According to StarWars.com, How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and The Bourne Identity (2002) film composer John Powell will be scoring the music for next summer’s still Untitled Young Han Solo Film (2018); his most recent score was heard in last year’s Jason Bourne (2016), and he will also be bringing us the sure to be fun-filled music of Blue Sky Studios’ Ferdinand (2017) hitting theaters this December.
While John Powell may not grab your attention immediately like a John Williams, Hans Zimmer, or Michael Giacchino type might, do not be fooled or disappointed. John Powell is unquestionably one of the greatest film composers we have in the industry today. He has covered a wide range of animated, family films besides Dragon (for which he was Oscar-nominated for Best Original Score) primarily from DreamWorks Animation and Blue Sky Studios like Kung Fu Panda (2008), Ice Age 2-4 (2006-12), Shrek (2001), Antz (1998), and Rio (2011). Besides these movies though, Powell has brought on his action game with movies like the Bourne trilogy (2002-07), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Hancock (2008), Jumper (2008), Knight and Day (2010), Green Zone (2010), Face/Off (1997), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). He has even offered some more subtle sensibilities with films like P.S. I Love You (2007), Two Weeks Notice (2002), and Forces of Nature (1999).
John Powell’s filmography is quite impressive, and while we are sure to expect some of the original John Williams Star Wars musical themes in this film like we heard in last year’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) from composer Michael Giacchino, it will certainly be a score that has a unique flair, balancing the more adventurous, lighthearted spirit of some of Powell’s animated scores with the tougher, more intense and pulsating action of something like The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) or Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).
This is really the first bit of news we have received on this upcoming film after the distressing news that the original directors on the project Phil Lord and Chris Miller were replaced by Ron Howard and extensive re-shoots were in progress. We have occasionally received a few social media updates from Ron Howard, who seems excited about jumping on the project and gives us hope that maybe this movie can still be something special.
The untitled Han Solo movie, or as the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is calling it right now, A Star Wars Story: Untitled Han Solo Film is currently being helmed by Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code (2006), Rush (2013)) and scripted by Lawrence Kasdan (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)). It will star Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar! (2016)) in the title role, and also feature Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones (2011-)), Thandie Newton (Westworld (2016)), Woody Harrelson (War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)), Donald Glover (Community (2009-15)), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (The Iron Lady (2011)), Joonas Suotamo (Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)), and Warwick Davis (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)). It blasts off into theaters next year on May 25, 2018.
Are you excited for the new Han Solo movie? Are you even more excited now with John Powell doing the music?
