John Williams Returns to Star Wars for Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan isn’t the only master back for more Star Wars. Composer John Williams, who scored all nine episodes of the Skywalker Saga, is returning to the galaxy far, far away for Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Premiering on the 45th anniversary of 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope on May 25, the live-action spinoff series from Lucasfilm reunites exiled Jedi Master Obi-Wan and former Padawan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), the Sith Lord Darth Vader, a decade after the dramatic events of 2005’s Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Williams wrote the musical signature for Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and recorded with an orchestra “under tight security” last week in Los Angeles, according to a new report from Variety. Williams, who turned 90 this month, most recently scored 2019’s Skywalker Saga finale The Rise of Skywalker and will next reunite with longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg on The Fabelmans. 

In 2018, Williams received an additional music and arrangements credit when joining main composer John Powell on Solo: A Star Wars Story, composing the theme for a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), and his original Star Wars works were incorporated into Michael Giacchino’s original score for 2015’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

For Disney’s television corner of the Star Wars galaxy, Lucasfilm has recruited Marvel’s Black Panther’s Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson for spinoff series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Disney’s Cruella composer Nicholas Britell is reportedly scoring the upcoming Rogue One prequel spinoff Andor, according to Film Music Reporter. 

The previously announced cast of Obi-Wan includes Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse, reprising their Revenge of the Sith roles as Owen and Beru Lars, and Star Wars newcomers Kumail Nanjiani (Marvel’s Eternals), Sung Kang (the Fast & Furious franchise), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), Indira Varma (Mission: Impossible 7), Rupert Friend (Homeland), Simone Kessell (Terra Nova), and Benny Safdie (Good Time). 

Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres May 25 on Disney+. 

If you haven’t signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here. Note: If you purchase one of the awesome, independently chosen products featured here, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.