When you think of the Star Wars movies, it's hard to not think of the music in some way or another. It's easily one of the most iconic components of the Saga and is instantly recognizable, even to people who wouldn't consider themselves fans of Star Wars. The music of John Williams is so crucial to the Saga as a whole that it really helped in shaping its identity. In fact, I would argue that Star Wars wouldn't have been as much of a success without Williams' music. His music is the glue that brings it all together. It's just so hard to imagine any Star Wars movie without it
That's why some fans are a little skeptical of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which will be the first time a live action Star Wars movie is not scored by Williams. In his place will be Alexandre Desplat, a French composer who has had numerous successes in his own right. His numerous credits include the score for Godzilla, The Golden Compass, and even contributions to the Harry Potter series of films. But the simple fact that he isn't John Williams is enough to make some people concerned, and that's reasonable given the impact that Williams has had on Star Wars as a whole.
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that one day, this will be the norm. There will come a movie that will be the last Star Wars movie ever scored by John Williams. That seems far away, but with Williams being hesitant to return for Episode 8, it may come sooner than we Star Wars fans may want.
It's going to happen, there's nothing we can do to change it, so we might as well just accept it. But what does the future hold? There's the possibility that Lucasfilm will find a unique composer for each movie. An argument could be made for this decision, since you could say it will make each Star Wars film feel distinct and unique. But, I personally disagree with it. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that the music is the glue that holds the entire franchise together. Having the music be the one thing that's a constant throughout the years seems fitting. However, I can agree with having a different composer for each of the Star Wars Stories, since these are by nature supposed to be different and a little separated from the main saga.Aas long as they still retain some of the basic musical themes, I have no objections to branching out a little bit for the Stories.
The other option is for Lucasfilm to find a successor to Williams that will score all Star Wars films for the foreseeable future. There's definitely plenty of composers out there who can emulate Williams' style, some of whom are currently involved with various Star Wars projects, whether its video games like Star Wars: The Old Republic or the popular Star Wars Rebels TV series. But if Lucasfilm wants a big-name Hollywood composer, Michael Giacchino seems more than capable of taking over the helm from Williams. His credits, to name a few, include the Star Trek series of films and numerous Pixar films including the Incredibles and Up. More recently, he composed the score for Jurassic World, and has even provided Star Wars-style music for the Star Tours attraction in the various Disney Parks. With these two projects, he's proven that he's not only capable of breathing new life into existing music composed by Williams, but is also capable of creating brand new pieces that blend in seamlessly.
No matter what route Lucasfilm decides to take, the simple truth is that eventually Star Wars music will change. Nobody can say how much it will change, but if I'm being honest, I would hate to hear the same three musical themes over and over for the next three decades worth of Star Wars movies, so we do need some change. There's people out there that can bring change to the music while still utilizing the foundation that John Williams has so artfully created. Replacing Williams would be a monumental task, and a monumental decision to find the right composer(s), but when the time comes (and I hope it isn't any time soon), I have confidence that Lucasfilm will do everything they can to make the best decision. Lately they have proven that they don't take any decision lightly and I get the sense that everyone involved in these new Star Wars films is truly trying to make the best movie they can. So I have faith that whatever they ultimately decide will be the right choice.
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