Do you think John Williams will score Star Wars VIII and/or Ready Player One?

[Lewya 360]

I thought it would be interesting to see what people here think. No morbid discussion needed, just curious if you think he will do more after The BFG or not.

If you don't think he will score one of them or both, who do you think will do it instead? I think it could be a bit interesting to go back to this thread in the future and see how right/wrong we were. No "he will score both of them if he is alive, is able to and willing" answers because that is quite obvious!

I voted that I don't think he will score more after The BFG, it's just my feeling. I (sadly) think that Michael Giacchino will take over Star Wars, as for Ready Player One I think Thomas Newman will do it. I obviously hope that Johnny will be able/willing to do both. What do you think?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Why that putz Giacchino? Oh, wait, that's right. They do constantly give him iconic beloved franchises to compose shit music for.

[Balahkay 627]

I think Williams will score both films since there shouldn't be any scheduling conflicts. I don't see why he wouldn't score at least one of them. I also don't see why people think The BFG will be Williams last score. He hasn't given any indication that he's retiring from scoring films. He's already scheduled to conduct at Tanglewood next year, so he's not retiring in 2016.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

"The BFG will be my final score. After that scoring assignment is completed, I will finally retreat into retirement and write music only for my own leisure."

- John Williams, press release.

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

I think he might do Episode 8 for sure.

I think of Rogue Player One as a separate entity. I don't think Williams is obliged to score that at all.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I think he might do Episode 8 for sure.

I think of Rogue Player One as a separate entity. I don't think Williams is obliged to score that at all.

Rogue Player One??

[A24 4,331]

[Lewya 360]

I also don't see why people think The BFG will be Williams last score. He hasn't given any indication that he's retiring from scoring films. He's already scheduled to conduct at Tanglewood next year, so he's not retiring in 2016.

It is just a guess, a feeling I have, hopefully it is wrong. Hoping i'll be wrong and that he will be announced as the composer for both early next year. I guess it is the combination of age and that I for some reason feel that this new Star Wars installment took a lot of his power even if he won't admit it or show it.

[crumbs 14,308]

Personally think it depends on the reception to TFA. Disney would probably prefer he stayed on because it improves their bottom line having his score in their library, but they might be nervous to do it.

[Balahkay 627]

I also don't see why people think The BFG will be Williams last score. He hasn't given any indication that he's retiring from scoring films. He's already scheduled to conduct at Tanglewood next year, so he's not retiring in 2016.

It is just a guess, a feeling I have, hopefully it is wrong. Hoping i'll be wrong and that he will be announced as the composer for both early next year. I guess it is the combination of age and that I for some reason feel that this new Star Wars installment took a lot of his power even if he won't admit it or show it.

Williams was most likely aware that the TFA sessions would take a lot of time and energy. He may not have anticipated sessions going into November, but he did know the sessions would be spread out over the summer and last possibly into September. Even though Williams hasn't been confirmed to score the remaining episodes, Kathleen Kennedy did go on record in 2013 saying that he would score the entire trilogy, so his interest and willingness was there otherwise she wouldn't have made such a statement. I'm hopeful he'll score the remaining films. Plus, the Episode VIII sessions may not be as drawn out and time intensive as TFA.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

So far nothing seems indicative that he wouldn't be interested or unable to do them. Ready Player One might actually be an interesting challenge for him, maybe a continuation of sorts of AI. Here's hoping they don't go with a very traditional orchestral score like they did on Pixels. I'd love to hear Williams experiment around with some 80's styled synths. A whole score of that coming from him could be amazing at this point.

[crumbs 14,308]

Has anyone thought to tweet Johnson and just ask him outright? He's usually good with answering social media stuff.

If nothing else, I wouldn't be surprised to see him tweet about the TFA score once it's released (if it's as good as the rumours all suggest) and indicate whether he's looking forward to working with him or whatever.

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

I think he might do Episode 8 for sure.

I think of Rogue Player One as a separate entity. I don't think Williams is obliged to score that at all.

Rogue Player One??

Jeez I completely misread the post. I thought this Rogue Player One is the Felicity Jones Star Wars spin-off.

[Balahkay 627]

Has anyone thought to tweet Johnson and just ask him outright? He's usually good with answering social media stuff.

Wouldn't hurt, but he may not be allowed to say. Disney hasn't revealed much about Episode VIII, yet.... for obvious reasons.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

When Rogue One is made, Williams and Desplat will be the only composers to have each scored Star Wars and Harry Potter movies.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crumbs 14,308]

Until Nicholas Hooper's score to Star Wars: Episode VIII is released.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Until Nicholas Hooper gets to score a spin-off movie, of course.

Until Nicholas Hooper's score to Star Wars: Episode VIII is released.

Hehehe

[lostinspace 8]

This is mere speculation but my 2c.

It will be reasonable for him to continue scoring films I think until 2017 asuming JW health holds up, but I doubt you can conduct after that age. To be still grinding out notes at that age is insane we should not expect too much.

Health gets pretty fragile for most people in early 80s' and while there are exceptions, the potential for back strains... and other medical aiments is pretty high, the body also takes much longer to heal... As a composer myself I think you still get a lot of satisfaction out of hearing others conduct your music, but that has never really been JW process except for scheduling conflicts. Who knows?!

[Alex 2,835]

I think the ball is in JW's court. If he wants to score the rest of trilogy and Ready Player One, he should do. Depends also on Johnson and Trevorrow as well. They may not want such a drawn out editing process

[Thor 7,495]

Time will tell. I think he's got the energy to keep on doing film scores for AT LEAST five more years, and then perhaps wind down with only the occasional concert music writing after that. But that's just wild speculation on my behalf. As I said before, let's hope he has his mother's genes and lives to be almost 100, with only the last five years being in complete retirement from everything.

[Quintus 5,399]

What's the planned turnaround on this trilogy? It's not gonna be the stupid 9 year template again is it? If so, no, he won't complete it.

[crumbs 14,308]

18 months from TFA to VIII then 2 years until IX.

So theoretically he'd be writing the next film about a year from today, and Trevorrow's about 3 years from today. Personally I think he's a shoe-in for Episode VIII but 3 years until he would start writing IX...?

I'll hope against hope...

[mrbellamy 6,285]

[Jay 37,352]

What's the planned turnaround on this trilogy? It's not gonna be the stupid 9 year template again is it? If so, no, he won't complete it.

Episode 7 = December 18th, 2015

Episode 8 = May 26th, 2017

Episode 9 = May, 2019

So only 3 1/2 years from start to finish for this trilogy.

For the old films, where did you pull that 9 year figure out of? Both prior trilogies were 6 years - 77/80/83 and then 99/02/05.

[Quintus 5,399]

You're right I don't know what I was thinking there tbh.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Just admit you don't know how to count.

[Jay 37,352]

Probably that it took 9 years for the makers to make them, but it only took six years for us to see them all

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I think he might be able to do both (or neither) but if I had to choose, I'd probably go with Star Wars as the John Williams/Riann Johnson combo could turn out a really interesting score.

[mrbellamy 6,285]

Probably that it took 9 years for the makers to make them, but it only took six years for us to see them all

Or it could be the math that got him there was "3 films x 3 years between each one" lol. Funnily enough I didn't think twice when I read it.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I think that he'll quietly depart from the Star Wars franchise just as he did Harry Potter. No one will care except us.

[Balahkay 627]

Why did he depart Potter? Too busy?

[crumbs 14,308]

He had 4 scoring assignments in 2005, he was never going to fit in Potter.

[Balahkay 627]

Yeah, but what about 2007 and on?

[Romão 2,274]

If things go as they did before with other Star Wars movies, he should start composing music for Episode VIII roughly a year from now. I definitely thing he will do it

[Jay 37,352]

Nah. If he wants to do episode 8, he'd pretty much have to start working on it right after the BFG is done.

Basically start writing next summer, and start recording after the August Tanglewood appearance.

[Romão 2,274]

He has never done that schedule with previous Star Wars movies released in May. The movie only begins shooting first unit in March, I reckon. He'll start writing in the fall, for a February recording

[Jay 37,352]

You can't expect the schedules of the old Star Wars films to be the model for the new; just look at episode 7. Opening in Dec 2015, he began writing in Jan 2015 and recorded from June to October 2015.

Reverse engineer those dates for the May 2017 release date of Episode 8 to get a better guess for a potential schedule.

[Romão 2,274]

At this point, we don't know if Rian Johnson will adopt a scattered recording schedule like JJ or if he will be more tradicional like Lucas

[mrbellamy 6,285]

Yeah, but what about 2007 and on?

David Yates had a long relationship with Nicholas Hooper from his TV stuff and wanted him to score OOTP. That's all that was, I don't think Williams ever entered into it. Then Hooper quit after HBP because he was exhausted (according to the OOTP liner notes, he started composing during pre-production and continued writing for the next year and a half through production and post. I assume it was the same on HBP, apparently Yates likes to get pretty heavily involved in the whole scoring process, whatever that entails....)

After Hooper left there were rumors of a Williams return but apparently something got in the way for both of the Deathly Hallows films. He didn't have any movies in that time (unless the early Tintin stuff was around then?) so I assume it was to do with his concert schedule. Yates and the producers insisted that he was their first choice but that he was never able to find time to score when they were ready with a cut. Seemed like an odd situation, a few people here called bullshit on their comments at the time but there it is.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

I seem to remember that Yates didn't want Williams anywhere near his movies.

[crumbs 14,308]

Desplat said Yates told him during the DHP1 sessions that he wanted him back for DHP2.

I'm calling BS on Yates claiming they tried to get Williams. He clearly wasn't a fan of his style, considering how generic and minimalist Desplat's scores became. This was clearly a directive from a director with his head so far up his own ass that he assumed Williams would be incapable of following instructions or pulling back his usual bombastic style for something more minimalist. Williams probably baulked at having to endure temp track notes as well.

[mrbellamy 6,285]

This was the only quote on it I could find: http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19178&p=674885

I was hoping to get John Williams, and he wanted to do it, but the only way he could do it was if he scored a rough cut because of his schedule. So I would've had to have given him a rough cut and I need to get the film in a proper state before I present it to anybody. I'm a huge fan of John Williams. I grew up on John Williams. He's a God to me. The thought of showing John Williams a rough cut is "ugh, I can't do that". And so unfortunately even though he wanted to do it and I wanted him to do it, the schedules just didn't fit."

[RedBard 71]

All three.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Desplat said Yates told him during the DHP1 sessions that he wanted him back for DHP2.

I'm calling BS on Yates claiming they tried to get Williams. He clearly wasn't a fan of his style, considering how generic and minimalist Desplat's scores became. This was clearly a directive from a director with his head so far up his own ass that he assumed Williams would be incapable of following instructions or pulling back his usual bombastic style for something more minimalist. Williams probably baulked at having to endure temp track notes as well.

Minimalist? I think "restrained" is the more appropriate term.

[crumbs 14,308]

Same thing!

(Yes, restrained is what I meant).

[Quintus 5,399]

Probably that it took 9 years for the makers to make them, but it only took six years for us to see them all

Or it could be the math that got him there was "3 films x 3 years between each one" lol. Funnily enough I didn't think twice when I read it.

It could be this or Jason's method, fuck knows what was happening in my brain at the time. I'd probably even convinced myself that it took nine years to get from 1977 to 1983, regardless of these movies.

[publicist 4,643]

Williams probably baulked at having to endure temp track notes as well.

That seems to be a Williams condition that frightens directors like Yates (and probably a lot of others): he apparently doesn't watch movies with temp tracks, at least if we believe various tidbits over the years. So showing Williams three hours of HP footage with noise from '28 Days Later' wafting in the background might put all participants in an awkward spot.

[crumbs 14,308]

Yeah, fairly confident it's a contractual requirement that any film he scores must not have a temp track, nor will he revise cues based on studio interference or notes, etc. It requires a real leap of faith on the part of the filmmakers, but you know he'll deliver (you just won't know until your release date is 4 weeks away -- something studios won't entertain these days).

Some of the horror stories you hear from other, younger, less established composers with less clout give me nightmares.