Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy officially announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe II, a gathering for international fans of that Galaxy Far, Far Away, that legendary composer John Williams is in fact gearing up to make the jump to hyperspace once again. It is now confirmed that he will indeed be writing the score for J.J. Abrams’ still-untitled Episode VII, just as he has for the previous six installments of George Lucas’ saga.
“The Galaxy Far, Far Away…I actually feel like I’m still in it, that I’ve never really left it,” Williams then said in a pre-recorded video Kennedy introduced. And no wonder…for almost all Star Wars fans, Williams’ blaring fanfare and iconic triple-beat theme music is Star Wars. The composer lent a symphonic grandeur to a story of farmboys, nerf herders, droids, and walking carpets that enshrined it forever as the quintessential example of pop culture mythmaking.
However, Williams says that he hasn’t seen the script yet for Episode VII and basically has no idea what he will be scoring. Still, he says he “can’t imagine there won’t be references to the existing stories,” which means that some of his leitmotifs — musical themes attached to a particular character, like “Luke’s Theme” or “Leia’s Theme” — may return.
Kennedy and Abrams have already shown themselves to be keen on honoring Star Wars‘ past — shooting Episode VII in England, just like the original trilogy, for example. Hiring back Williams is the perfect way to show that this is the Star Wars you know and love…even as it plunges us into uncharted galactic territory.
Follow Christian Blauvelt on Twitter @Ctblauvelt | Follow Hollywood.com on Twitter @Hollywood_com
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