominations for The Defenders and Spider-Man 2, respectively.

Additional film scores in the catalog include the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise, the DreamWorks Dragons series based on the How to Train Your Dragon universe, and Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again. Paesano has also written music for Disney’s Avengers Campus theme park attraction.

Commenting on the deal with Cutting Edge, Paesano said: “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to come up in this business surrounded by great composers, directors, producers, and executives. I learned the craft by doing – absorbing everything I could and finding the language of storytelling through music.”

“John’s award-winning catalog, which includes multiple active franchises and highly significant box office returns, sits exactly where artistry meets commercial durability, which is where Cutting Edge is firmly focused.”

Tim Hegarty, Cutting Edge Group

“When I sat down with Cutting Edge Group, they really understood what I was seeking and showed great respect for the value of my work.

“This now allows me to move beyond momentum and focus on like-minded creators and projects that feel creatively aligned with who I am.

“I’ve learned that this is where I do my strongest and most satisfying creative work, and I’m deeply grateful to my team for making that possible.”

Tim Hegarty, Head of M&A at Cutting Edge Group, added: “Our dealmaking has always been focused on a clear thesis: seek out the best publishers, composers and songwriters who offer access to globally recognized IP with lasting commercial and artistic value.”

“John’s award-winning catalog, which includes multiple active franchises and highly significant box office returns, sits exactly where artistry meets commercial durability, which is where Cutting Edge is firmly focused.”

Paesano was represented in the transaction by Dave Kaplan at Surfdog, Peter Paterno and Michael Rexford at King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, and Layth Carlson at Callas & Carlson. Cutting Edge was represented by Michael Poster and Mehdi Sinaki of Michelman Robinson.

Cutting Edge’s directly owned portfolio includes soundtracks from productions such as Stranger Things, John Wick, Elf, The Office, South Park, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Morning Show, The Crown, Suits, The Walking Dead, Bridgerton and more.

In 2022, Cutting Edge struck a partnership with affiliates of London-based Blantyre Capital in a deal that secured $125 million for acquisitions of music publishing rights from composers who write music for film and TV.

In February 2023, Cutting Edge secured another $100 million from banks led by Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners.

The same month, the company announced a joint venture with Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, parent company of Village Roadshow Pictures and Village Roadshow Television.

A month later, Cutting Edge acquired a “major film music catalog” from UK-headquartered First Score Music Ltd., which included full master and publishing rights to more than 75 “premium” film scores. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but a source told MBW that the deal was worth in the high seven figures.

Then in May 2023, Cutting Edge stepped into the world of pop music, striking a deal with prominent songwriter and producer Jamie Hartman, who’s written or co-written numerous hits for artists such as Lewis Capaldi, Celeste, Calvin Harris, Rag’n’Bone Man and the Backstreet Boys, among many others.

Music Business Worldwide