John Williams to Write the Theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story

John Williams to write the theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story

John Williams, who has composed the music for all eight of the main Star Wars films (Michael Giacchino composed the music for Rogue One) will write the theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story, he revealed to Variety. The score for the film is being composed by John Powell.

The 85-year-old music legend said: “The present plan is that I’m writing a theme for Han Solo, and John Powell is going to write the score, which he’ll do brilliantly. His assignment is something I’m very happy about. What I will do is offer this to John, and to [director] Ron Howard, and if all parties are happy with it, then I will be happy… John [Powell] will complete the score. He will write all the rest of the themes and all of the other material, which I’m going to be very anxious to hear.”

It was announced last July that Powell (Bourne films, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda films, How to Train Your Dragon films) was scoring the upcoming Han Solo film. “The untitled Han Solo movie will be scored in the style of the original Star Wars movies but retain Powell’s distinctive voice,” Lucasfilm said back then.

Solo: A Star Wars Story features Hail, Caesar‘s Alden Ehrenreich as Han, with Atlanta‘s Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian and The Force Awakens‘ Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca. Woody Harrelson is playing Han’s mentor, a man by the name of Beckett, while Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, Westworld‘s Thandie Newton, and Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge also star.

In the wake of the departure of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story, Lucasfilm hired director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code) to take their place. It is unknown how credit will be divided for the finished film, as at least 3/4s of it was already shot when Howard took over.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is coming to theaters on May 25, 2018.