Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino, composer of the 2009 Star Trek movie, is now working on that that other ‘Star’ franchise. Giacchino is headed to a galaxy far far away to compose the music for the latest Star Wars-themed attraction opening at Disney parks in 2011.
Giacchino composing Star Tours II
The Star Wars themed motion simulator ride "Star Tours" premiered at Disneyland in 1987, and has since opened at Disney parks in Orlando, Paris and Tokyo. In 2011 the attractions will be replaced with "Star Tours II: The Adventure Continues", a brand new Star Wars adventure, and Disney fan site LaughingPlace.com is reporting that composer Michael Giacchino will be providing the music.
Star Wars composer John Williams declined the opportunity (as he did with the original Star Tours), leaving an opening for Giacchino. This chance to do music for Star Wars must be a special opportunity for the composer. Giacchino has stated (see video below from 2010 Campus Movie Fest below) that "Star Wars was a huge thing" for him growing up, and it was Williams’ music from Star Wars that motivated him to become a composer.
Few details have been revealed about the new Star Tours ride, but it is known that it is set in between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. (the first Star Tours was set after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi). Anthony Daniels (the voice of C-3PO) is expected to return, but the cast has not been announced. Earlier this month Disney released this this preview of the new Star Tours, announcing the three destinations you will visit on the new ride.
What Giacchino is up to
This year Michael Giacchino wrapped up his work on Lost, which garnered him another Emmy nomination, but he continues to be very busy. His latest project is working with Cloverfield director Matt Reeves on the vampire movie Let Me In, which comes out in October. Giacchino is of course continuing his long-time collaboration with JJ Abrams. He did the score for the pilot of Abrams new TV series Undercovers, and will be composing the music for the 2011 movies Super 8 (directed by Abrams) and Mission Impossible IV (produced by Abrams). Giacchino is also slated to be the composer for the 2012 sci-fi film John Carter of Mars and is expected to return to the final frontier for the 2012 Star Trek film.
Last month Giacchino attended the Ubeda Film Music Festival, here are some extracts of his concert performance conducting selections of his music.
Nice! 1st!
Great music! Almost as good as Goldsmith!
Good for Michael. His Stock is realy rising in the Movies as far as music. I can’t wait to see the new Star Tours attraction and I am sure that Michael will do a great job. I loved the Music he did for Trek 09 and I can’t wait to hear what he will do with Trek 12.
I was watching an old tape of Star Tours press kit last night. That old ride was fun. It will be interesting to hear the new score.
It would be nice if James Horner came back to Star Trek and scores the Trek-sequel. His Avatar soundtrack was awesome. And obviously his Wrath of Khan soundtrack.
#4 Agree. The old ride was a lot of fun. Can’t wait for the new version.
The odd thing about Star Tours II is that it’s named “The Adventure Continues,” yet it is set BEFORE the timeframe of the old Star Tours. Time travel has finall come to the SW universe!
Giacchino’s a great composer. So glad they’ve got him for Trek.
Well, since he wrote the Trek soundtrack with Star Wars in mind, this seems like a natural transition.
Yeah, the new ST will be prequel based. The old ST took place after Jedi.
I remember when that opened in 1987 and the 3 hour wait with a line started on Main Street. It is still fun to go on it year after year and when we rode it last month the wait was only 7 minutes.
Even though I miss the old Adventure thru Innerspace ride, the new STAR TOURs will be spectacular from what we have heard from the Imagineers at Disney. So that means about a 4 hour wait when it opens in 2011.
Michael Giacchino´s score for “Speed Racer” was spot on. Better than it needed to be. The track “reboot” is the most orgasmic piece of music i´ve heard in my 30 years collecting soundtracks.
Looks like Kevin Kiner isn’t the only composer who jumped from ‘the final frontier’ to ‘a galaxy far, far away.’ In other words, Kevin Kiner isn’t the only composer associated with both the CBS-owned ‘Star Trek’ and the Lucasfilm-owned ‘Star Wars’.
As much as I like Goldsmith and Horner’s scores, it would’ve been interesting to have heard John Williams’ take on a Star Trek movie—maybe Voyage Home or TUC. Anyway, I’m looking forward to hearing Giacchino’s work on John Carter and the next Trek movie. Should be incredible (no pun intended).
Giacchino has quickly become one of my favorite film composers. Love his work.
I also want to marry him… but that is a completely different thing. lol
The first thing I ever heard by Michael Giacchino was his score for the Medal of Honor game, and it was brilliant music in the same vein as John Williams’ score for Saving Private Ryan.
Funny how thing come full circle, eh? :)
@ Michael Giacchino
Big fish little fish CARDBOARD BOX :)
My favorite score of his was from “UP”; that music is so heartbreakingly gorgeous. It just takes my breath away sometimes (my wife and I still tear up at Ellie’s theme, when her health fails). Too bad I had to buy it on i-tunes and burn it myself. It would’ve been nice to have had a professional-looking CD with all the bells and whistles (especially since it won an Oscar for best score), but sadly, it never got an ‘official’ CD release (yet). I was born in the LP era; I still like liner notes and covers with my music. Creature of habit, I guess….
His score for new Star Trek took time, but it eventually grew on me (still think the ‘arrival at Enterprise’ music sounds a bit like some kind of “Star Trek at the Ice-capades” show. However, I did enjoy (right off the bat) his rich, orchestral, “Star Wars-ish” revamp of the TOS theme in the end credits. Beautifully done, that was.
He’s a great choice for the Star Wars gig…
Star Tours was fun similar to the Klingon Encounter simulator at Star Trek the Experience…Star Tours was first though…I believe the trek simulator had more axises of rotation than Star Tours did (Wheres April to tell us the facts behind the scenes now heeh)
Last time i was in disneyland in 04 I think there was no line at all for Star Tours just walked in and rode it..Not as fun as when there was a line cuz you kinda miss looking at the robots and shuttle and stuff to look at in line when waiting….
I am sure MG will do his usual great job to any movie or theme park attraction….
Speaking of attraction….its sad we still have no concrete news of the new Star Trek The Experience..Will it ever be made? Who knows??
He’s good, but he needs to write more creative melodies. Don’t get me wrong, I like Giacchino. He’s one of the only few film composers who knows how to arrange music! In my book that makes him something special from all the others!
BTW, speaking on TV composers, where´s Mark Snow lately? I would love to hear him composing a Trek score.
Mark Snow? I think he’s still doing t.v scores. Can’t remember which one though.
I hope that they include Jerry Goldsmith’s theme music from the Star Trek Insurrection end credits at the end of the next Star Trek film. They should have used it at the end of the last film. It would be good if they also include Russell Watson’s ‘Where My Heart Will Take Me’ (the excellent album version). The Original Series theme music and new theme music in the last movie was unnecessary. The soundtrack was disappointing overall. ‘Labour of Love’ was the best part of it.
21. Thanks! i liked Mark Snow scores on X-files and Smallville, it would haven been nice to see his creative work in Enterprise, for example.
22. “Labour of Love” was very LOST like, which was kinda nice. It was the kind of music that usually features Sun and Jin scenes together on the beach.
In the new Star Tours experience you are miniaturized to the size of a gnat and you fly around watching Greedo shooting first…
John Williams is still alive, unlike Jerry Goldsmith. I guess Lucas could not get him to score a stupid theme park ride.
Speaking of star wars the music for the mmo game, the old republic is the best star wars music since the original trilogy and it is not composed by john Williams. Face is the prequels stunk, including the mostly forgettable music.
26
Yeah, “The Phantom Menace” had easily the worst music, save for the main theme as well as the badass “Duel Of The Fates” theme. “Attack Of The Clones” was a bit better. “Revenge Of The Sith” was the best of the prequels. But overall, it is the music from the original trilogy that stands the test of time. The best score in my opinion is “The Empire Strikes Back”. John Williams’ best work, with Darth Vader’s theme as the icing on the cake. Brilliant.
@ #2,
He’s nowhere near Goldsmith. Maybe Horner at best. But Horner, as a person, isn’t that great. Mikey’s a cool guy, though. His best work has been from video games and “Up.”
I like him, he does have talent, but his style really doesn’t seem suited to Trek. I’m interested to see what he’ll do for Star Tours. But, personally, I think they should have tried to get Joel McNeely, the composer of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.
Joel McNeely is great, he´s just like, in many senses, a younger John Williams.
I loved his compositions for the “Young Indiana Jones” series.
And his “Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire” score predated “Duel of Fates” in many years by including choir.
my first impulse was no because i want the two “Star” franchises to sound different, totally different but star wars makes more money so star trek will probably morph into star wars by the end of the jj verse movies
not that i didnt like the Star Trek 09 score…
30. ‘Star Trek’ is owned by CBS while ‘Star Wars’ is owned by Lucasfilm. Respectively, I don’t want ‘Trek’ to morph into ‘S-Dub’. Sheesh!
I can’t stop listening to the new Star Trek score, I’m in love!
@26, 27: I’m not sure that John Williams is physically capable of stinking.
Jeez, does EVERYTHING Star Wars-related HAVE to take place between Episode III and Episode IV now?
#34
So are you the “Original Star Wars Trilogy” Purist as well? :-)
The “Clone Wars” cartoon show is pretty good. But I’d like to see a cartoon series set during the time of the original films, with some new and some familiar characters.
Awesome, he should score Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 if Williams can’t.
good god this makes me laugh, the music for star trek 2009 was god awful. the star trek franchise started failing with 5 when they decided to drop horner’s terrific score, the tng movies all sucked (except for first contact wich had an alternative score) because of the removal of star trek 2’s music wich the tng (next generation) tv show had brilliantly in it. next generation was the right way to reboot star trek, not the micheal baying of trek and dumbing it down and making it another 13-24 year old reboot fanboy film.
star trek used to be quirky and socialy relevant and going to action trek is exactly why die hard fans have been turned off, now its like a stale oreo cookie, wich should taste great but the rememberance is better than the actuality. music is 89% of a tv series and movie and movie franchises need to stop dropping music that made them terrific and they wont tank and be pale immatations of thier former selves. this is worse than watching a bunch of twilight fanboys. not impressed. please bring back the original music for bond, star trek, superman, batman, terminator and no 3 minutes in the end LOL. Nuff said. stop spending 200 million on visuals, original twilight zone and classic trek didnt have a big budget, they had great music, something 2009 doesnt have (except the last 3 minutes lol).double nuff said. stop ruining my franchises 20 year old fanboys.
The New effects are cgi and look horrible.
Yeah, when you guys make better Star Trek and Star Wars movies, and they make hundreds of millions of dollars, drop me a line. Until then, rethink why you even visit or post on this forum.
As they would say in another forum’s vernacular: SHUT THE FRAK UP.
So you hate something. Great. Go elsewhere. We are tired of hearing the same old whiney “this sucks, that sucks, blah blah blah” all the time. You aren’t cute, you aren’t clever. You’re just pedantic and bitter.