The Mandalorian has a new composer.
According to Film Music Reporter, Joseph Shirley is taking over as the primary composer on the third season of the acclaimed show, replacing Ludwig Göransson.
The news is certainly surprising, as Göransson’s work on the first two seasons of the show have been exemplary. But at the same time, Shirley taking over the role makes sense. Shirley has frequently worked with Göransson, including on both of the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, being credited as a score programmer and for providing additional music. Then on The Book of Boba Fett, Göransson provided the theme for the series but it was Shirley who actually scored the episodes. The report says that a similar approach is happening on season three of Mando, with Göransson’s theme remaining but with Shirley scoring the individual episodes.
Göransson has won an Academy Award, three Grammy Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, among many others, for his work. His score for Black Panther was widely praised and critically acclaimed, as was his work on The Mandalorian. For the series, he won two Primetime Emmys, one for each season, in the category of Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score). He’s kept busy, and while it’s disappointing to learn that he’s not going to be continuing as the composer for the show, it seems to be in good hands. Joseph Shirley did a good job with the score for The Book of Boba Fett, and his frequent collaboration with Göransson suggests that he’ll be able to keep a similar flavor and feel for the series while nonetheless making it his own.
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