In an extensive with Buzzine commemorating the release an Elfman and Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box, Elfman was asked what's up next for him, to which he responded:

I had planned on taking off the end of the year, writing for myself, and then taking more time next year. And as it turns out, I have five films booked, which is the most I’ve ever had in the future, which is weird. I’ve never been able to see more than two or three ahead, and I don’t like, actually, having my future all booked up. So it’s a very weird thing because it’s like, “Oh, I see. Fourteen months of my life is already totally spoken for,” and it’s scary, but it just happened. It’s a two-Tim Burton year, and a Sam Raimi, so there’s three. I’m not going to say no to Tim and Sam -- that’s already three movies. And then Men in Black, well of course I don’t want somebody else to do number 3, so there was another one. And then another one called The Hunger Games popped up, which seemed like really interesting thing. Different -- and different catches my attention in a way that’s like, “Oh, I can’t ever pass up a chance to do something different.” So that deal’s not even closed, it may not even happen, but we’re well along with that.

And I’m doing, at the moment, Cirque du Soleil [Iris], which also turned into four times the job that I imagined. It’s like doing four films back to back, because it’s like scoring scenes in film, and as you finish the score, the director says, “Oh, and I shot a whole bunch more footage for it just yesterday.” Oh. “And it’s twice as long now.” Okay, let’s start all over again. So it’s a constantly shifting thing, and incredibly interesting and different, but it’s gobbled up many more months than I could have imagined. So it, in fact, is probably going to take me straight up until… Oh, Frankenweenie, of course, is in there, as well as Dark Shadows. I’m already having to start to write pre-production music for Frankenweenie and for Oz because of stuff that they’ll sing to, the theme… So it’s going to be an interesting period, after which I hope to take a big chunk of time off and write a bunch of concert music that I have in my head.

While The Hunger Games is news, Elfman's attachment to Oz The Great and Powerful is of interest because of the composer's history with director Sam Raimi, with whom he worked on films over fifteen years, starting with Darkman in 1990.  During Spider-Man 2, however, the two suffered a falling out, with Elfman departing the franchise and blaming it exclusively on Raimi.  Good to know that the two are once again on friendly, collaborative terms.

The Hunger Games, adapting the first novel in a hugely popular trilogy by Suzanne Collins, will hit theaters on March 23, 2012.  Burton's Dark Shadows is set for May 11, 2012.  After scoring both previous installments, Elfman's returns to Men in Black III, which follows on May 25, 2012.  The composer rounds out that busy year with the animated Frankenweenie on October 5, 2012.  Finally, the Wizard of Oz prequel Oz The Great and Powerful is scheduled for March 8, 2013.