Thomas Newman will score Star Wars: Starfighter with an original soundtrack, not using John Williams’ themes

Acclaimed composer Thomas Newman will write the score for Star Wars: Starfighter, the first Star Wars film set after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film, currently in development, is directed by Shawn Levy and stars Ryan Gosling, along with an all-new cast of characters that includes Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams. The score will feature original themes and will not be a remix of John Williams‘ cues.

With nearly 100 film credits to his name, Newman is a certifiable legend in the world of cinema, composing memorable musical scores for some of the biggest and most lauded movies in recent memory, including The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty, The Green Mile, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and the James Bond series of films Skyfall and Spectre. The maestro holds a record of 15 Academy Award nominations without a win and has won multiple other awards, including six Grammy Awards, two BAFTA Film Awards, and one Emmy Award for the television hit series Six Feet Under theme. Over the decades, he’s developed a distinctive style that combines orchestral elements with electronics and unusual sounds, known for creating emotionally resonant music.

During a recent interview with Kevin McCarthy of “On Film… with Kevin McCarthy” podcast, Shawn Levy excitedly announced that Newman will be composing the blockbuster’s musical score. “I don’t know if that’s public, so now it is. Yeah, I think we’re breaking news here,” the director said.

Levy also shared his love for Star Wars and that he needed someone to compose a score who could deliver a classical old school movie theme.

“If you asked me to name my favorite scorers, five of the Top 10 are Tom Newman,” Levy proclaimed after the reveal. “Shawshank, Road to Perdition, Nemo, American Beauty. The guy is a maestro,” Levy continued. “I was thinking about this movie and what I need the music to be, because it wants to be classically inspired, but it’s not going to 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. In other words, every movie should have a musical theme.”

According to Levy, he reached out to Newman to pitch the idea of scoring the film. Newman requested the script and the directors ideas for set pieces and themes. After reviewing the materials, Newman agreed to compose the music for the project. Levy described the interaction:

“I said, ‘Hey, it’s Shawn Levy. Would you ever consider [doing this]?’ And he said, ‘Send me the script and describe your vision,’” the filmmaker recalled. “I did both those things, and it was ‘Yes,’ and I am so stoked.”

Levy emphasized that he wanted a composer who shared John Williams’ commitment to strong thematic storytelling. Newman’s participation is the latest in a long line of composers outside of the legendary Williams to score a Star Wars film, following in the footsteps of Ludwig Göransson, who created the memorable score for the Mandalorian Disney+ streaming series and will bring back that distinctive, spaghetti Western-inspired signature sound to the new theatrical release. Göransson is known for creating an entirely different score than the usual Star Wars film cues. This is exactly what Levy has asked Newman to bring to the table, an entirely new musical score unheard of in the Star Wars universe.

You can out the full interview between McCarthy on Youtube below:

Principal photography for Starfighter began on Aug. 28. Production is still underway, with scenes having already been shot in both the United Kingdom and Italy. Plot details for the film are being kept under lock and key for the time being.

“Star Wars: Starfighter” is slated to hit theaters on May 28, 2027

May the Force be with you….