John Williams Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jon Burlingame editorComposer Nicholas Britell can keep a secret. The three-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner for “Succession” has been working on “Andor,” the next “Star Wars” TV series, for the past two years, totally under wraps.Details about “Andor” were announced yesterday by Lucasfilm at the “Star Wars Experience” in Anaheim, Calif. Diego Luna will reprise his role as Cassian Andor from the 2016 film “Rogue One” in a 12-part series beginning Aug.

Harrison Ford from Indiana Jones 5.The actor made a surprise appearance at Star Wars Celebration on Thursday (May 26), sharing the photo and that he’s “very proud of the movie that we made”.Ford, who came out onstage following the classic theme by John Williams, added: “It’s a special honour for me to be able to congratulate John on his 90th birthday. I told John on another occasion that we had the chance to be together, and that music follows me everywhere I go.

The fifth installment in the “Indiana Jones” franchise will be swinging into theaters next summer!

Harrison Ford made a surprise appearance at Star Wars Celebration on Thursday to share the release date for the upcoming adventure film — in which he returns as the titular swashbuckling archaeologist: June 30, 2023.«I’m really proud of the movie we made,» Ford said of the upcoming film. «So, I will be seeing you around campus.»Ford's appearance was also to honor the 90th birthday of legendary composer John Williams, who will once again be providing the music for the upcoming film.  director James Mangold is helming the film, which also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook and more.«We have almost completed the next film featuring the music of John Williams,» Ford said of the movie music icon.

Harrison Ford appeared Thursday at the Lucasfilm panel at Star Wars Celebration to announce that Indiana Jones 5 will hit theaters on June 30, 2023.

Jon Burlingame editorWith “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” debuting Friday on Disney+, English composer Natalie Holt becomes the first woman to score a live-action “Star Wars” project, on the heels of her success with Marvel’s “Loki.”She spent four months on the project, including two months in Los Angeles recording with many of the same musicians who recorded John Williams’ new theme for the series, as revealed by Variety in mid-February.“It’s been such a fine balance, all the way along, finding the right level of ‘Star Wars’ homage, because we’ve got heritage characters,” she says, referring to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) and others, “and adding in new elements as well,” she says. “These heritage characters have big themes that everybody expects to hear when they get on screen.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi”: playing John Williams’ score while filming.McGregor has long joked about how much he struggled on the prequel trilogy with not making the sound effects himself while wielding a lightsaber, as has Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen. Both have poked fun at themselves over the years for ruining takes because they were making the iconic noises.

Jon Burlingame editor“Star Trek” has always been known for its progressive casting on screen. But over seven live-action series and 13 movies dating back more than half a century, the science-fiction franchise has never had a woman composer – until now.Nami Melumad, who has been scoring the animated “Star Trek: Prodigy,” has stepped up a notch and is scoring weekly episodes of “Strange New Worlds,” the new Paramount Plus series that chronicles the voyages of the pre-Captain Kirk Enterprise.“It’s been a very busy few months,” says the Israeli-born composer, who has been writing an average of 45 minutes of music per episode of “Strange New Worlds” and is now on her 14th episode of “Prodigy” for Nickelodeon.

Hayden Christensen was ready for the fun to begin after being cast as Anakin Skywalker in. While stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Phillippe and Paul Walker had also been in contention, George Lucas decided to go with a relatively unknown Canadian actor to kick off Darth Vader's origin story.When chatting with ET in 2000, and in Christensen’s first on-camera interview after nabbing the role, he could barely contain his excitement about taking his . “I can't wait.

Jon Burlingame editorBrian Tyler, composer of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” was named a BMI Icon at Wednesday night’s 38th annual Broadcast Music Inc. Film, TV and Visual Media Awards in Beverly Hills.Tyler (above, right) is among the top 10 highest-grossing film composers of all time.

Natalie Holt has been set as the composer for Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, becoming the first woman to score a live-action Star Wars project. She broke the news in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Friday, also confirming previous reports that longtime Star Wars composer John Williams will provide the new show’s main title theme.

Will Smith is the most talked-about man in Hollywood right now, in the days after he walked on stage during the Oscars and slapped Chris Rock across the face after the comedian made a joke about the actor’s wife.

Will Smith has been branded "hypocritical" after a resurfaced video showed him mocking a man for being bald.The 53 year old actor left the world in shock as he slapped host Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars on Sunday after he made a joke about Will's wife Jada Pinkett-Smith's hair. However, more than two decades earlier, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor made a similar joke about bassist John Williams while appearing on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1991.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences more than once — and won.The Post looks at past winners and those to keep an eye on this year — a few high-profile nominees have the potential for record-breaking wins. And no matter what happens, this year’s ceremony is already a record-setter in one respect: It’s the first time three women — Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall and Amy Schumer — have hosted the ceremony.The records for most Oscars ever for a single person are actually held not by actors but behind-the-scenes talents of various stripes.

Jon Burlingame editorPam Hupp, the real-life murderer played by Renee Zellweger in NBC’s “The Thing About Pam,” apparently had a habit of slurping her flavored soft drink from the local convenience store. It’s a recurring gag in the six-part series, and it even became part of its musical score.Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli, the composing team whose music for “The Witcher” became a viral hit in early 2020, have spent the last five months coming up with unique sounds for “Pam,” which dramatizes a small-town Missouri murder in 2011 and the botched police investigation that followed.“This is a true-crime, network show,” Ostinelli notes, “and there is a certain sound that goes with this.

BOSTON -- The music is back.For the first time since the pandemic began, the Boston Pops is holding a spring season with live performances, the orchestra announced Thursday.“The musicians of the Boston Pops Orchestra join me in expressing our sheer joy in presenting the upcoming Spring Pops season and welcoming back a live audience at Symphony Hall in 2022,” conductor Keith Lockhart said in a statement.Reviving in-person concerts will return “the power and meaning of the live concert experience,” he said.It's the Pops' first spring season since 2019, rekindling a tradition that dates to 1885.This spring's lineup will pay tribute to Pops conductor laureate John Williams, who turned 90 last month, including performances of Williams' theme for the 1980 classic, “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.”It opens on May 19 with works by composer Alan Menken, best known for “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” In June, concerts will highlight the music of jazz legend Duke Ellington, and the season will close with a night devoted to gospel.Live performances were canceled for 2020 and most of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, though the Pops ventured briefly back to Symphony Hall in December for a holiday concert series.

Southern California local Gwen Stefani will kick off the Hollywood Bowl’s 2022 summer lineup, which marks the venue’s 100th such season. The June 3 in a program also featuring the L.A. Phil, led by musical director Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association announced today.

Some of Hollywood’s biggest A-listers are speaking out.

Jon Burlingame editorSome of Hollywood’s most high-profile filmmakers, including director James Cameron, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Lili Fini Zanuck and composer John Williams have joined the growing chorus of voices asking the Academy to reverse course and present all 23 Oscars on the live March 27 telecast.In a letter obtained by Variety and sent today to Academy President David Rubin, more than six dozen film professionals including multiple Academy Award winners, contend that the plan to present eight awards during the pre-telecast hour will “demean” these crafts and “relegate [them] to the status of second-class citizens.”The eight are original score, film editing, production design, makeup and hairstyling, sound, documentary short, live-action short and animated short. The Academy continues to insist that the nominees in those categories will be announced, and the winner’s acceptance speech aired, in edited form and aired as part of the three-hour ABC show.

Deadline he “feels very strongly” about the decision, explaining he believes filmmaking is a collaborative art and “we should all have a seat at the supper table”.“I disagree with the decision made by the executive committee,” the filmmaker said.  “I feel very strongly that this is perhaps the most collaborative medium in the world. All of us make movies together, we become a family where one craft is just as indispensable as the next.“I feel that at the Academy Awards there is no above the line, there is no below the line.

One of this year’s Best Director nominees is speaking out against the Academy’s decision to pre-tape eight of the award categories before the live Oscars show this month.

David and Victoria Beckham are having serious issues with their Holland Park mansion, after a report found it in need of “urgent structural repairs”. The problem now is planning permission, with the megastars struggling to get council approval to fix the Grade II listed nightmare.David, 46, and Victoria, 47, bought the four-storey townhouse on “Millionaire’s Row” – where the likes of Elton John and Robbie Williams also own homes – back in 2013 for a cool £31.5m.

Jordan Moreau Sony keeps expanding its universe of Marvel characters. The upcoming film “Kraven the Hunter,” starring Aaron Taylor Johnson as the classic Spider-Man villain, has added Fred Hechinger (“The White Lotus,” “Pam & Tommy”) to its cast, Variety has confirmed.It’s currently unknown who Hechinger will play, but Deadline reports that he will portray Chameleon, an evil master of disguise who also happens to be Kraven’s half-brother.J.C.

EXCLUSIVE: Fred Hechinger has joined Sony Pictures’ Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor Johnson in titular role. Although it’s unconfirmed, sources say Hechinger would play Chameleon, the brother of Kraven, in the movie.

Star Wars composer John Williams has returned to write a theme for upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.According to Variety, Williams has written the musical signature for the series and recorded it last week with a Los Angeles orchestra under tight security.This is the first time Williams has composed a theme for the franchise since Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker in 2019. He’s composed the score for every mainline film in the franchise, but this marks a rare occasion where he’s writing music for television.It’s unclear if Williams has contributed any additional music beyond the theme for Obi-Wan Kenobi.Obi-Wan Kenobi, a limited Original series, starts streaming May 25 on @DisneyPlus.

Jon Burlingame editorMore than two years after completing his ninth “Star Wars” movie, composer John Williams is returning to the Jedi fold with a theme for “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Variety has learned.Williams has written the musical signature for the continuing adventures of the character played by Ewan McGregor, airing on Disney Plus beginning May 25. He recorded last week with a Los Angeles orchestra under tight security, sources say.It is a coup for both Lucasfilm and Disney, considering the five-time Oscar winner rarely composes for television.

Chris Willman Music WriterThe full lineup of exclusive titles for April’s Record Store Day has been announced, with the expected title from official RSD 2022 ambassador Taylor Swift. Her first-time release of a “The Lakes” single leads the way for hundreds of releases that range from a deluxe “Blue Velvet” soundtrack reissue and two John Williams 90th-birthday releases to rarities collections from Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed and David Bowie… and from unreleased jazz concerts by Charles Mingus and Bill Evans to vinyl reissues of albums by Prince, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Childish Gambino, Stevie Nicks, the Cure, Kacey Musgraves and Pearl Jam.This year’s RSD will be on April 23 — the weekend after Easter, and Tax Day, to lighten the load on religious or business conflicts.

Chris Willman Music WriterThe Hollywood Bowl’s 2022 summer season will include a three-night stand by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees Duran Duran, a fireworks-laden 4th of July engagement by the comedy/bluegrass team of Steve Martin and Martin Short, a Loggins & Messina reunion, a fully staged production of Cyndi Lauper’s Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” and a salute to Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee that will feature Billie Eilish and Debbie Harry, among others.Artists with shows on the summer agenda include Ricky Martin, Pentatonix, Sheryl Crow, Diana Ross, CHVRCHES, John Fogerty, A-ha, Grace Jones, John Fogerty, UB40, A.R. Rahman, Lang Lang, Pink Martini, the Gipsy Kings, Boyz II Men and TLC.As always, the LA Philharmonic may be the biggest star on the lineup, with 34 shows scheduled, 10 of which will be under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.