45 years ago, John Williams penned one of the most iconic musical pieces of all time when he wrote the score for George Lucas' Star Wars. Now, the famed composer is back to create a little something for a very famous Jedi Master in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
While the Star Wars universe is in good hands with the likes of Ludwig Göransson making up tunes for The Mandalorian, Williams has only written music for the franchise’s cinematic adventures, with his compositions covering all nine Skywalker Saga films plus anthology movies like Rogue One and Solo, as well as the animated Clone Wars. Save for his contributions to the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park, the legendary composer really hadn’t dipped his toes in Disney Plus' new series until Obi-Wan Kenobi presented him with a unique opportunity.
In an interview with the YouTube channel Jake's Takes, series director Deborah Chow explained what it was like convincing Williams to work on the show, and how the fact that the composer had never written a proper theme for Obi-Wan Kenobi was a big factor in him finding time to write this particular piece of music. Speaking on whether Williams was able to capture Obi-Wan with his music, Chow answered with a resounding yes, because, like many fans, for her the two are inseparable. “Star Wars and John Williams, it wouldn't be the same without him. It's so inextricably tied, and also emotionally, it is Star Wars with John Williams, so we were just so grateful," she said.
Williams has not only written some of the most recognizable sounds in cinema, but he’s also constantly touring. This is why nowadays his schedule could only fit in writing the one theme song, with the rest of Obi-Wan Kenobi's musical score being handled by British composer Natalie Holt. Among her most recent works, Holt wrote the music featured in Disney Plus' own Loki and DC's upcoming Batgirl film.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premiered this week on Disney Plus and will run for six episodes in what could be one of the very last projects Lucasfilm projects to feature a legacy character after Kathleen Kennedy admitted the studio had learned its lesson on recasting beloved Star Wars roles. As usual, the series’ arrival has triggered the usual wave of promotional ties with the likes of Fortnite and even fan-made Obi-Wan Kenobi creations in Elden Ring.
Unlike films or the new TV shows, video games have been a much more forgiving industry for new stories taking place in the faraway galaxy, such as the highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor or the famed Knights of the Old Republic.
Obi-Wan Kenobi episodes 1-2 are now streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: Jake's Takes | YouTube