This could be down to the much-discussed reshoots that Rogue One underwent, but whatever the reason, stalwart Michael Giacchino was on hand to step in and write the score in a matter of weeks. I thought I was watching spaceballs for a second when I heard the title theme.
The title cue was the only thing I really hated about Rogue One.
Abrams.Īfter confirming that he was going to be composing the first ever non-Williams Star Wars movie soundtrack, French composer Alexandre Desplat pulled out due to scheduling commitments. They should've done a brief version of the 'Star Wars' fanfare as the title music for Rogue One (and any future anthology film). This is very much a safe pair of hands and, if anything, a predicatable choice - Giacchino has a formidable CV of scores under his belt, and he was responsible for reinventing the sound of the rebooted Star Trek franchise (another pet project of J.J. The album was released as a double LP which was formatted for an autochanger record player one disc had sides one and four with the other having. Who is worthy to replace him and, indeed, to be the first non-John Williams composer to tackle an official Star Wars film? It's a friend and longtime collaborator of producer J.J. The original 1977 release of the soundtrack, entitled Star Wars - Original Soundtrack, included a poster of a painting by science fiction artist John Berkey, depicting the final battle over the Death Star from the films end. Alexandre Desplat was due to write the film's score (see our enthusiastic analyses below), but because of the late finishing of the final product, scheduling conflicts mean that Desplat cannot commit. So we only have the word of the Hollywood press to go on for this, but it seems like the much-discussed reshoots of the first ever non-episodic Star Wars film have thrown a spanner in the works beyond the filming schedule. Reshoots have knocked everything off course - Giacchino replaces Desplat Introducing us to intriguing new characters and loaded with exciting cinematic moments, Rogue One also brings us dramatic new musical themes from Michael.
It's probably safe to assume that Michael Giacchino's score is yet to take full shape and these themes are mere stand-ins, but still - this is a mite disappointing in musical terms: The most inventive thing we get is a ghost of Williams' Force Theme as a soprano solo, but the rest of it is basically Hans Zimmer-esque string ostinati. However, even though the brand-new trailer for Rogue One looks lovely, the music has clearly been pasted on as a bit of an afterthought. But with The Force Awakens, the trailer music was fantastic - neatly using existing Williams themes and extending them to suggest something new. Even when there aren't reshoots taking place (see below), the nature of film production means that soundtracks are often left until late in the running order. Star Wars: Rogue One will hit theaters in the US December 14th.Here's everything we know about the soundtrack (Desplat, of course, has his own notable history, including compositions for The Grand Budapest Hotel and Godzilla.) With Giacchino's storied history, Rogue One is certainly in safe hands, although this will still be the first Star Wars film not to be scored by the legendary composer John Williams. Abrams, and the man behind soundtracks for films including Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out, Zootopia, and all three of the recent Star Trek films. These changes in schedule have had a knock-on effect on the timetable for scoring the film, and Desplat was reportedly unavailable for the new dates.Įnter Giacchino, a long-time friend of J.J. THR notes that this isn't to do with any artistic squabbling, but simply due to the extensive reshoots of Rogue One, tweaking its story and tone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, original pick Alexandre Desplat has been dropped, and Pixar-composer Michael Giacchino is in.
The composer for the first ever standalone Star Wars film, Rogue One, has been replaced just three months before release.