Esteemed Composer John Williams Will Score Star Wars: Episode VIII In A Few Weeks

As Star Wars: Episode VIII shifts into post-production, composer John Williams has announced plans to begin scoring Rian Johnson’s 2017 sequel in just a few weeks’ time.

News comes to us via MassLive, where Williams told the audience at Tanglewood Music Center – which recently hosted an array of Star Wars music from the musical maestro himself – that he’ll start working on Episode VIII after screening an early cut of the movie.

Though many considered John Williams a shoo-in for Episode VIII, the composer then went on to tell those in attendance that when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy extended an invitation to score the sequel, he accepted “mainly because he was enchanted by actress Daisy Ridley’s portrayal of Rey and does not want another composer scoring her scenes.” Will these new scenes herald word of Rey’s parentage? Time will tell. 

Starring opposite Ridley are Mark Hamill Adam Driver, John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson. Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern, meanwhile, headline the newcomers.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is expected to land on December 15, 2017. Next up for Disney and Lucasfilm is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, with Gareth Edwards’ spinoff – the first in the studios planned Anthology series – pegged to arrive on December 16 of this year.