Official: Composer John Powell Will Score the Kessel Run in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story
The composer of X-Men and The Bourne Identity boards the Millennium Falcon with Han and Chewie!
“She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts kid!” Han Solo: Star Wars: A New Hope
Replacing John Williams is an impossible task.
His iconic Star Wars themes, echo around the Outer Rim like the air in our lungs. We live and breathe them day after day and the notion of changing our tastes is an unwelcome one.
In truth, we all knew this time would come but avoided the issue whenever possible in order to save ourselves the heartache of accepting the truth. Our beloved John Williams, is gradually relinquishing the reigns of the Star Wars saga and heading toward the exit ramp of the Millennium Falcon.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, was the first time a major Star Wars motion picture arrived upon the screen without his iconic themes to accentuate the action in a galaxy far, far away, and the reaction was mixed. From the movies inception, the devoted fans voiced their fears about the first ever Star Wars movie without Williams in the composer chair. Some took solace from the fact that replacing him was Oscar winning composer Alexandre Desplat, but he soon departed the project for reasons unknown and a last-minute replacement was commissioned.
And that replacement was Michael Giacchino.
With just weeks to compose a score, Giacchino crafted a memorable score but the reviews from the fans were mixed and in truth, it was a poisoned chalice. No matter whom replaced John Williams in the big chair…his work would be scrutinised like never before, and comparisons to the great man were unavoidable.
Fast forward to today, and the Han Solo Anthology movie is nearing completion after the original director’s Miller and Lord were relieved of their duties. Ron Howard, has been commissioned to complete the highly anticipated movie that details the early life of our favourite smuggler, and his first order of business was to appoint a composer to take up the challenge of replacing John Williams.
Lucasfilm has confirmed that John Powell, composer of such iconic movie scores like X-Men: The Last Stand, The Bourne Identity, How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek has been assigned scoring duties.
You can read the official press release here:
Composer John Powell, who may be best known for his memorable soundtracks to the Matt Damon Bourne series, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda (1 and 2), and How to Train Your Dragon (1 and 2), will be lifting the baton to score the upcoming young Han Solo movie, due in theater’s next year.
Powell, a London native, has written music for dozens of films since moving to the US in 1997, earning an Academy Award nomination for his stirring score to How to Train Your Dragon. Powell is only the third composer to be welcomed into the exclusive family of Star Wars live-action music writers, which includes the legendary John Williams (the eight Skywalker saga movies) and Michael Giacchino, who scored last December’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The untitled Han Solo movie will be scored in the style of the original Star Wars movies but retain Powell’s distinctive voice.
The untitled young Han Solo movie, which is being directed by Ron Howard, will be released on May 25, 2018.
We can only hope that Powell is up to the challenge. His work to date has been memorable, with Kung Fu Panda being a highlight, but can his style truly translate to our beloved galaxy far, far away?
Only time will tell…
Replacing John Williams, is an impossible challenge. One that we will all have to accept at some point, but until then…the master will return with Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December.
Until then
May The Force Be With You
