We’ve now had over 24 hours to process the news that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm and all its properties, and the speculation and conjecture at what this means has only just begun.
However, we do know that in a few years a new Star Wars film will be released. Focus has been on who will direct it (as always, my vote is for Steven Spielberg) and the plot of new trilogy. But one question hasn’t been asked: who will score the music?
I don’t think anyone will argue that John Williams’ epic themes helped make the original Star Wars films the revered saga they are today. The main them gives me chills whenever I see it accompany the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away . . .” It signals that an adventure is about to begin, a battle against good and evil, a conflict of galactic proportions.
Just last week, I had the chance of a lifetime to see John Williams in concert. Interestingly enough, he mentioned that he never thought he would be returning to compose the Star Wars prequels twenty years after the originals premiered. He also said that, after all that, it would not surprise him if three more Star Wars films were on the horizon. Did he have prior knowledge of George Lucas’ plans? No way to know for sure, but I know that when I mentioned that I thought, no way will there be more films. George is done! Turns out I was right about him being done, but not about more movies.
In a perfect world, Williams would score all the things Star Wars, but suppose for a moment he didn’t score the new films. What if he had a prior commitment to Steven Spielberg or he simply had no interest in doing them? What then?
Who else could possibly fill Williams’ shoes?
Danny Elfman
Chances are Danny Elfman would score the new trilogy if Tim Burton directed, but how likely is that to happen? But . . . Tim Burton does have a decent, if long and convoluted history with Disney. He was once an animator but didn’t last long at the house of mouse. But they worked well together on A Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman’s themes are generally darker and fanciful. I don’t think he’d be able to capture a space battle as well as other composers, but he’d no doubt bring his own style and flare to the job.
Howard Shore
Howard Shore has a long partnership with director David Cronenberg, who is unlikely to direct the new films, but Shore’s work on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings is how I first learned of him. He’s capable of tense battle music and ethereal pieces that transport us to the land of elves. Would he be the person to add atmosphere to a lightsaber duel? Possibly.
Hans Zimmer
I’ve been a fan of Hans Zimmer since he worked on The Lion King. I own both his Gladiator and Pearl Harbor soundtracks, and his body of work is most impressive. His previous work with Disney besides the aforementioned Lion King includes the final 3 Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He’s also proved himself capable of other action films such as The Dark Knight and Sherlock Holmes. But his music is a bit more whimsical and moody perhaps than what the Star Wars films need. However, since we don’t know in which direction Disney will take them, he could be the man for the job.
Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary’s body of work is primarily television series, including The Walking Dead and Battlestar Galactica. Just within those two shows, though, he’s proven the ability to adapt completely different styles to the stories. I have only just discovered the reboot of Battlestar Galactica, but I love the music. How would his work translate to the big screen? Just fine, I would imagine, and he obviously can score space battles.
Michael Giacchino
He certainly has the right resume for the job. Not only does he have a prior relationship with Disney (Cars 2, Ratatouille, the updated Space Mountain ride at Disneyland . . .), but he also composed the music for the new Star Tours ride. Star Wars + Disney = good candidate. But would Star Wars fans ever warm to the idea of a Star Trek composer scoring this new trilogy? And would he only be considered if J.J. Abrams, his longtime collaborator, directed?
What do you think of these possibilities? Who would be your pick to score the new trilogy? James Newton Howard? Alan Silvestri? Alan Menken? (he’s the Disney composer) James Horner? Randy Edelman? Alexandre Desplat?
Share your thoughts!