The acquisition covers Paesano’s scores for the Maze<\/i><\/b> <\/i>Runner<\/i><\/b> <\/i>trilogy, which earned nearly $950 million <\/b>worldwide across three films released between 2014 and 2018. The catalog also includes his work on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes<\/i><\/b>, the 2024 film that launched a new trilogy within the Planet of the Apes<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/b>franchise, as well as music from Marvel’s Daredevil<\/i><\/b> series and Amazon’s animated show Invincible<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n Tara<\/b> Finegan<\/b>, COO of Cutting Edge Group, said: “John\u2019s music has defined some of the most moving and visceral works of entertainment of the last decade.<\/p>\n “It is hard to imagine global hits like the Maze Runner <\/i>trilogy or Daredevil<\/i> series without the brilliant music that accompanied them, elevating their storytelling in ways that stick with viewers long after the credits roll.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are delighted to have this opportunity to invest in John\u2019s remarkable catalog and are excited to see how these works can continue to reach new audiences in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n “John\u2019s 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 <\/i>trilogy or Daredevil<\/i> series without the brilliant music that accompanied them.”<\/p>\n Tara Finegan, Cutting Edge Group<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The transaction adds to Cutting Edge’s portfolio of more than 400,000<\/b> owned and managed media music rights, valued at over $1 billion<\/b>.<\/p>\n In September 2025, the UK-born company acquired AMC Studios<\/b>\u2019 \u201cfull portfolio of TV music rights,\u201d adding compositions from hit TV series including\u00a0The Walking Dead<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/i>franchise and\u00a0Anne Rice<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/i>adaptations to its media music portfolio.<\/p>\n In April 2024, Cutting Edge completed<\/a>\u00a0a\u00a0USD $500 million\u00a0<\/b>debt refinancing with a syndicate of four banks led by US-based Fifth Third Bank<\/b> and Toronto-headquartered private investment firm, Northleaf<\/b> Capital<\/b> Partners<\/b>.<\/p>\n At the time, Cutting Edge said it had already identified a \u201ccirca\u00a0USD $1.5 billion<\/b>\u00a0pipeline\u201d of potential investments.<\/p>\n Last year, the company partnered<\/a> with Warner Bros. Discovery<\/b> to create a joint venture through which it now co-owns and co-manages the studio\u2019s vast catalog of film and TV music, spanning almost a century including music from the\u00a0Harry Potter<\/i><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>Lord of the Rings<\/i><\/b>\u00a0franchises, DC Comics<\/b> movies, as well as TV shows such as\u00a0Friends<\/i><\/b>,\u00a0<\/b>Game of Thrones<\/i><\/b>,\u00a0<\/b>The Big Bang Theory, Two and Half Men, Succession<\/i><\/b>,<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0The White Lotus<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s latest acquisition covers Paesano’s scores for video games including Marvel’s Spider-Man <\/i><\/b>series for PlayStation<\/b>, Mass Effect: Andromeda<\/i><\/b>, Gran Turismo Sport<\/i><\/b>, and Detroit: Become Human<\/i><\/b>. His work on Spider-Man: Miles Morales<\/i><\/b> earned him a BAFTA Games Award for music composition. He has received Emmy and Grammy nominations for The Defenders<\/i><\/b> and Spider-Man 2<\/i><\/b>, respectively.<\/p>\n Additional film scores in the catalog include the <\/i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/i><\/b> <\/b>franchise, the DreamWorks<\/b> Dragons<\/i><\/b>\u00a0series based on the\u00a0How to Train Your Dragon<\/i><\/b>\u00a0universe, and Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises<\/i><\/b> <\/i>Again<\/i><\/b>. Paesano has also written music for Disney’s Avengers Campus<\/b> theme park attraction.<\/p>\n Commenting on the deal with Cutting Edge, Paesano said: \u201cI’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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJohn’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.\u201d<\/p>\n Tim Hegarty<\/b>, Cutting Edge Group<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cWhen I sat down with Cutting Edge Group, they really understood what I was seeking and showed great respect for the value of my work.<\/p>\n “This now allows me to move beyond momentum and focus on like-minded creators and projects that feel creatively aligned with who I am.<\/p>\n “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.\u201d<\/p>\n Tim Hegarty<\/b>, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJohn’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.\u201d<\/p>\n Paesano was represented in the transaction by Dave Kaplan<\/b> at Surfdog<\/b>, Peter<\/b> Paterno<\/b> and Michael Rexford<\/b> at King<\/b>, Holmes<\/b>, Paterno & Soriano<\/b>, and Layth Carlson <\/b>at Callas & Carlson<\/b>. Cutting Edge was represented by Michael Poster <\/b>and Mehdi Sinaki <\/b>of Michelman Robinson<\/b>.<\/p>\n Cutting Edge\u2019s directly owned portfolio includes soundtracks from productions such as Stranger Things, <\/i><\/b>J<\/b>ohn Wick, Elf, The Office, South Park, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Morning Show, The Crown, Suits, The Walking Dead, Bridgerton<\/i><\/b> and more.<\/p>\n In 2022, Cutting Edge struck a partnership with<\/a>\u00a0affiliates of London-based Blantyre Capital<\/b> in a deal that secured\u00a0$125 million<\/b>\u00a0for acquisitions of music publishing rights from composers who write music for film and TV.<\/p>\n In February 2023, Cutting Edge secured<\/a>\u00a0another\u00a0$100 million<\/b>\u00a0from banks led by Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners<\/b>.<\/p>\n The same month, the company\u00a0announced a joint venture<\/a>\u00a0with Village Roadshow Entertainment Group<\/b>, parent company of Village Roadshow Pictures <\/b>and Village Roadshow Television<\/b>.<\/p>\n A month later, Cutting Edge acquired\u00a0a \u201cmajor film music catalog<\/a>\u201d from UK-headquartered First Score Music Ltd.<\/b>, which included full master and publishing rights to more than 75 \u201cpremium\u201d film scores. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but a source told MBW that the deal was worth in the high seven figures.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/files\/2026\/01\/Tara-Finegan_CEG-COO_Credit-Faye-Thomas-e1768285667705.jpg\")
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