John Williams

John Williams is one of Steven Spielberg’s most frequent collaborators, and earlier this year he was set to score both of the director’s upcoming movies: Pentagon Papers drama The Papers and pop culture-infused sci-fi Ready Player One. But because both of these movies are being put together at about the same time (Ready Player One’s production began last year, and The Papers was filmed this spring in a matter of weeks for a December release) Williams has had to give up scoring duties on the latter in favor of the former.

The best part of The Force Awakens, if I had to pick just one, is probably the fakeout when Kylo Ren is chasing Rey and Finn through the snowy forest, and the lightsaber he reaches for zooms past his face and into Rey’s outstretched hand. I went to see that movie three times in theaters, and every time that moment happened, people cheered. It’s made even cooler by the addition of John Williams’ “Force Theme,” also known as “Binary Sunset” from the original Star Wars. It was adopted somewhat as Luke’s personal theme, but generally signals the Light Side of the Force.

Look, I’m a pretty simple guy. I don’t ask for a lot out of life. Life doesn’t ask for a lot out of me. But I do have one very small goal, and that’s to eventually do something well enough that a bunch of colleges around the United States decide to praise me with honorary doctorate degrees. A pretty modest aim, right? One pithy news article about Star Wars rumors, and suddenly, the University of Southern California and UCLA are competing to see who can give me the most pieces of paper with my name on it. In the immortal words of Cannibal! The Musical, that’s all I’m asking for.

If you grabbed some random schmo of the street and demanded they name a composer of film scores, they’d probably name John Williams if they could come up with any answer at all. (Unless you ended up with some smart-aleck in the know who busted out Alexandre Desplat or Mica Levi or something.) Williams is responsible for pretty much every movie theme hummed by general populace over the last four decades: as you read these words, I know you’ll hear the triumphant fanfare of the Star Wars score, or the ominous duh-dum of the Jaws theme. And today, Hans Zimmer can go right ahead and eat his heart out, because Williams’ most famed compositions will soon be immortalized in one essential compilation.

John Williams, probably the most recognizable name of modern Hollywood film scores, has given us the iconic soundtracks to little indie pictures such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Indiana Jones, E.T., and, of course, Star Wars. The music is at once timeless and nostalgic, allowing us all to sink cozily back into the days when Amblin ruled our childhoods as we listen through each score over and over. All of us, that is, except John Williams.

What’s a ‘Star Wars’ film without John Williams?

13-year-old trumpeter Bryce Hayashi got a nice surprise when he and flugelhorn player Michael Miller played an impromptu tribute to John Williams’ Star Wars theme on the lawn of the master composer’s house: Williams himself was home and came out to shake their hands and salute them on their fine playing.

Not that Lucasfilm would get anyone else to score new Star Wars and Indiana Jones sequels as long as John Williams is still around, but just in case there was any doubt, Steven Spielberg has officially confirmed the legendary composer’s return for both franchises. The director’s announcement appropriately took place during last night’s AFI tribute to Williams, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to cinema.

‘Star Wars’ fans and music nerds, unite! Record Store Day may be an annual tradition reserved for music enthusiasts, but the film world made sure to nudge its way in this year.

WB and CineConcerts have partnered to produce a series of events at which a full orchestra will provide a live performance of John Williams’ iconic theme music in perfect tandem with the film.