Think of the Star Wars movies and you have to think of John Williams.
Composer of one of the most recognizable scores in cinematic history, the Star Wars music is not just a glorious achievement, it’s a legacy. One that Williams — who won an Oscar for his theme to the original 1977 movie — is keen to continue.
Now 81, the composer — who also scored E.T. The Extraterrestial , Superman , Jaws , the Indiana Jones films, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park , Saving Private Ryan , War Horse , the first three Harry Potter films, and more recently Lincoln — is reportedly eager to return to the galaxy he put such a profound stamp on.
The news comes courtesy of a quote from the maestro at a Young Musician’s Foundation Debut Orchestra concert last week, Coming Soon reports .
Attended by a member of the John Williams Fan Network, just before he conducted the classic theme, Williams said:
“We’re about to play Star Wars [audience interrupts with cheers] and each time we play it, I’m reminded of the first time we played it decades ago. Neither I, nor George, nor anyone else involved thought this would go far or in a few years there would be a sequel and I’d have to revisit the themes … and years later another trilogy. Now we’re hearing of a new set of movies coming in 2015, 2016 … so I need to make sure I’m still ready to go in a few years for what I hope would be continued work with George … [more cheers].”
While fans might themselves be cheering reading Williams’ words, Vulture voiced a note of restraint.
The reason for that is J. J. Abram’s — recently announced as director of Star Wars: Episode VII — history of working almost exclusively with the composer Michael Giacchino.
So it remains to be seen whether Williams’ desire to return will play out.
With George Lucas no longer making the decisions at Lucasfilm after selling his stock to Disney last year, some Star Wars watchers think the final word on the score will come down to either: how strongly Abrams feels about using his guy or whether Lucasfilm insists on Williams.
You’ve got to love the Star Wars universe, even music choices inspire a battle.