Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson breaks down his latest work, expanding on his unforgettable musical themes for the new Star Wars film in theaters now.
It’s hard to look at the Mandalorian without hearing Ludwig Göransson’s iconic theme song echoing in your head. The acclaimed composer wrote the music for The Mandalorian Disney+ series, winning back-to-back Emmy Awards and earning a Grammy nomination for his sweeping score.
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.”
That grand, immersive quality also extended to the set, and although Göransson spent most of his time in the recording studio, he did stop by filming to visit Favreau and the cast. He remembers being wowed by the dense, lush forest constructed for the Hutts’ home planet of Nal Hutta. “I got lost in this jungle,” he recalls. “It was huge! I’ve never seen a set like that.”
And as he wandered through the foliage, he turned a corner and came face to face with one of his musical muses.
“I go in between some trees, and I see little Grogu sitting there on a log,” he says with a laugh. “It just felt so magical, being there in person. That was pretty cool.”
Get your tickets for Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new Star Wars adventure filmed for IMAX, exclusively in theaters now.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is now available wherever you stream music. Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music.
