Jaws Stars Out In Force At The Rise Of Skywalker Premiere
Last night, Los Angeles hosted the eagerly awaited world premiere of STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, the long awaited final chapter of the classic sci-fi opera, started over 40 years ago with Episode IV: A New Hope.
All of the major stars and crew were in attendance. The new blood of Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong'o, John Boyega and Oscar Issac were joined by franchise legends Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford. And some of the Jaws family were in attendance to show support for the last instalment of the Star Wars saga.
Since Disney’s $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm back in 2012, the Star Wars universe and it’s history has been more widely explored within the ‘A Star Wars Story’ series that so far has produced the excellent Rogue One (2016) and the Ron Howard helmed ‘Solo’ (2018).
As well as The Rise Of Skywalker on the big screen, 2019 has seen Disney bring the force to the small screen. The Mandalorian, which stars Pedro Pascal (Narcos and Game Of Thrones) is showing on Disney+, tells the story of the travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. With The Mandalorian winning rave reviews and the power of the franchise, we are sure even more Star Wars stories are already under way.
Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill was feeling the force of the crowds at last night’s premiere
Also in attendance were John Williams (composer) and Jaws director Steven Spielberg. Jaws and Star Wars have always had a very close relationship - largely down to the friendship of Jaws director Steven Spielberg and Star Wars creator George Lucas. These two cinematic giants would later redefine the adventure film with Indiana Jones - their homage James Bond series (Sean Connery would later play Dr Henry Jones, Indiana’s bumbling father) .
And of course, it was the original Star Wars that knocked Jaws off the top of the box office record list, a title Steven Spielberg would capture again in the 1980s with E. T. and the 1990s with Jurassic Park. The latter knocked of its box office perch by the bigger boat of Titanic.
The maestro himself, Jaws director Steven Spielberg was in attendance (image via @AmblinRoad)
Steven Spielberg’s letter to George Lucas celebrating the success of Star Wars (1977)
Legends. Pranksters. Friends. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas still smelling that Tiger shark, dumped in the drink.
However, there is one man, who’s music is the the signature that runs through Jaws, Indiana Jones and Star Wars - composer John Williams. Sadly, The Rise Of Skywalker will be John’s last Star Wars score, announcing his retirement from the franchise in 2018.
“We know JJ Abrams is preparing one [Star Wars movie] now that I will hopefully do next year for him. I look forward it. It will round out a series of nine, that will be quite enough for me.”
Reunited: John Wiliams, Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford
John Williams's Film Music: Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Return of the Classical Hollywood Music Style (Wisconsin Film Studies)
John Williams is one of the most renowned film composers in history. He has penned unforgettable scores for Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Superman, and countless other films. Fans flock to his many concerts, and with forty-nine Academy Award nominations as of 2014, he is the second-most Oscar-nominated person after Walt Disney. Yet despite such critical acclaim and prestige, this is the first book in English on Williams’s work and career.
