Will Episode 9 be John Williams' final score?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Would make sense. He will be in his late 80's, he's already been taking fewer projects for about a decade, is writing quite a lot for concert. Spielberg is already using other composers. So Star Wars is the be other thing in his film music career.

 

I predict John Williams will retire from composing film music after Star Wars: Episode 9. 

Though he will continue to write for concert and conduct. (health permitting)

[John 2,032]

I doubt it will be his final film score, though it will probably be his last score for a Star Wars film.

[Ollie 1,059]

Option 1 

[Balahkay 627]

1 minute ago, JohnSolo said:

I doubt it will be his final film score, though it will probably be his last score for a Star Wars film.

 

I agree with this.  It's not likely he'll score the Rian Johnson trilogy.  I think he'll pick and chose which Spielberg films he'd like to do in the future.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Obi 404]

He will retire from performing, but still writing.

[Jay 37,364]

He will continue to score Steven's films.  Maybe not any others, unless someone adapts a book he really liked.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

1 minute ago, Jay said:

He will continue to score Steven's films.  Maybe not any others, unless someone adapts a book he really liked.

 

Like it's been in the last decade? So you choose what option?

[Nick1Ø66 4,716]

I wonder if winning an Oscar for Episode IX would impact his decision at all.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Option 3, retire completely. 

 

Decent career thought.

[mrbellamy 6,287]

Indy 5 comes out 2020, so if that's happening then I think he'll do it if he can.

 

At this point it doesn't seem like he's planning to retire from Spielberg's movies as long as he's still physically/mentally capable of writing 1-2 hours of music on deadline.

[filmmusic 1,829]

17 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

I wonder if winning an Oscar for Episode IX would impact his decision at all.

I don't think anyone in the Academy cares about Star Wars scores anymore.

These were most impactful in the three first films.

I can't and don't see what new and original these last ones can offer.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

He has said repeatedly that as long as he is able, he will work.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Assuming he actually writes episode 9, and is still in good health when it's done, I don't think he'll retire, at least not officially. It might well be his final film score, but I imagine that if Spielberg makes another movie while Williams is still able, he'd still do it.

[Nick1Ø66 4,716]

4 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

I don't think anyone in the Academy cares about Star Wars scores anymore.

These were most impactful in the three first films.

I can't and don't see what new and original these last ones can offer.

 

So something has to be "new" and "original" to win an Academy Award?

Which Oscars have you bene watching?

 

Can't it simply be among the best score released that year?

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

3 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

I don't think anyone in the Academy cares about Star Wars scores anymore.

 

He still got nominated for The Force Awakens.

 

3 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

I can't and don't see what new and original these last ones can offer.

 

See Rey's Theme

[publicist 4,643]

Option 4. Star Wars is his burden, but Spielberg is his true vocation.

[filmmusic 1,829]

1 minute ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

 

He still got nominated for The Force Awakens.

 

 

 

Oh, he did? It completely slipped through my mind.

It's because i don't care for oscars or movies of the last decade or so..

[Nick1Ø66 4,716]

 

1 minute ago, publicist said:

Option 4. Star Wars is his burden, but Spielberg is his true vocation.

 

What makes you think he regards Star War as a burden?

 

 

[filmmusic 1,829]

2 minutes ago, Cerebral Cortex said:

 

 

 

 

See Rey's Theme

As, I said. Nothing new and original.

This is a very good theme in the known musical style of Star Wars music.

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

Spielberg seems to be torn at the moment between doing smaller dramatic pictures and larger productions meant for mass entertainment. Williams could always choose to maybe just stick to doing the smaller Spielberg pics like The Post and leave the bigger pictures to other composers like with Ready Player One. The smaller dramatic scores no doubt must prove easier and more manageable for him, I'd imagine. 

[publicist 4,643]

Just now, Nick1066 said:

What makes you think he regards Star War as a burden?

 

I have no idea what he thinks, i say it is.

[Jay 37,364]

54 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

 

Like it's been in the last decade? So you choose what option?

 

That he won't retire, of course.  Can't you click the icons and see everyone's votes?

[Kostov 58]

I think he'll continue writing film and concert music, but kinda feel that after Episode 9 he'll stop writing for Star Wars, but who knows. I think that probably Giacchino will write the music for some of the upcoming Star Wars movies, but I really don't want this to happen. When there's such a colossus figure behind you like John Williams you have to give everything you... I can't even describe it.

[crocodile 8,013]

I don't think musicians retire in the same way you would retire from your day job.

 

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

But retiring from film music is something different.

[Pawel P. 738]

I don't think he'll ever retire. I remember that many years ago he said something like this: "Perhaps one day I'll withdraw from conducting, but I can't imagine that I could withdraw from composing."

[Tom 4,658]

2 hours ago, filmmusic said:

As, I said. Nothing new and original.

This is a very good theme in the known musical style of Star Wars music.

Unless the theme/melody line is a ripoff (intentional or unintentional), then, by definition, it is new and original.  That may not make it good, but it is original.  

 

As for the poll itself... really?  

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

2 minutes ago, Tom said:

As for the poll itself... really?  

 

What?

[mrbellamy 6,287]

38 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

But retiring from film music is something different.

 

I think that's true but he seems to view Spielberg's movies more like personal commissions from a friend who loves his music, similar to how he often writes concert music for musicians he knows and likes. It's not a routine film job, it's "music for my friend Steven." And I suspect Star Wars is similar, he's sort of responding to this open request from the world.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Williams once said he will continue writing until he's 100 years old if he can he will still continue from there. He will not voluntarily retire.

[Tom 4,658]

29 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

 

What?

Williams has repeatedly said he will continuing composing until he cannot, and he has said he is always excited to do a film that speaks to him.  Unless we are disregarding what he has told us, why would we think/speculate otherwise?  

[Thor 7,504]

Nope, he'll continue writing music up untill the day he dies. But I'm guessing for the last 'run', he'll focus mostly on shorter concert works.

 

Still several years of film music left, though. I'm confident he inherited his mother's age genes, who died at age 97.

[crumbs 14,316]

No, why would he? He hasn't indicated any desire to retire except scale back and possibly need longer to write (which only Spielberg can really accommodate now). He's consistently said he'll try to keep up as long as he can, joking that Spielberg expects him to work until he's 100.

 

If nothing else, Indy 5 is still likely for 2020 and could well be their 30th collaboration - a milestone Spielberg mentioned they were hoping to reach.

 

I think as long as he is healthy and able, he'll remain active as composer, but IX will almost certainly be his final Star Wars (unless he and Rian really hit it off as colleagues and Rian can somehow get his trilogy off the ground by ~2021; he might like the idea of establishing a whole new series of films/themes then passing on the baton).

[Balahkay 627]

32 minutes ago, crumbs said:

No, why would he? He hasn't indicated any desire to retire except scale back and possibly need longer to write (which only Spielberg can really accommodate now). He's consistently said he'll try to keep up as long as he can, joking that Spielberg expects him to work until he's 100.

 

If nothing else, Indy 5 is still likely for 2020 and could well be their 30th collaboration - a milestone Spielberg mentioned they were hoping to reach.

 

I think as long as he is healthy and able, he'll remain active as composer, but IX will almost certainly be his final Star Wars (unless he and Rian really hit it off as colleagues and Rian can somehow get his trilogy off the ground by ~2021; he might like the idea of establishing a whole new series of films/themes then passing on the baton).

1

 

Wishful thinking but this would be a great opportunity for Williams write a new theme like he wanted to do for TPM.

[BuzzLightyear 143]

I don't think he will retire after Episode IX.
We still get new scores, new concert pieces and many concerts.
So I just enjoy this thrilling time to be a Williams fan!

[King Mark 3,631]

I thought Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull would be his last score...that was 10 years ago

[Bayesian 1,363]

I expect Ep. IX will be his last star wars score. He will have closed out three trilogies spanning five decades; an achievement unmatched by anyone in film and unlikely ever to be seen again. It will be the perfect coda. Thereafter, as others have said, he’ll compose for Spielberg (who matches his artistic sensibilities unlike any other director).

 

Starting another SW trilogy with Rian runs the risk of spoling the perfect coda if for any reason he can’t finish all three. And we’ve already had Giacchino score an off-canon story and whoever’s assigned to the Han Solo one. Desplat was on board once and easily could come back, this time for Rian. 

 

The core canon (I-IX) belongs to JW alone. The affiliated stories began under different composers and it makes sense to stick to that for whatever Rian is cooking up. 

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

His last film score? Probably. His last piece of music? Definetly not.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

He deserves a relaxing retirement, sitting on a beach, earning 20 per cent.

[Sandor 797]

If Episode IX is to be his last score, wouldn’t it be a perfect closure to his near perfect scoring career if Williams would be honored with an Academy Award for it? I know many here don’t care for awards, but Williams does. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Oscars are no longer relevant. They can't even announce the right Best Picture winner.

[publicist 4,643]

9 minutes ago, Sandor said:

If Episode IX is to be his last score, wouldn’t it be a perfect closure to his near perfect scoring career if Williams would be honored with an Academy Award for it? I know many here don’t care for awards, but Williams does. 

 

You honestly think that a man short of 90 with hundreds of awards and honours to his credit will feel vindicated by another AA no matter what? I'm inclined to think there are bigger priorities for JW than Oscar statues for overly commercial franchises.

[A24 4,333]

If anything, an Oscar could be an opportunity for Williams to end his career on a high note.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Low notes are more trendy these days.

[Kostov 58]

2 hours ago, Sandor said:

If Episode IX is to be his last score, wouldn’t it be a perfect closure to his near perfect scoring career if Williams would be honored with an Academy Award for it? I know many here don’t care for awards, but Williams does. 

2

I think you're not so right. Think about this: JW is above these things, and he doesn't care about the stupid Oscars. He may have thought of it in his early career, which is understandable, but not anymore. He already achieved so much, and even something far more special than this little golden statues. We his fans are the true everlasting award that he already won. Our filled with his emotional music hearts will speak of him and spread his music for centuries from now on. The Oscars are for the shiny and slippery people whose real emotions you really can't understand(some of the Hollywood actors), which is so sad.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

1 hour ago, Alexcremers said:

If anything, an Oscar could be an opportunity for Williams to end his career on a high note.

 

Yes!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

If Williams doesn't win another Oscar by the end of his career, no one will remember who he was or what he did. He'll join the ranks of long-forgotten artists no one cares about...

[Nick1Ø66 4,716]

5 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

If Williams doesn't win another Oscar by the end of his career, no one will remember who he was or what he did. He'll join the ranks of long-forgotten artists no one cares about...

 

Yes much like 

[Sandor 797]

4 hours ago, publicist said:

 

You honestly think that a man short of 90 with hundreds of awards and honours to his credit will feel vindicated by another AA no matter what? I'm inclined to think there are bigger priorities for JW than Oscar statues for overly commercial franchises.

 

Of course there are bigger priorities to John Williams than Academy Awards. Sigh.

 

2 hours ago, Kostov said:

I think you're not so right. Think about this: JW is above these things, and he doesn't care about the stupid Oscars. He may have thought of it in his early career, which is understandable, but not anymore. He already achieved so much, and even something far more special than this little golden statues. We his fans are the true everlasting award that he already won. Our filled with his emotional music hearts will speak of him and spread his music for centuries from now on. The Oscars are for the shiny and slippery people whose real emotions you really can't understand(some of the Hollywood actors), which is so sad.

 

I'm so glad you guys know exactly what JW thinks, what he cares about, what drives him and what turns him off. So glad, because I just have to base my notion that Williams still puts some value on winning another Academy Award on all the promotion he did for Memoirs Of A Geisha or the look in his eyes when he entered the stage upon winning the award for Schindler's List.

 

Gosh, he really had me with those moments I guess. Since you guys obviously have more to go on, I now know that Williams doesn't care about 'stupid Oscars', especially not for commercial films like Star Wars, and that we are his real award.

 

Right....