Variety reports that John Williams, who has scored all eight of the main “Episode” Star Wars movies so far, will write the theme for Solo, the upcoming Han Solo prequel that’s due out on May 25, 2018. “The present plan is that I’m writing a theme for Han Solo,” he said, “and John Powell is going to write the score, which he’ll do brilliantly.”
“What I will do is offer this [theme] to John [Powell],” he continued, “and to [director] Ron Howard, and if all parties are happy with it, then I will be happy. … John will complete the score. He will write all the rest of the themes and all of the other material, which I’m going to be very anxious to hear.”
Powell has previously scored animated fare like Happy Feet, Ferdinand, and Rio, as well as the live-action Bourne films. He was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 for his How to Train Your Dragon score.
Williams has received 50 Academy Award nominations and five wins for his work, which includes the scores for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the first three Harry Potter movies, Indiana Jones, Jaws, the first two Jurassic Park movies, and Superman. He won one of those five Oscars for his 1977 score to the first Star Wars movie. The score was also entered into the National Recording Registry, a collection of “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” musical works maintained by the Library of Congress, in 2004.
Rumors have circulated that Disney is worried about Solo flopping; after dropping their original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller for Ron Howard, and scheduling reshoots that nearly doubled the budget, the film at least looks like it’s undergoing some serious retooling. However, the hiring of Williams suggests at least some confidence and investment in the project, so fingers crossed.
Personally, I’m at least excited to hear what Williams has cooked up to capture the spirit of Han Solo—and, of course, to see Donald Glover’s take on Lando Calrissian.
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