Natalie Holt is providing the musical score for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vanity Fair’s Anthony Breznican revealed in an article recently! She is best-known for providing the score for Loki, which was released on Disney+ last year.
This had been rumored but until now wasn’t officially known, so it’s an exciting announcement. And it’s exciting for more than just one reason, as it means that Holt will become the first woman to provide the score for a live-action Star Wars project (or any of the animated shows, for that matter). The series is directed by Deborah Chow, who was the first woman to ever direct live-action Star Wars with her work on The Mandalorian, Additionally, among the executive producers on the show are Kathy Kennedy (President of Lucasfilm) and Michelle Rejwan (Lucasfilm’s Senior VP, Live Action Development & Production). These are incredibly talented people working on Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it’s cool to think about the significance of it as well.
And though Holt will not be the first non-John Williams composer on a live-action Star Wars project, she does have the unique opportunity of working with Williams on the series, as the iconic composer is providing the theme for the show. Additionally, Holt told Breznican that, “I think it’s an emotional score, and it does have its roots in the Star Wars tradition a little more than The Mandalorian does. We had a collection of 250 horns and flutes, and I used this hunting horn in the score. We’re also blending the orchestra with some more modern synths sounds as well. It’s definitely what we’re used to and a few new elements.” So not only is John Williams providing the theme, which Holt says “just embodies the spirit of the show entirely,” but she is also utilizing some more familiarity with his stuff than Ludwig Göransson did on The Mandalorian – which, of course, makes sense given what this series is about.
“Obviously, I’m just thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as John Williams,” Holt said. “It’s been exciting and overwhelming at times, because I’m such a fan. I want to pay respect to the history of it, and do it justice as well.”
Star Wars Thoughts 