John Williams has been such a fixture of the Star Wars saga that it's hard to think of the movies without his soaring themes. For J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode IX at least, we won't have to, as Variety reports that the composer will indeed return for the next main outing.
While talking to the trade mag about his recent work for film and elsewhere, he confirms that he's told Abrams he'll return for the final film in this current trilogy. “I would very much like to complete that,” he says. That comes on the heels of his composing the score for Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi and, more surprisingly, news that he'll be writing at least the theme for Solo, the next stand-alone film that will delve back into Han Solo's past and is due to arrive in UK cinemas on 25 May from director Ron Howard. While John Powell will be completing the majority of the music for the movie, it's comforting to know that Williams will have a presence.
As for Episode IX, that is currently taking aim at a December 2019 release date.