{{Infobox musical artist | name = Max Aruj | image = | caption = | birth_name = Max Simon Aruj | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|08|07}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | genre = Film score, television, video games | occupation = Composer, music producer | instrument = Piano | education = [[USC Thornton School of Music]] (BM) | years_active = 2010s–present | website = {{URL|maxaruj.com}} }}
'''Max Aruj''' (born August 7, 1989) is an American composer known for his work in film, television, and video games.<ref name="imdb">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3552671/bio/ |title=Max Aruj - Biography - IMDb |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref><ref name="qobuz">{{cite web |url=https://www.qobuz.com/lu-fr/interpreter/max-aruj/1044012 |title=Discographie de Max Aruj |language=fr |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref>
== Early life == Aruj was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.<ref name="imdb"/><ref name="official">{{cite web |url=http://maxaruj.com/bio |title=Bio — MAX ARUJ |website=maxaruj.com |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref> He began playing classical and jazz piano at age six and started composing music in high school, including scoring a student film titled ''Black Martini''.<ref name="supe">{{cite web |url=https://www.supetroop.com/interview-with-the-ice-road-composer-max-aruj/ |title=Interview with The Ice Road Composer Max Aruj |date=2021-06-21 |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref> He earned a Bachelor of Music in composition from the [[USC Thornton School of Music]] between 2007 and 2012, along with a minor in business administration from USC Marshall School of Business.<ref name="linkedin">{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaruj |title=Max Aruj - Freelance - LinkedIn |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref>
== Career == Aruj began his professional career with an internship at [[Hans Zimmer]]'s Remote Control Productions during his studies at USC, where he later worked extensively with composers [[Lorne Balfe]] and [[Rupert Gregson-Williams]].<ref name="supe"/><ref name="official"/> His early contributions included additional music and arrangements for projects such as ''[[Top Gun: Maverick]]'' (2022), ''[[Mission: Impossible – Fallout]]'' (2018), ''[[Black Widow (2021 film)|Black Widow]]'' (2021), ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'', and ''[[His Dark Materials (TV series)|His Dark Materials]]''.<ref name="imdb"/><ref name="official"/>
As a lead composer, Aruj scored the horror film ''[[Crawl (2019 film)|Crawl]]'' (2019), the crime drama ''[[Lansky (2021 film)|Lansky]]'' (2021), and action thriller ''[[The Ice Road]]'' (2021) starring [[Liam Neeson]].<ref name="imdb"/><ref name="letterboxd">{{cite web |url=https://letterboxd.com/composer/max-aruj/ |title=Films with music composed by Max Aruj |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref> He composed for the video game expansion ''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla|Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids]]'' (2021) and the Netflix animated series ''[[Mech Cadets]]'' (2023).<ref name="imdb"/><ref name="qobuz"/>
Other notable scores include ''The Tank'' (2023), the documentary ''[[MoviePass, MovieCrash]]'' (2024), and ''Betrayal'' (2024).<ref name="rotten">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/max_aruj |title=Max Aruj Movies List |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref> In 2025, he composed the score for ''[[Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning]]'' in collaboration with [[Alfie Godfrey]].<ref name="imdb"/><ref name="worldsoundtrack">{{cite web |url=https://www.worldsoundtrackawards.com/persons/max-aruj |title=Max Aruj |access-date=2026-05-10}}</ref>
Beyond screen media, Aruj co-produced the orchestral album ''Gravity Deluxe'' by electronic music artist Gryffin.<ref name="official"/><ref name="qobuz"/>
== Selected filmography == {{div col}} * ''[[Crawl (2019 film)|Crawl]]'' (2019) * ''[[Lansky (2021 film)|Lansky]]'' (2021) * ''[[The Ice Road]]'' (2021) * ''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla|Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids]]'' (2021) * ''The Tank'' (2023) * ''[[MoviePass, MovieCrash]]'' (2024) * ''[[Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning]]'' (2025) {{div col end}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{official website|maxaruj.com}} * {{IMDb name|nm3552671|Max Aruj}}
[[Category:1989 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American film score composers]] [[Category:USC Thornton School of Music alumni]] [[Category:American video game composers]] [[Category:Composer stubs]] [[Category:Male composers]]