Disneyland isn’t Disneyland without the music — from “When You Wish Upon a Star” wafting down Main Street, to George Bruns’ classic score haunting “Pirates of the Caribbean.” And “Star Wars” isn’t “Star Wars” without the celestial, swashbuckling music of John Williams.
So when it came to the 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction at the edge of Walt Disney’s 63-year-old theme park, the land’s designers knew there was one phone call they had to make.
“We wanted to create something that was new and unique, but we wanted something that belonged in ‘Star Wars,’” said Matt Walker, head of music for Walt Disney Imagineering. “There is no other composer, as far as we were concerned, that could come in and create and truly support a sense of place.”
Advertisement
Williams — age 87, winner of five Oscars — needed to be convinced.
“There was a courtship period,” Walker admitted. “There was bringing him in, you know, looking at our initial models, animatics of what the attraction experiences were going to be like.”
The composer’s first reaction: Isn’t there plenty of existing “Star Wars” music to choose from? Williams has indeed written more than 16 hours of music for the “Star Wars” universe between his eight — soon to be nine — feature films, an original theme for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and gobs of concert suites.
Advertisement
But Williams, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has always assigned themes and leitmotifs to new characters and planets, argued John Dennis, executive creative director of music at Imagineering. “Cloud City has a theme,” Dennis said. “You wouldn’t go to Mos Eisley spaceport without hearing that theme. Those are the things we talked to John about, saying ... Batuu needs its own identity to give people the emotion that you gave them in all those great cinematic experiences.
“And there is no one else to do it,” Dennis continued dramatically. “John Williams, we need you — help me, Obi-wan!”
“I think John couldn’t resist the feeling of, well, that needs its own special musical theme,” said composer William Ross. “It didn’t have anything to do with money or legacy or anything. It was about: Oh, there’s some unfinished business there.”
Ross has been Williams’ “bullpen” ever since he adapted the veteran composer’s themes for the “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” score, and has assisted on Williams’ past two “Star Wars” film scores. One of Hollywood’s go-to orchestrators and arrangers, Ross speaks Williams’ unique musical language fluently, and has previously adapted the “Star Wars” canon for the Star Tours ride in Tomorrowland and the rethemed Hyperspace Mountain.
Disney simply asked Williams for a new theme. He went off and composed, in Walker’s words, “a five-minute symphonic tone poem” filled with brand-new themes and motifs. Ross recorded that suite with the London Symphony Orchestra, the original interpreters of “Star Wars” music, at Abbey Road Studios.
“The suite just fit the land perfectly,” said Ross. “It was mysterious and kind of haunting, but parts of it were powerful and noble.”
Advertisement
You wouldn’t go to Mos Eisley spaceport without hearing that theme. Those are the things we talked to John about, saying ... Batuu needs its own identity.
— John Dennis, Walt Disney Imagineering
Having received the equivalent of a lightsaber handmade by the Luke Skywalker of music, Imagineering then decided to wield music in a very nontraditional, non-Disneyland way in “Galaxy’s Edge” — which is to say, hardly at all.
“The last thing we wanted was to feel like you’re walking in and hearing, you know, any kind of music that was being pumped into the land as background,” said Walker.
Instead, the aural backdrop of the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu is the buzz of space bugs, radios tuned into pod-race broadcasts and X-wings flying overhead. In “Galaxy’s Edge,” music lives like it does in real life — faintly heard coming from apartments in the market, or piped into restaurants and restrooms.
Twenty-nine original songs were commissioned, a wild variety of intergalactic pop and “otherworldly” world music. Williams himself established a kind of template for this strain of in-world “source” music with his bizarro Benny Goodman number for the Mos Eisley Cantina in the original “Star Wars,” up through the steel-pan dance music in the Canto Bight casino in “The Last Jedi.”
“We took several types of world music, like a Chinese erhu, and mixed it with African drums, and on top of that put something Middle Eastern, and then even after that we would filter it and reverse it, and just make it sound completely otherworldly,” said Yaron Spiwak, senior music producer at Imagineering.
Advertisement
These songs play on radios throughout the land — and in Oga’s Cantina, where the clumsy droid Rex acts as DJ.
The task was essentially inventing a new music, said Spiwak. “Some of the aliens have like 20 fingers, or some of them have weird embouchures or mouths, so obviously they would play instruments differently than we do. It was kind of fun to imagine how that would sound.”
1/48
A preview of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run section of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
2/48
Storm Troopers patrol The First Order Outpost where the Tie Echelon fighter ship is parked at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
3/48
Storm Troopers patrol The First Order Outpost where the Tie Echelon fighter ship is parked. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
4/48
Storm Troopers in the First Order Cargo area inside the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
5/48
Media members get a preview of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, where visitors can operate “the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” on a flight as a pilot, engineer or gunner at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
6/48
A vertical preview of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
7/48
The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride inside the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
8/48
A Disney cast member stands in front of The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
9/48
A detailed look at the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
10/48
A detail look at the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
11/48
Cast members greet people at the start of The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride, inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
12/48
The use of the Batuuan language on garbage cans in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
13/48
A view of a transport vehicle on top of Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
14/48
What look to be droid parts hang in a section of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
15/48
A statue of a Jedi Priestess from Jedi Temple outside the Dok-Ondar Den of Antiquities.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
16/48
A waitress prepares a drink in Oga’s Cantina as media members get a preview during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge media day.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
17/48
Inside Oga’s Cantina.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
18/48
A Woort on display at the bar in Oga’s Cantina.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
19/48
The alien insides of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
20/48
Instrutions lead riders inside the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
21/48
Dok-Ondar inside his Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
22/48
D.J. Rex works in Oga’s Cantina after his space ship crashed as media members get a preview during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge media preview.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
23/48
Lightsabers, hats, other accessories and outfits for sale in Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
24/48
A Yoda bust in Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
25/48
Another view of Dok-Ondar inside his Den of Antiquities.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
26/48
Inside Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
27/48
A member of the media holds a light saber for sale at the Dok-Ondar Den of Antiquities.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
28/48
The eye of a creature named Two Feet, inside Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
29/48
A smelter droid turns spits of Ronto (alien meat!) in the Ronto Roaster as media members get a preview during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge media event.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
30/48
Attention to detail in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge includes battleworn buidlings for patrons to interact with at Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
31/48
A view of the Marketplace at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
32/48
Customers can select parts and build their own droid at the Droid Depot.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
33/48
A Porg puppet, on sale for $44.99, at the Creature Stall inside the marketplace.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
34/48
Kowakian Monkey-Lizard toys, for $69.99, at the Creature stall inside the marketplace of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
35/48
A view of the Marketplace at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
36/48
Inside the marketplace, where goods are sold as part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
37/48
Inside the marketplace, part of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
38/48
Inside the marketplace, part of the new “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
39/48
A sign in another language greets patrons inside Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
40/48
A drink menu inside Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
41/48
Bob Iger, chief executive of The Walt Disney Company, during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge media preview event at Disneyland.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
42/48
Star Wars creator George Lucas, left, Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando Calrissian, Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo in “Star Wars,” take the stage in front of the Millennium Falcon during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge unveiling event.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
43/48
Chewbacca watches from the driver’s seat as Harrison Ford, left, is greeted by George Lucas, while Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill and Bob Iger stand in front of the Millennium Falcon during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge unveiling event.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
44/48
Chewbacca takes the pilot’s seat as he is introduced by Bob Iger, not pictured, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, in the Millennium Falcon during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge unveiling event at the Disneyland Resort.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
45/48
Fireworks explode over the the Millennium Falcon during the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge unveiling event at the Disneyland Resort.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
46/48
A view of Jedi Holocron, left, and Sith Holocron, right, with Cyber crystals at Dok-Ondar?s Den of Antiquities.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
47/48
Bob Iger, left, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, watches as Harrison Ford starts up the Millennium Falcon.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
48/48
A view of merchandise for sale at the Droid Depot inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The classic Williams “Star Wars” sound is primarily heard in three places: Savi’s Workshop, where parkgoers build their own lightsaber in a bit of interactive theater, and the land’s two rides. Rise of the Resistance, which opens later this year, is a spaceflight battle attraction inside a Star Destroyer. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run opened with the land, and has guests ride an interactive flight simulator in the famous cockpit.
Both scores operate more like the music in a video game, with a complex web of variables and trigger points. Ross took the arsenal of Williams’ themes, both new and old, and created music that can change on a dime and go down a vast range of choose-your-own-adventure paths.
“A lot of thought goes into figuring out how to make it feel seamless,” Ross said.
For Savi’s Workshop, Ross created another, more linear score using a lot of classic “Star Wars” themes that help transform the common Disneyland visitor — sweating from the California heat, and out at least $150 for a ticket and $25 for parking — into an ersatz Jedi Knight or Sith Lord. Whereas the ride scores traffic in the universe’s battle music, here the more ruminative, spiritual strains of the Force theme and Yoda’s theme sweep guests up into the ancient, cosmic drama.
Advertisement
The power of John Williams, along with the comforting voice of Frank Oz as Yoda, is such that grown men lifting their blades — which just set them back $200 — have been seen wiping away tears of joy.
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
