Devan Coggan, writing at StarWars.com, talks to Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson as he breaks down his latest work, expanding on his unforgettable musical themes for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, in cinemas now.
Göransson has returned to the Star Wars universe once more, composing the music for the new film Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
“Going back to this universe now, eight years later, it was kind of like meeting one of my best friends again because I just love it so much,” Göransson tells StarWars.com.
Ever since Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin first strutted onto our screens in 2019, music has been a key part of the Mandalorian’s journey. The character’s theme song is anchored by rolling drums and a lonesome bass recorder, evoking a lone-gunslinger in the Western genre. Director Jon Favreau is particularly delighted by how Mando’s theme has taken on a life of its own. “Sometimes you’ll hear a marching band play at a halftime show, a military band, a school recital,” Favreau says. “It’s become part of the culture, just like how Star Wars was when I grew up. To think that these characters, their story, and, in this case, their theme have connected with people is something you always hope for as a storyteller, but never take for granted. I know I never will.”
The Mandalorian and Grogu film finds Din Djarin setting off on a new adventure with his petite green charge on a journey that takes them from the familiar dusty landscape of Nevarro to the swampy forests of Nal Hutta and the neon city streets of Shakari. Göransson wanted the film’s music to feel familiar but fresh, so he incorporated existing themes from the Disney+ series while also experimenting with new sounds.
The bustling planet of Shakari, for example, gets a sleek synth soundtrack, while the tiny snack shack run by Hugo Durant (voiced by Martin Scorsese) is accompanied by a jaunty, folky version of the main theme.
“When you work on a feature movie like this, you have more time,” Göransson explains. “The scenes are longer. It’s a bigger scope, also a bigger movie with the sound in the theater. It was just a dream to be able to do it. I missed this music and this universe.”
Göransson also wanted the music to feel as grand as the story on screen. For The Mandalorian, he recorded with a 70-piece orchestra, but for the film, he recruited a 106-piece orchestra and a 64-person choir.
“We got to work with a much larger orchestra, with a large choir, and we also used all my recorders that I have still at my studio — especially the bass recorder, which you hear from the very beginning of the first episode,” he says. “That sound kind of became iconic for The Mandalorian.”
“Going to a movie is almost like going to a concert,” Favreau adds. “You want to hear the songs, so for Ludwig to be able to deliver that with a bigger orchestra with a lot more complexity and new themes is really exciting.”
Read the article in full here and see Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu in cinemas and IMAX now.
Image: Getty Images
