John Williams is the very definition of a film legend. He has been nominated for 50 Academy Awards, more than any other individual in history, save Walt Disney himself. He has created some of the most recognizable themes of all time in Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., Harry Potter, and many, many more. Williams is responsible for the soundtrack to every chaptered Star Wars film thus far, including last year's Episode VII - The Force Awakens, and is similarly billed to score next year's Rian Johnson (Looper)-directed Star Wars: Episode VIII.
Series spinoff, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, releases later this month and will be the first film in the series not scored by Williams. That distinction will instead go to Michael Giacchino (Doctor Strange), who took over for Alexandre Desplat (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) after reshoots delayed the start of the process. Unfortunately, this left Giacchino with only four weeks to finish the score.
In a recent discussion with John Williams for a piece in Variety, it was revealed that Williams will begin the process of scoring Star Wars: Episode VIII this December, and expects to continue the process through March-April of 2017. That leaves a 4 to 5-month time span for Williams to make the score really shine and potentially more time to spare since the film doesn't release until December.
Despite an Oscar nomination for The Force Awakens, some fans and critics felt that Williams' score didn't quite meet the highs of many of the earlier Star Wars chapters. While Williams had a similar 5 months prep and recording time on that score, the film was also rumored to have had a somewhat troubled production, with plotlines being adjusted up to the 11th hour. (This is also one possible explanation as to why The Making of Star Wars: The Force Awakens book was suddenly canceled at the last minute.) Fortunately, considering the production of Episode VIII appears to have more room to breathe, it's possible that Williams will have more time with access to a completed product. With any luck, this will assist him in creating a score that is among his best yet.
Are you excited to see where Williams takes the soundtrack of Star Wars in its next chapter? Are you chomping at the bit to hear the first notes of Poe and Finn's inevitable love theme? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates on Star Wars as they hit.
Source: Variety
