---
name: "Joel McNeely"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joel-mcneely"
fi1m_id: "joel-mcneely"
imdb_id: "nm0006193"
tmdb_id: 49285
wikidata_id: "Q1382830"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "28 March 1959"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 58
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-24T11:15:52.735074+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Joel McNeely

## Identity

Joel McNeely

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joel-mcneely
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joel-mcneely
- **IMDb ID:** nm0006193
- **TMDB ID:** 49285
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1382830
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_McNeely, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1382830, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006193/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/49285

Composer. Born 28 March 1959 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 28 March 1959, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- **Active:** 2014–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Seth MacFarlane](https://film.one/person/seth-macfarlane.md), [Liam Neeson](https://film.one/person/liam-neeson.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 40 (1), 2020s 77 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_McNeely, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1382830, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006193/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/49285

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*The Naked Gun*](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun.md) (77)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Joel McNeely is an American composer, conductor and arranger. Born on 28 March 1959 in Madison, Wisconsin, he studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of Miami and the Eastman School of Music. He is a protégé of Jerry Goldsmith and has worked extensively in film and television.

McNeely won a Primetime Emmy Award for his score for *The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles*. He has composed for numerous Disney projects including the *Tinker Bell* films, *Mulan II* (2004) and *Return to Never Land* (2002). He frequently collaborates with Seth MacFarlane on films such as *A Million Ways to Die in the West* (2014) and the series *The Orville* (2017–2022) and *American Dad!*. He contributed a song to *The Naked Gun* (2025).

*Sources: imdb.com, joelmcneely.com, filmmusicreporter.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *The Naked Gun* (2025), Fi1m 77, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun.md)
- *A Million Ways to Die in the West* (2014), Fi1m 40, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west.md)

## Complete filmography (71)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Mystery Island: House Rules* (2025), Original Music Composer
- *The Naked Gun* (2025), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun.md)
- *ted* (2024), series, Original Music Composer
- *For the Empire* (2021), series, Music
- *The Orville* (2017), series, Original Music Composer
- *Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast* (2014), Original Music Composer
- *Disney Dreams! fête Noël* (2014), Sound Designer
- *A Million Ways to Die in the West* (2014), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west.md)
- *Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy* (2014), Original Music Composer
- *Secret of the Wings* (2012), Original Music Composer
- *Pixie Hollow Games* (2011), Original Music Composer
- *Seth MacFarlane: Swingin' in Concert* (2011), Music Director
- *Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue* (2010), Original Music Composer
- *Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure* (2009), Original Music Composer
- *Tinker Bell* (2008), Original Music Composer
- *I Know Who Killed Me* (2007), Original Music Composer
- *Cinderella III: A Twist in Time* (2007), Original Music Composer
- *The Fox and the Hound 2* (2006), Original Music Composer
- *Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch* (2005), Original Music Composer
- *Pooh's Heffalump Movie* (2005), Original Music Composer
- *The Polar Express* (2004), Orchestrator — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/the-polar-express.md)
- *Mulan II* (2004), Original Music Composer, Conductor
- *America's Heart & Soul* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *The Stepford Wives* (2004), Additional Music
- *Stateside* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *Uptown Girls* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *Holes* (2003), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator, Music Producer
- *Ghosts of the Abyss* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *The Jungle Book 2* (2003), Conductor, Original Music Composer
- *Return to Never Land* (2002), Original Music Composer, Conductor
- *All Forgotten* (2001), Original Music Composer
- *Santa Who?* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *Dark Angel* (2000), series, Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Passion for Life* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Love's Sweet Song* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *The Patriot* (2000), Orchestrator
- *Sally Hemings: An American Scandal* (2000), series, Music
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deception* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Blues* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Phantom Train of Doom* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Scandal of 1920* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Road Rage* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Virus* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Zack & Reba* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *Soldier* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *The Avengers* (1998), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator
- *Buffalo Soldiers* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *Air Force One* (1997), Additional Music — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/air-force-one.md)
- *Wild America* (1997), Music
- *Vegas Vacation* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *Flipper* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Squanto: A Warrior's Tale* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Radioland Murders* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Terminal Velocity* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Iron Will* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Young Indy Around the World* (1993), Music
- *Samantha* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Lady Against the Odds* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Frankenstein: The College Years* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *Hitler's Daughter* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Tiny Toon Adventures* (1990), series, Music
- *Appearances* (1990), Music
- *Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Parent Trap III* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Davy Crockett: Rainbow in the Thunder* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Splash, Too* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *You Talkin' to Me?* (1987), Original Music Composer

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/joel-mcneely