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Star Wars: Starfighter's Musical Maestro—Why Thomas Newman's Score Matters

Shawn Levy just revealed some exciting news about the upcoming Star Wars film. He confirmed that acclaimed composer Thomas Newman will be creating the score for Star Wars: Starfighter. Levy describes Newman as "a maestro" and personally reached out to him for the project. The director wants a classically-inspired score that honors but doesn't simply remix John Williams' iconic themes.

Key Points: Shawn Levy Confirms Thomas Newman Scoring Star Wars Starfighter

  • Levy personally called Thomas Newman as a fan to pitch the project
  • Newman agreed after reading the script and hearing Levy's vision
  • The score will be classically inspired but not remix John Williams' themes
  • Starfighter is a standalone film set five years after The Rise of Skywalker
  • Ryan Gosling and Matt Smith lead the cast in this new Star Wars story
  • Levy cites Newman's Shawshank and American Beauty scores among his favorites
2 min read

The guy is a maestro: Shawn Levy on 'Star Wars: Starfighter' composer

Director Shawn Levy reveals 15-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman will compose the score for Star Wars: Starfighter, calling him "a maestro."

"The guy is a maestro. - Shawn Levy"

Washington DC, November 28

Shawn Levy, the director set to leave his mark on the Star Wars franchise, has announced that 15-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman will compose the score for the upcoming film, 'Star Wars: Starfighter', according to Deadline.

During an interview on the On Film...with Kevin McCarthy podcast, Levy enthusiastically revealed the news, stating, "I know, bro. I don't know if that's public, so now it is. Yeah, I think we're breaking news here." He added, "You don't understand. If you ask me to name my favourite scores, five of the top 10 are Tom Newman: Shawshank, Road to Perdition, Nemo, American Beauty. The guy is a maestro."

Levy explained that he wanted a classically-inspired score that wouldn't rely on remixing John Williams' iconic themes. "And I was thinking about this movie and what I need the music to be, because it wants to be sort of classically inspired. But no, it's not gonna be remixes of Williams cues. It may be inspired by some of that, but I knew that I needed a big-hearted movie score from a composer, who like John Williams, doesn't shy away from themes," as quoted by Deadline.

Williams scored George Lucas' original Star Wars (1977), the music of which has since become synonymous with the franchise.

The director reached out to Newman, a fan of his work, and pitched the idea. After sharing the script and explaining his vision, Newman agreed to compose the score. "So, I called up Tom Newman. You don't understand, I'm a fan," added Levy. "And I said, 'Hey, it's Shawn Levy. Would you ever consider--?' And he said, 'Send me the script, and describe your vision.' And I did both those things, and it was yes. And I'm so stoked. ... I'm so excited about it," reported Deadline.

A standalone film outside the Skywalker saga, Starfighter is set five years after Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Penned by Jonathan Tropper, the movie stars Ryan Gosling, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray and Amy Adams, according to Deadline.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting move to not use John Williams' themes. It's a bold decision but Thomas Newman's classical background might bring something fresh to the franchise. Hope it works out!
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Arjun K
As an Indian fan who grew up with Star Wars, I'm excited but also nervous. John Williams' music is iconic - it's like removing Lata Mangeshkar from an old Bollywood classic. Hope Newman can create something equally memorable!
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Sarah B
Ryan Gosling in Star Wars? That's unexpected! The casting looks interesting. Thomas Newman's score combined with this cast could make for a unique Star Wars experience.
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Vikram M
Thomas Newman's American Beauty score was pure genius. If he brings that level of emotional depth to Star Wars, we're in for a treat. Excited to see how this standalone film shapes up!
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Michael C
While I respect Thomas Newman's work, I'm concerned about moving away from John Williams' iconic themes. The Star Wars music is as important as the characters themselves. Hope they don't lose that magic.
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Ananya R
Love that Shawn Levy is such a fan of Newman's work! When a director genuinely admires the composer, it usually leads to great collaboration. Looking forward to this fresh take on Star Wars music! ✨

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