John Williams Reportedly Beginning Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Score Next Month

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is still a few months out from its debut, but it looks like one of the film’s core pieces of production is about to continue. A new LinkedIn interview with Sandy DeCrescent, who serves as an orchestra contractor, reveals that John Williams will be recording the score for The Rise of Skywalker as early as next month.

“Sandy DeCrescent celebrates 50 years as an orchestra contractor.” the interview says in part. “At one point she worked with 43 of the most talented TV and film composers in Hollywood. Today, she is still selecting the musicians and managing the orchestras for composer John Williams, who will be recording Star Wars in June (2019), and for composer Randy Newman who just finished recording Toy Story 4.”

In the interview, Sandy also provides a bit of a peek behind the curtain into Williams’ process as a composer.

“Some movies are only two or three days.” DeCrescent revealed. “It’s all about the number of minutes of music and how fast a composer goes without sacrificing any quality. John Williams does 15 minutes every three hours… Sometimes he has a hard day and he only does 14. I’ve seen him do 17. He is the most incredible person, he’s organized, he’s a great conductor, and it’s all laid out so perfectly.”

It’s unclear exactly how far along Williams is into The Rise of Skywalker‘s score, although a recent interview with the composer has hinted that he really likes what he has seen of the film already.

Details are still relatively slim about the highly-anticipated film, other than that the film is poised to be the final chapter of the “Skywalker Saga”.

“There have been a lot of ideas since the beginning, since George first came up with this, of where things could go,” director J.J. Abrams explained in a recent interview. “We had a meeting with him before we even wrote the script about this. So a lot of what we have taken, is really taken to heart, everything that’s come before. While it’s been obviously significantly challenging, it’s been a greater opportunity than a challenge. I cannot wait for you to see what this movie is.”

The Rise of Skywalker will feature returning appearances from Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) and Lieutenant Connix (Billie Lourd). Carrie Fisher will also be posthumously returning as Leia Organa in the film, through the use of archival footage. New cast members joining the film include Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, Naomi Ackie, Matt Smith, and Dominic Monaghan. The film will be directed by J.J. Abrams, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Chris Terrio.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will land in theaters on December 20th.