John Powell's SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (2018) - Deluxe Edition 2020 / Intrada 2-CD edition October 31, 2023

[Disco Stu 15,517]

I'm assuming this is going to be an adventure film and the thought of Powell writing a rousing adventure theme for Han Solo is very exciting.

[Thor 9,358]

It's so great to be excited about a STAR WARS score again. I was obviously excited for FORCE AWAKENS too, but that didn't deliver in the end. Then ROGUE ONE had both Desplat and Giacchino involved, my least favourite composers (as I said when MG replaced AD: "it's like exchanging ketchup with mustard on your morning cereal"). And then -- predictably -- the score was so bad, it physically annoyed me.

 

But now -- with one of my favourite current composers attached (and one who's kept a better sense of "adventure freshness" than even ol' Johnny himself), I'm actually genuinely excited.

[BloodBoal 8,705]

[Luke Skywalker 2,381]

Sad news....I don't really like any of his scores....

[BloodBoal 8,705]

3 minutes ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Sad news....I don't really like any of his scores....

 

Said nobody!

[Loert 3,116]

9 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

I want something like his Evolution main theme!

 

 

 

I don't really know if that would suit Han Solo or not, but I do love that theme to bits...so have a free like. 

[BloodBoal 8,705]

5 minutes ago, Loert said:

I don't really know if that would suit Han Solo or not

 

At this point in film music history, I'm more concerned about having a theme that sounds awesome than a theme that fits the character it was written for!

 

Of course, having a theme that fits both criteria would be sweet.

 

5 minutes ago, Loert said:

but I do love that theme to bits...so have a free like. 

 

[leeallen01 2,360]

Powell is a good choice, much better than Zimmer or any useless lacky like Jackman, but all of Powell's fantasy music sounds the same, which is a worry. That Evolution clip above sounds exactly like HTTYD, and Pan, and Shrek, and Kung Fu Panda, and Chicken Run (my favourite score of his. co-composed with HGW.)

[Not Mr. Big 5,011]

Silence Giacchino fan!

 

2 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

 

At this point in film music history, I'm more concerned about having a theme that sounds awesome than a theme that fits the character it was written for!

 

Definitely.  Good themes are in desperately short supply nowadays.  

[leeallen01 2,360]

 

 

The first half of this piece was made for Star Wars. It even has an Empire-style theme throughout.

 

 

 

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,262]

6 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

Silence Giacchino fan!

 

You've fallen for the Trump administration's conspiracy to spread negativity about MG.  Wake up, sheeple.

[toothless 1,056]

6 minutes ago, leeallen01 said:

… but all of Powell's fantasy music sounds the same, which is a worry. That Evolution clip above sounds exactly like HTTYD, and Pan, and Shrek, and Kung Fu Panda, and Chicken Run…

 

It may not be stylistically original ( it remains to be seen) but I'd take a hundred Powel score that sounds exactly like that over some boring stuff from random composer.

[James 120]

On Zimmer's fan site, the administrator says Powell was already on the project even before Howard was hired. Maybe he was Lord and Miller's first choice.

[Muad'Dib 2,059]

2 hours ago, Will said:

 

I'm not that familiar with Powell,

 

WHAT

 

Start with this

 

 

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,517]

I am still a huge fan of his Bourne scores, despite their obvious overuse in temp scoring. 

[crumbs 16,006]

Excellent choice! I predicted him as a composer on Spielberg & Kennedy's radar when Silvestri took over RPO, no surprise seeing him announced for this.

 

Interesting the press release specifically mentions it will echo the style of the original film. I hope it's not too slavish to existing material.

[igger6 1,045]

Yeah, I found that line fascinatingly specific for a press release.  Is Lucasfilm pandering to film score fans?

[Richard P 5,300]

43 minutes ago, leeallen01 said:

Powell is a good choice, much better than Zimmer or any useless lacky like Jackman, but all of Powell's fantasy music sounds the same, which is a worry. That Evolution clip above sounds exactly like HTTYD, and Pan, and Shrek, and Kung Fu Panda, and Chicken Run (my favourite score of his. co-composed with HGW.)

 

I'd agree that there's less variation in his scores than some other composers. But he's so damn good at energetic, entertaining action music, and great melodies, that the sameness doesn't matter to me.

[artguy360 2,227]

Let's say Powell's score is for whatever reason unsatisfactory. We all know there's only 1 person Lucasfilm is gonna call. Gia gonna score 2 Star Wars films to practice for Ep. 9.

[Disco Stu 15,517]

Again, this is supposed to be a safe space!!

[Demodex 593]

I've never heard of this guy. I hope he does as good a job as the Rogue One composer. 

[MikeH 805]

 

34 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Interesting the press release specifically mentions it will echo the style of the original film. I hope it's not too slavish to existing material.

 

Don't sweat it.  It's just a little public intimidation from Disney to not stray too far musically...or else we'll get Rogue One: 2   

 

"the first time was only a warning..."

[karelm 3,271]

EXCELLENT NEWS!  This will be a great score.

[Muad'Dib 2,059]

24 minutes ago, Demodex said:

I've never heard of this guy. I hope he does as good a job as the Rogue One composer. 

 

1 hour ago, Muad'Dib said:

 

WHAT

 

Start with this

 

 

 

 

 

[DominicCobb 196]

Seems a solid choice. I'm not super familiar with his scores so don't have strong opinions one way or another, but I'll take this site's collective word for it.

 

I'm mostly glad Zimmer isn't doing this. Not that I don't want him on Star Wars, but he doesn't seem like he'd be a terribly good choice for Han Solo.

 

Also, thinking about Han Solo, it'll be interesting to see thematically what, if anything, gets carried over. I'd say we might see a healthy amount of the Rebel Fanfare and the Main Title (what with their having essentially evolved into all encompassing hero themes) and not much of the Force Theme, but then again I thought the same thing about Rogue One and we got the opposite. Most intriguing is the fact that Han never got a proper theme - or did he? I suppose this will probably put to rest the oft floated (and absurd) idea that Han and the Princess is a theme for Han.

[Richard P 5,300]

Just now, DominicCobb said:

I'm mostly glad Zimmer isn't doing this. Not that I don't want him on Star Wars, but he doesn't seem like he'd be a terribly good choice for Han Solo.

 

I don't want Zimmer on SW full stop. This needs full-blooded orchestral music.

[crumbs 16,006]

Just spitballing but can we assume this will be an LSO score?

 

They were apparently booked for R1 before... Cappuccino happened.

[Matt C 603]

Powell is an interesting choice.

 

He usually doesn't incorporate pre-existing themes (unless they're his own), but Han Solo will definitely be an exception to that. Even more intriguing if Powell will try emulating Williams' late 1970s-early 1980s style.

[Code 000. Destruct. 0. 4,262]

I wonder what good Powell saw in this film to be convinced to work on it.  Or did Disney just do its usual thuggish routine?

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Powell doesn't seem like a slave to the machine. He picks his projects. 

[James 120]

This is simple: He will score a Star Wars movie!

 

Who does not want to be part of the story of a musical trajectory built by John Williams? 

[Manakin Skywalker 5,941]

I keep seeing articles on Facebook saying "John Williams isn't scoring the Han Solo film!" and idiots commenting "oh no, that must be a bad sign! Now I won't see it!" Man I want to slap all of these people in their faces.

[Jill Sandwich 11,164]

25 minutes ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

I keep seeing articles on Facebook saying "John Williams isn't scoring the Han Solo film!" and idiots commenting "oh no, that must be a bad sign! Now I won't see it!" Man I want to slap all of these people in their faces.

 

Maybe he won't do The Last Jedi either!

[Manakin Skywalker 5,941]

18 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

 

Maybe he won't do The Last Jedi either!

[Cerebral Cortex 3,365]

Hot damn, I step away from JWFan for just 8 hours...

This is great. Echoing what many have already stated (albeit more eloquently), this was the best possible outcome next to Williams scoring the film himself. Can't believe this is actually happening. I can't wait to hear what Powell comes up with after playing around in the Star Wars sandbox for a couple months. Should be glorious.  

[Arpy 4,255]

This is great news, didn't think it would happen. Hans must be busy haha

 

 

[Jill Sandwich 11,164]

Still hope for Hans to score Godzilla: King of the Monsters if Desplat is unavailable.

[TheUlyssesian 2,732]

Those thinking Howard would get Hans were kidding themselves. Kennedy is running the show and this is a Kennedy choice through and through. She is very protective of the property and will make sure the feel of the franchise remains intact - which means a a full blast symphonic orchestral score.

 

Powell is a good choice. How to train your dragin is an absolutely fantastic score. He richly earned his academy award nomination and was robbed that year.

 

 

[Cerebral Cortex 3,365]

Just now, TheUlyssesian said:

How to train your dragin is an absolutely fantastic score. He richly earned his academy award nomination and was robbed that year.

 

Him and Hans both, heh heh...

[Arpy 4,255]

Inception and How to Train Your Dragon in one year, tough choice, but both were superior to that Social Network crap!

[Ravi Krishna 132]

Absolutely amazing news. Needless to say, this is now one of the most highly anticipated scores of next summer.

[Manakin Skywalker 5,941]

Both a Williams and a Powell Star Wars score all within a 5 month span... magnificent.

[Pieter Boelen 1,032]

I wholeheartedly approve of this!

[BloodBoal 8,705]

[toothless 1,056]

22 minutes ago, BloodBoal said:

 

If Rogue One is anything to go by, we shouldn't expect the Main Title to appear in the spin-off movies, except during the end credits.

As long as the weird and boring title theme we got with RO is gone, I'm OK with that.  (And it's not Gia bashing. His score was nice considering the time and situation it was composed in)

[BloodBoal 8,705]

[Perrinzki 8]

Incredible news! Just about the best film composer available for the job. I do have to say though that sometimes I wished Powell didn't rely too much on the pentatonic scale for his thematic constructs; nevertheless he is indeed a master at working in that particular idiom and it is very much a staple to his style. Either way, we all know that the music for this project is in safe hands, and I eagerly look forward to hear what Powell can deliver to the saga.

[Holko 12,057]

I just realised Powell is basically to Dreamworks what Giacchino is to Disney-Pixar. Another piece of evidence that DW is better than Pixar when they get it right.

 

This is basically the first news that made me excited for the movie.

[Incanus 5,890]

Well colour me excited! Let's hope they'll stick with him until the end so I don't have to read about another composer rejected for a Holkenborg score.

[Brónach 1,330]

3 hours ago, BloodBoal said:

If Rogue One is anything to go by, we shouldn't expect the Main Title to appear in the spin-off movies, except during the end credits.

 

I'm actually really fond of this "mysterious music - cut to space with a short musical bang" they did. As far as I'm concerned they can skip the cutting to a movie title ten minutes later, they can put that somewhere else.