John Williams may have turned 90 years old this month, but the film composer still has plenty of creative juices left in him for yet another contribution to one of the blockbuster franchises that helped define his storied career.
As reported by Variety in an exclusive report today, Williams will be returning to compose the theme for Disney and Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars live-action series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is set to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in May. The show will reunite actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who are returning as the titular Jedi master and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, respectively.
Disney has confirmed that Obi-Wan Kenobi will begin airing on Disney+ beginning on May 25. Some of Williams’ most recent Star Wars works include the theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), the theme for Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park (2019), and the score for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019).
John Williams Returns to ‘Star Wars’ Universe with ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Theme (EXCLUSIVE) (Variety)
- It is a coup for both Lucasfilm and Disney, considering the five-time Oscar winner rarely composes for television. His last theme for a weekly dramatic series was “Amazing Stories” in 1985, although he has written two for PBS series (“Masterpiece Theatre” in 2000, “Great Performances” in 2009), and his news and Olympics themes, written decades ago, continue to air on NBC.
- Williams’ “Star Wars” scores are legendary. He won an Oscar for the original in 1977 and received nominations for five of the sequels (“The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” in 1980 and 1983, followed by “The Force Awakens,” “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2015, 2017 and 2019).
- Williams scored the original Obi-Wan Kenobi, as played by Alec Guinness, with a theme that became better known as that of the Force (“the spiritual-philosophical belief of the Jedi Knights and the Old Republic,” as the composer explained in 1977), perhaps best remembered for its use in the Throne Room scene that concluded that first “Star Wars” film and which Williams has often performed in concert.