Michael Giacchino's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) - 2022 Expanded Edition now available

[publicist 4,643]

It's all solid work but it's not what people brings to their knees before JW. None of these guys (and i heard some of that stuff) has that theatrical panache and without it, it's kind of moot.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yet "solid" is at best what we're getting anyway. So I'd go with a wildcard if it were up to me. 

 

Actually, I don't think we'll get solid from Gia. Serviceable is what it'll be. 

[Bilbo 3,709]

Woke up. This wasn't a dream. Damn. 

[Arpy 4,145]

Haab's music makes me want to listen to Williams' actual music. A few cues in Battlefront err on the edge of sounding like outlines of OT tracks that have no direction or soul.

I think Marianelli would be a great choice!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

 

How could you hear something that was never recorded?

 

It might be, one day 

 

Hold it! So..AD wrote a score, but he couldn't do reshoots.

That's not "scheduling difficulties", the man was fired. Some tone-deaf see you next Tuesday, who works for The Mouse didn't like his score. Plain and.

[Nick1Ø66 4,689]

I wonder if the meltdown over this would have been as bad if Gia had simply been the choice from the beginning.  Which I don't think would have surprised anyone.

[Bilbo 3,709]

22 minutes ago, Nick66 said:

I wonder if the meltdown over this would have been as bad if Gia had simply been the choice from the beginning.  Which I don't think would have surprised anyone.

If Gia had been announced from the start I'd have been disappointed but would have gotten on with things. 

 

Knowing there's a better version of Rogue One we'll never see (or hear) is tough to take though. 

 

I dont mind Gia at all and like some of his scores but Desplat is in my top three working composers! 

[toothless 963]

Well, it seems the schedule thing could be bullshit… 

 

http://www.lepoint.fr/pop-culture/cinema/star-wars-rogue-one-ce-que-cache-le-depart-brutal-d-alexandre-desplat-16-09-2016-2068991_2923.php

 

The highlight : 

 

Quote

Il y a un mois à peine, Alexandre Desplat déclinait l'offre d'un long-métrage français en évoquant à demi-mot son immersion ultra-chronophage dans le chantier Rogue One. Son implication semblait totale et rien ne laissait penser qu'il lâcherait l'affaire. « En plein dîner professionnel, il ne cessait de s'absenter de table pour répondre à des appels de Disney depuis Los Angeles. C'était une grosse pression », nous confie un proche du dossier. Le départ de Desplat paraît d'autant plus abrupt et trahit une grande fébrilité en coulisses : « Sur un Star Wars, on ne change pas de compositeur à trois mois de la sortie du film en claquant des doigts, c'est hallucinant ! Des contrats complexes lient les deux parties... Soit Disney l'a viré, soit il jette l'éponge parce qu'il n'en peut plus et ne comprend pas ce que veut Disney, mais il y a forcément eu clash. »

Des rumeurs, là aussi insistantes, font état d'une réorientation de Rogue One vers une tonalité plus « légère ». Ce qui expliquerait la lassitude du compositeur, obligé de tout réadapter à la dernière minute. « Écrire la partition, enregistrer, réserver un orchestre symphonique… tout cela prend du temps. C'est impossible de tout refaire à zéro ! » nous indique-t-on.

« Disney va forcément garder une partie de l'orchestration de Desplat, il travaillait sur ce projet depuis plus d'un an, je ne vois pas comment ils pourraient faire autrement. En tout cas, c'est une immense surprise et ils doivent être très, très en retard. Ça ne m'étonnerait pas que des têtes finissent par tomber. Ça sent un peu le sabotage. »

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Still hard to read after I use the universal translator.

[Wojo 2,453]

 

[publicist 4,643]

It says that Desplat was very close to the production for 1 year, was eager to take calls from Di$ney even during formal events and with all the binding paperwork, contracts and such, a move like this would seem very improbable. At some point, the source says, heads might roll (maybe alluding to more than just the unceremonious firing of Desplat).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What it means is that Disney is not going to take any risk with this franchise and will do anything to play it safe and protect their investment.

 

In about 10 years, after about a dozen big blockbuster movies with the Star Wars brandname attached to them maybe we will catch a glimpse of AOTC on TV and suddenly it won't seem quite so bad. Flawed certainly. But at least someone was trying to do something to make Star Wars more then it was before.....

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Rumors say Desplat left the project to focus on Indy 5.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yay!

[Score 770]

1 hour ago, toothless said:

Il y a un mois à peine, Alexandre Desplat déclinait l'offre d'un long-métrage français en évoquant à demi-mot son immersion ultra-chronophage dans le chantier Rogue One. Son implication semblait totale et rien ne laissait penser qu'il lâcherait l'affaire. « En plein dîner professionnel, il ne cessait de s'absenter de table pour répondre à des appels de Disney depuis Los Angeles. C'était une grosse pression », nous confie un proche du dossier. Le départ de Desplat paraît d'autant plus abrupt et trahit une grande fébrilité en coulisses : « Sur un Star Wars, on ne change pas de compositeur à trois mois de la sortie du film en claquant des doigts, c'est hallucinant ! Des contrats complexes lient les deux parties... Soit Disney l'a viré, soit il jette l'éponge parce qu'il n'en peut plus et ne comprend pas ce que veut Disney, mais il y a forcément eu clash. »

Des rumeurs, là aussi insistantes, font état d'une réorientation de Rogue One vers une tonalité plus « légère ». Ce qui expliquerait la lassitude du compositeur, obligé de tout réadapter à la dernière minute. « Écrire la partition, enregistrer, réserver un orchestre symphonique… tout cela prend du temps. C'est impossible de tout refaire à zéro ! » nous indique-t-on.

« Disney va forcément garder une partie de l'orchestration de Desplat, il travaillait sur ce projet depuis plus d'un an, je ne vois pas comment ils pourraient faire autrement. En tout cas, c'est une immense surprise et ils doivent être très, très en retard. Ça ne m'étonnerait pas que des têtes finissent par tomber. Ça sent un peu le sabotage. »

 

 

Without taking any responsibilities, I try to translate with what I know from French and a bit of help from google-translate (maybe some French-speaking people could improve this):

 

Just one month ago, AD declined the offer to work on a French feature movie alluding to his full-time immersion in the project Rogue One. His involvment seemed total, and nothing would let you think that he would leave the project. "In the middle of a working dinner, he would not stop leaving the table to answer to calls coming from Disney from Los Angeles. It was a huge pressure", confides a source close to the case. Desplat's departure seems all the more abrupt and betrays great turmoil backstage: "On a Star Wars, you just don't change composer three months before the film opens with a snap of fingers, it's unbelievable! Complex contracts were binding both parties ... Either Disney fired him, or he is throwing in the towel because he had enough and does not understand what Disney wants, but there was surely some clash."

Some rumors, here also insistent, show a shift in Rogue One toward a more "light" tone. This would explain the fatigue of the composer, forced to readjust everything at the last minute. "Writing the score, recording, booking a symphony orchestra ... all this takes time. It is impossible to redo everything from scratch!" they tell us.

"Disney is bound to keep some of Desplat's score, he has been working on this project for more than a year, I do not see how they could do otherwise. In any case, it is a huge surprise and they must be very, very late. It would not surprise me if some heads would eventually fall. It smells like a little sabotage. " 

 

 

...is this correct?

[toothless 963]

Yep the main ideas are there  I did not have the time to translate, thank you !

[Indianagirl 298]

I know I don't post here that often but I do follow your posts and comment when I can. I am very upset by this news. It's not that I harbor a special hatred in my cold heart for Giacchino like a lot members of this site do. I actually enjoy some of his scores...specifically his first two Star Trek scores. I admit I haven't heard a single note from the third film. Having said that I can't help but shake the feeling that Rogue One will now sound and feel like a score that is trying desperately to sound like John Williams but falling very flat. Don't misunderstand I wish John Williams could take a special pill that would allow him to magically live forever and score every single Star Wars spinoff film from Rogue One until the end of time but seeing life is a cruel bitch and that's not possible adjustment must be made. I was genuinely but cautiously looking forward to Desplat. I don't fully remember his Godzilla score (although I have read many of you saying it was good) but his Harry Potter scores were solid scores in my opinion. However, what most impressed me and had me excited for Rogue One was his Grand Budapest score. I adore everything about that score. True the requirements from Grand Budapest to Rogue One are as different as Oscar Schindler to Salascious Crumb but Grand Budapest demonstrated an ability to show off hummable multi-character themes, a real sense of eccentricity, and provided a sense of identity to the film that so many hollywood productions lack in this age. I was really looking forward to Rogue One. I still am.....but a little less so now

[crumbs 14,304]

That line about Desplat constantly taking calls from Disney during dinner was interesting. Doesn't he have an agent??

 

Either way, it's becoming increasingly clear this wasn't a scheduling conflict; there is obviously production turmoil with this film and they're re-shaping it into a safe property with no risks. There'll be some fascinating interviews with Gareth Edwards in years to come.

 

If you lined up 10 Hollywood executives and said, "We need a traditional John Williams Star Wars score but John doesn't want to do it," at least 9 of them would instantly recommend Giacchino. It's as simple as that.

[Score 770]

1 hour ago, crumbs said:

That line about Desplat constantly taking calls from Disney during dinner was interesting. Doesn't he have an agent??

 

Either way, it's becoming increasingly clear this wasn't a scheduling conflict; there is obviously production turmoil with this film and they're re-shaping it into a safe property with no risks. 

 

I didn't buy the scheduling conflict as well. Suppose you DO have a scheduling conflict: between a SW score and anything else, who would not choose the SW option? If your goal is to let people hear your music and make money out of it, SW is the greatest opportunities for anyone.

 

If the French source is reliable, Desplat has been working on SW for more than one year, so he must have at least sketched a lot of stuff, maybe even the whole score. Apart from any comparison between Desplat and Giacchino or whoever else, what makes me sad is that a great professional such as AD might work for so long and have his score binned, with no immediate chances to let anyone hear it. But again, this has happened in the past to North, Goldsmith, Herrmann, Yared... 

 

Independently of the merits of the music (in principle, a score can be rejected simply because it is bad), in such cases they should just allow the rejected composer to publish at least a suite from his score, maybe some time after the movie opening, so that it can be performed by orchestras. 

 

 

 

[Indianagirl 298]

2 hours ago, crumbs said:

If you lined up 10 Hollywood executives and said, "We need a traditional John Williams Star Wars score but John doesn't want to do it," at least 9 of them would instantly recommend Giacchino. It's as simple as that.

 

 

I agree completely with this statement, however, it got me thinking. Who would you pick for Star Wars "stories" given Williams isn't going to do them and Desplat for whatever reason isn't scoring Rogue One. Going forward....What are our options out there?  I can't think of anyone I would feel comftorable handing over the reins to. I thought Desplat was an interesting choice but I was still cautiously optimistic.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Who to choose for future spinoff films?  Good question.  You know, I'd like to see Alexandre Desplat take on some of them.

[nightscape94 965]

I'd be willing to give David Arnold a crack at it.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

So will Rian Johnson get out of his film alive?

[Indianagirl 298]

David Arnold is very hit and miss for me. But when he is hitting he can do a really good job.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

In that case, Thomas Wanker.

[Nick1Ø66 4,689]

I'd love to hear what Howard Shore would do with Star Wars.

Is he semi-retired or what?  Seems to have really slowed down.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

4 hours ago, crumbs said:

If you lined up 10 Hollywood executives and said, "We need a traditional John Williams Star Wars score but John doesn't want to do it," at least 9 of them would instantly recommend Giacchino.

 

Or Bimbo Joe.

[ocelot 508]

I'll do one!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

13 hours ago, Stefancos said:

What it means is that Disney is not going to take any risk with this franchise and will do anything to play it safe and protect their investment.

 

In about 10 years, after about a dozen big blockbuster movies with the Star Wars brandname attached to them maybe we will catch a glimpse of AOTC on TV and suddenly it won't seem quite so bad. Flawed certainly. But at least someone was trying to do something to make Star Wars more then it was before.....

 

But when Disney became the owner and Lucas would no longer be involved, we were looking forward to a least having competent creative talent leading the direction of the new films.

 

Now with all this Alien 3 style studio interference, we have neither Lucas' (pseudo) auteurism or competent filmmakers getting their fair go. May as well say Alan Smithee directed it.

[Bilbo 3,709]

Anyone who thought something other than "film making by committee" was going to happen when Disney bought Lucasfilm was very gullible. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

7 hours ago, Shatner's Rug said:

May as well say Alan Smithee directed it.

 

Sorry, dude, the credit of Alan Smithee was discontinued in 2000.

 

PS, for all its faults, I like ALIEN 3.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's a flawed masterpiece!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,507]

Yes, especially the extended cut. Its a "your fucked" of a movie, and it is unrelentingly downbeat, but it has a lot to offer in terms of music, photography, and design...oh, and Paul McGann hamming it up - "it wasn't meeeeeee".

[Damien F 1,742]

Gia has written some excellent End Credit suites and he'll almost certainly do one for Rogue One. Looking forward to that.

[Alex 2,833]

Can anyone point me in the direction of some of Giacchino's best action cues? Thanks.

[Jay 37,319]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

Also

 

 

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

8 hours ago, Bilbo Skywalker said:

Anyone who thought something other than "film making by committee" was going to happen when Disney bought Lucasfilm was very gullible. 

 

We don't really know what's happening or how much Disney has to do with it, right?. This could all be Kathleen Kennedy all by herself being a tyrannical despot over Lucasfilm.

[Indianagirl 298]

Regardless who is pulling the strings.....it is mid September and the release is in December. Isn't this cutting it kinda close?

[Will 2,215]

On 9/17/2016 at 1:18 AM, aviazn said:

 

The thought of a climactic escape scene being scored with another of Gia's schmaltzy four-chord string cues, with a single piano note echoing as rebel X-wings go down in flames, etc. makes me shudder.

 

Well, he might score it more like this -- which would be awesome:

 

 

Imagine this with some JW themes!

[publicist 4,643]

Hopefully also with JW's sense of structure, counterpoint and less patchy orchestration.

[Will 2,215]

On 9/17/2016 at 2:13 AM, Jay said:

 

How could you hear something that was never recorded?

 

Mock-up demos could leak, right?

On 9/17/2016 at 2:21 PM, mrbellamy said:

So will Rian Johnson get out of his film alive?

 

Oh right. He's supposedly going "risky" too.

 

Well, at least we can be sure they won't fire Williams. 

 

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Williams' contract says they can't fire him. 

[Alan 689]

Excellent news!

 

Giacchino, a composer that clearly cares about themes (whether you like his music or not, you can't deny this) replaces a composer that couldn't even remember his own Voldemort theme from Deathly Hallows Pt 1 for Part 2.

 

No brainer for me.

 

 

[Jay 37,319]

8 minutes ago, alan1984 said:

a composer that couldn't even remember his own Voldemort theme from Deathly Hallows Pt 1 for Part 2.

 

Is that true?

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

34 minutes ago, publicist said:

Hopefully also with JW's sense of structure, counterpoint and less patchy orchestration.

 

In two months? Granted it's not impossible but I think even Williams would have to rush it a bit if hired at this point in production. 

[Will 2,215]

4 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

We don't really know what's happening or how much Disney has to do with it, right?. This could all be Kathleen Kennedy all by herself being a tyrannical despot over Lucasfilm.

 

It might be more like KK saying, "Look everyone, my bosses tell me we have to make a profit of x amount, and I don't think we can be sure of that with the type of film we're making now. So we're going to need to make some big changes."

[Alan 689]

Just now, Jay said:

 

Is that true?

 

It's as true as any of the speculation on here with regards the reasoning for the change and the evil interference of Disney

But yeah, Part 2 was lacking the theme he wrote for Voldemort in Part 1. That and I thought his HP scores were pretty uninspired anyway. The only time the music really stood out was when they were tracking or re-recording (I forget which) Williams.

[Bilbo 3,709]

5 minutes ago, alan1984 said:

 

It's as true as any of the speculation on here with regards the reasoning for the change and the evil interference of Disney

But yeah, Part 2 was lacking the theme he wrote for Voldemort in Part 1. That and I thought his HP scores were pretty uninspired anyway. The only time the music really stood out was when they were tracking or re-recording (I forget which) Williams.

 

And the director of those Potter films obviously had no impact on that. 

[Will 2,215]

Regarding that French news story (http://www.lepoint.fr/pop-culture/cinema/star-wars-rogue-one-ce-que-cache-le-depart-brutal-d-alexandre-desplat-16-09-2016-2068991_2923.php), assuming everything described is true (and I do get the sense that it's a fairly reliable news organization, although anyone who's French can correct me):

 

I feel terrible for Desplat. To work on this for a year, taking calls seemingly constantly, giving it his all, and then to have everything thrown out? And have the public told it was "scheduling difficulties" and not a firing?

 

I believe of course that a business's main function is to make money. Disney can and should maximize its investment. But I also believe to at least some extent that when someone is hired to do a job, you should let them do it. 

 

Also, simply speaking from a fan's perspective, I of course value the "original vision" and having that tampered with is disturbing. 

 

And it seems like Edwards and Desplat have put a lot into this film and then basically been replaced and had much of their work redone by someone else.

 

At least Edwards will be lucky enough to get a lot of promotion, presumably, since Disney will want to pretend that he's still completely in charge (and who knows, maybe he is, it just doesn't feel like it). And a lot of what we see in the final film will still be his. 

 

Desplat's work, on the other hand, will be completely forgotten -- unless Giacchino's score incorporates some of his work, which the French article suggested was a possibility since Desplat worked for so long and Giacchino has so little time. 

 

It must be so frustrating to be hired, work so hard, and then never see the fruits of your labor in the way you wanted. It's like writing an 100-page essay and then having the whole thing delete off your computer. 

 

Edwards got paid (or will), I'm sure, but I hope Desplat got paid. MSW reported in the spring/summer that there wasn't a contract yet and that Disney was exploring two other composers (one of which was Giacchino, they confirmed a few days ago). 

 

Given what we've learned since, I'm starting to legitimately wonder if what's described in this Reddit thread is true, even though it's been ruled fake by the mods b/c of no evidence (POSSIBLE SPOILERS):

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/starwarsspeculation/comments/4m8d6w/forget_all_the_crap_about_people_saying_they_know/