Star Wars Digital Releases Get New Fanfare
While the classic Twentieth Century Fox fanfare will sadly be absent from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, a clip of Lucasfilm’s new fanfare for the Star Wars movies can be heard in the recent digital release of the six films. Click “more” to hear a re-arrangement of a classic part of the Star Wars score.
A low-quality video of the arrangement was recently recorded, and has made its way online. It composition seems to be an abbreviated version of the credits music that plays in many of the films.
For those of you who are missing the original fanfare, there is a silver lining – due to Twentieth Century Fox still owning part of the distributive rights to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the original, unaltered Fox fanfare that would segue into the iconic Star Wars theme still appears before the original 1977 movie.
Special thanks to MakingStarWars for pointing this out.
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
Why are you guys pushing this release so much? I thought as Star Wars fans you would be against us being ripped off like this.
There’s not a word in this news post urging anyone to go out and buy the digital release… Whether you choose to buy it or not is up to you, they’re just reporting news… And since this is most likely the fanfare we’ll hear before The Force Awakens begins, this most definitely qualifies as Star Wars Episode 7 news to me…
It’s a StarWars news site.
Well I thought the same as you, as I looked at my old worn out DVD box. Now I`m slightly tempted to buy it. Its a test of will power to see if we can resist or cough up the money.
The advice seems to be:
“Wait for the Ultra-HD 4K versions”
This is an actual big deal, though. A lot of people get all their movies and TV shows through digital download, but until now Star War wasn’t available that way unless you wanted to resort to piracy. As long as they don’t make anymore stupid unnecessary changes, I don’t see the problem with it at all.
Look, I consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool OT purist, but I sometimes feel like some OT fans only support viewing Star Wars on the pre-1997 VHS tapes. Come on, guys. Nothing wrong with it making its way to a new format.
You’re probably the kind of person who threw a fit about the cross saber too.
Its really only a rip off if you ALREADY own the movies, in which case don’t buy it. The price-point is about where the blu-rays were on release and before now there was NO digital streaming of star wars. You had to bring the disks around with you, so at least they have finally caught up to modern day.
You can get the blue ray box set for 80 dollars and download a free converter program to make your own digital copies and make them higher quality than these digital versions… you have to be a complete moron to pay 100 dollars for this low-fi version.
it is a total rip off.
Because guess who gets a commission?
Google, Amazon, Vudu, and not this site? Must be a hole in your tinfoil hat.
If OT fans complain about the special editions ruining their childhoods, surely this little change will elicit a tear or two?
Nah, I probably am considered an ‘OT turd’ on here (PT hating is a complex and subtle business haha), but I’m pretty happy as I just watch the original DVD release which the only crappy alteration was the little frog thing eating a bug (the first test before full special edition) =P
and just so we’re all aware, Lee started this whole PT-hate discussion…. and naturally, he’s an Original Trilogy fan.
If the st is a hit I guess we will have to to hear more crying from pt fans like you about why nobody like ur stupid movies. It will be entertaining to hear u people try to explain as adult and child audiences love these new movies, how that fits into the rediculous pt fanboy excuse that nobody liked the pt because adults didn’t understand that movies that featured the mass massacre of children was only meant to entertain little kids.
*dies a little inside every time someone spells ridiculous rediculous… or lose loose for that matter….* 😛 not a grammar nazi but god i hate those two lol
That’s really sad
Im glad u r not a grammar nazi because ur post is loaded with punctuation errors including but not limited to there not being a single period in the whole thing. It’s just a mess of words that can’t rightly be called a sentence. I am amazed by how often people post on these board complaining about spelling and grammar while butchering both in the very post they are complaining in. News flash no one gives a fuck about typos spelling or grammar outside of professional or school work. Get over it.
I care.
Yeah well “not a grammar nazi but god i hate those two lol” is not proper grammar. There is no punctuation at all. “God”and “I” should be capitalized. And “lol” is neither a word nor a recognized acronym. U won’t find it in a scholarly journal or masters thesis. But it is quite common in texts like the one above Thats because people don’t care. That includes the person complaining about it on this board. As evidence by the shitty grammatical content of there own post. they just like to whine about other people’s post while there own posts are a mess.
Their own post…
Star Wars is awesome
*”News flash*colon* No one gives a fuck about typos*comma* spelling or grammar”
U forgot a period at the end of the sentence.maybe this “grammar nazi” thing isn’t the right role for you. Your not very good at it.
U is spelled you in proper form.
u r are also not real words.
You and are should be used instead.
I missed another internet spelling bee!
I must go and catch another plane to the next contest!!:-)
This all reminds me of that movie Bad Words.
And what about people who like all 7?
Not really. Sure I’ll miss it but they don’t own it anymore, and that’s just how it is. What do you mean OT fans? They had the 20th century fox fanfare for the PT also… Just higher quality.
I consider myself a hardline “OT fan”, and as long as they don’t make more unnecessary changes, I see no harm in releasing it in a new format. This is a good thing for Star Wars.
IMO, this change is warranted because it’s not really technically a part of the movie, and they can’t really stick the Fox logo on it anymore what with Fox being out of the picture. Note that they preserved the fanfare itself because of how it leads into the opening? They’re clearly already thinking about the integrity of the film.
So there will be no “whining” from this OT fan. I dislike how OT fans are stereotyped on this forum and others, like you just assume we’re the same people who hated the cross saber and have already abandoned hope for the sequels.
So… is this fanfare going to be attached to The Force Awakens opening logos?
Safe bet.
i don’t care about the opening logos, but a new arrangement of a SW track is far better than the “BAAAAAAAAD ROOOOOOBOT” childish scream 🙂
What I’m wondering is if this fanfare will be preceded by the Disney castle. I’m hoping not – I’d rather they just go straight from the trailers to the Lucasfilm logo.
I’m almost 100% it won’t. Disney owns marvel too but you don’t see the castle there
Agreed. Disney is smart enough to know when NOT to use the Disney logo.
Usually (not always) if a subsidiary company is making the film they don’t show the umbrella corporations logo- it’s one of the reasons ofshoot studios were made in the first place
I kinda like the new fanfare. 🙂
I like it. It feels classic 🙂
…old one is better 🙁
Strange
sorry…I just can’t understand why not having 20th Century Fox logo is such a massive problem? lucasfilm is still there and there’s still the DA DA!! at the start right? would have been more uproar if the rolling credits weren’t there..also would have been weirder to have tink fly over the castle.. will that happen? I don’t massively have a prob with this either though!
booo wendy booo
20th century fox fanfare just belongs to start
For episodes I-VI, yeah.
But as much as I am a fan who will be put off by not seeing it in Episode VII, they should absolutely not give credit to a production company that had nothing to do with the film just so obsessive fans like us can feel a tiny bit of consistency.
Anon @ 14:41 PM is right. With time, most fans will adapt to the change, particularly if they make it decent.
Maybe this will be the new fanfare of the new movies right?
The new fanfare is a the last musical piece usually used in the end credits to the movies.
To be concrete, it’s Empire Strikes Back ending.
To be even more clear… It’s a slightly edited version of the closing cue of the Empire Strikes Back.
To be even MORE clear, it’s a BADLY edited version of the ESB credits.
The new one being used is not bad, just lacks the lead in percussion. I hope JW will do some arrangements to make it more grand for TFA
I like it..Fine by me
and you’re the only one in the room who likes it…. now you know what it’s like to be a prequel fan, man.
just to note, I bet this was just sound edited from original music. And a fully orchestrated version (which will sound more natural) or a completely new (but similar i bet) fanfare will play before force awakens they will record with john williams.
Yes, it is just the last part of end credits music from the OT, just truncated. Surprised some other people think it’s a new piece of music.
This ‘new’ fanfare is an abridged version of the final few bars of the Empire Stikes Back soundtrack Rebel Fleet/End Title.
Jesus it’s awful – it takes that final victorious flourish and completely chops it in two.
Hope this won’t be used to introduce the new movies.
My thoughts here. But hey, better that than the Disney Castle and the Disney fanfare fading with LFL logo.
it could have been worse!
Nostalgia factor aside, the further this series gets AWAY from the ‘Fox’ name the better. If George Lucas had the means to release these films without studio control in the first place, he surely would have.
And if I have to choose between ‘Disney’ and ‘Fox’, I’ll go with the lesser of two evils (IMHO). Rupert Murdoch is a NeoCon fascist. Screw him and his studio.
The financiers! always maintain the control mechanisms, accompanied with bullying tactics. We had a great example of this here in New Zealand with Peter Jackson filming LOTR trilogy, where the studio’s were threatening to pull the filming from our country, it was saved when our government was forced into tax breaks (from the tax payer) to fund these greedy and wealthy corporations into suiting their controlling pleasures. There was a disconnection between Peter J and the studios, as it was to be later realised when taking the studio’s to court, fighting for his royalties on the DVD sales. however! Justice prevailed with Peter fighting the studio within the American justice system, he won! Unfortunately and where TFA or any movie for that matter, they are indeed in need of finance, distribution and in turn, control by default. I don’t actually mind that it is Disney, even if they are apart of something even larger! Elusive, Elsewhere Yes! they can taunt us through entertainment as well, not everything is Cinderella or mickey mouse lol
You’re absolutely right. Appealing to fan obsessive personality disorders is not a good reason to give undeserved credit to one of the most evil corporations on the planet.
thinking about TFA, I believe there will be a strong connection to the past and RoTJ, even though thirty odd years into this universe’s future, always consequences there are, the future, the past has that way of catching up with itself and hey! that’s how the universe rolls, I’m sure this will be true of our iconic characters as well.
Terrible. They could have at least found a fanfare from the saga that is in the correct key (Bb) rather than trying to shoehorn in a familiar one in the wrong key (Eb). worrying that this level of music editing is being used in such a beloved area of the franchise.
The new fanfare for the digital versions is shit
(really bad edit). There is no need to have any music at all. It just comes across as cheap.
okaaaay… guess I survive
The fanfare is okay, but the LucasFilm logo if it were to remain silent would make the first note in the opening music more stronger.
I’s imagine for TFA we’ll get (1) Disney, (2) Bad Robot and (3) Lucasfilm, each with their own musical stings. Lucasfilm would immediately precede the film’s ‘A Long Time Ago’ line, hence Bad Robot dropped in front of it and being closer to Disney. It would seem odd if we had sound elements for Disney and Bad Robot and then only silence for Lucasfilm who would require an equal degree of aural fanfare even if the film starts up immediately following.
who the hell doesn’t skip that and go straight to the movie anyway? I barely watch the crawl, I just skip past all that.
Okay, look… I understand that they need to replace the classic Fox fanfare with something else now that Disney owns the franchise.
I can even see using a piece of existing Star Wars music like this as that replacement.
But what’s with the jump cut in the middle of it? They couldn’t leave the extra few seconds of music in there and just play the whole thing? It sounds like they edited the recording with a dull set of pinking shears, fer chrissake!
since we’ve heard that piece before, to have it jump like that into a completely different direction actually hurt my brain. i’ve already associated that piece with a closing, and then they use it here for the opening. it’s mentally difficult to break that association. not sure why they used that piece. i can’t really see them using this going forward.
It’s fine.
Are these the special edition versions?
Yessir
The movies? Yup.
It could be a lot worse, but there’s no telling if this will be playing before TFA
New one is pretty good actually. I’m surprised. It totally fits into Star Wars and that’s the only thing that matters.
Was it by John Williams?
Offcourse it’s john williams, it are edited snippits of the A new hope end credits.
Badly edited, at that.
It’s music from The Empire Strikes Back. Not A New Hope
Digital release: Meh
I’m not an OT purist. I always thought it could be done better when technology caught up and it did. Most of the special edition changes were for the good with few exceptions (Boba Fetts voice change, the whole Han shot first thing, and the scene with Jabba the Hutt and Han stepping on him when they should have just turned him around while talking and fix Jabba). The Death Star explosions were better, X-wings in formation for battle were better. So it did help.
For the first time ever a release that doesn’t have any changes (other than the fan fair). Unless I’m wrong – nobody noticed any changes did they?
Couldn’t they have just used a portion of this theme instead? It sets the tone nicely:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gpXMGit4P8
I would have to agree with that choice actually.
Totally agree! It would even make Disney and Bad Robot’s preceding logos look awesome.
That’s precisely what I was thinking, we should lobby for this, IMHO its the best piece of music in the whole saga and the best choice, and yes my eyes get a bit wet too, reminds me of being a kid and sitting there in the theater waiting for that moment to happen. It could easily be the beginning, other than the main theme and perhaps the imperial march it is the most recognisable piece and also the least derivative of Holtz, from which many of the pieces are lifted directly
oh my…i dont want to cry at the beginning yet…always makes my eyes a bit wet…but yes better than the new one of course!!
It’s sad they even tried.
You think silence would be better than if they manage a proper version?
I mean, tried to replicate the original fanfare.
They should have just used the disney music. I wouldn’t be mad at them. It’s just a matter of it working with the Star Wars theme.
I actually don’t hate it. They at least acknowledge it needs a fanfare to get the credits started.
I’m concerned that Disney honestly thought that this choice was acceptable. Was John Williams consulted?
I think the new music is wrong.
It doesn’t achieve same effect as the Fox Drumroll.
It evokes a different emotion.
Fox Drumroll says: “Prepare for awesome!”
New Fanfare says: “Give me a trophy because I’m awesome!”
I heard this before as part of a Saga-Re-Release trailer a year ago, I didn’t think much of it then. I don’t think much of it now.
Personally I think having silence might actually be better, because this music is just pretentious. Silence can be quite profound if done right.
PS: Having a silent Disney logo done in SW style would actually be pretty classy and not offensive at all 🙂
Actually come to think of it, the classic Disney theme is actually only a few notes away from being the SW soundtrack.
They should get like a single, sombre french-horn, doing a slow tune, at first it sounds like a mellow almost funeral-like interpretation on Disney, but then you’re like “woah! wait a minute! I’m listening to Luke’s song all the sudden! Mind. Blown.”
Have the flag waving with a the horn going, then as you see the full castle, the Luke theme [filling in for it’s Disney twin] has taken shape, then right as the screen’s going into the Lucasfilm, the music suddenly grows into an intense, ominous moment, and then suddenly stops dead, [teaser-style]. Black silence for 10 seconds……… BAM – STAR WARS!!!!!
That’s what I’d go with if I had a say.
THANK GOD they changed the fanfare music. Thank God that limited 1970s technology no longer prevents filmakers from realizing their true visions.
? technology? …. I think I must be misreading your statement, it doesn’t make any sense…
I can imagine John Williams recording a better version of this fanfare, or creating a new one for the new trilogy and the spin offs
WHO CARES? It’s just a short intro with a logo! It’s not an offering to the music fan fair God up above.
Obviously, a lot of fans care. That’s why we’re talking about it.
It sets the tone.
Granted: it’s a tiny detail, but I like details, if details don’t light your fire, move on, because it does interest me.
I think the music plays a part in setting the tone, and the Fox followed by Star Wars combo has always made a huge impression on me. So yeah, I care. I’m not gonna hate the whole film, I just want the credits to be awesome, I’m spoiled, what can I say?
….i listened to it some times now and it gets even more stupid…something is missing…the break comes too soon for the end…i dont know…this just sounds wrong…i dont care if its in front of the new movie but in my opinion its terrible made…nuff.
It would be nice to see the Disney Magic Kingdom castle just before the “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away”. It would be a classy transition and also remind us that Disney owns Star Wars now.
The cool thing is if they decide to change it, they can just change it.
When Spark of Rebellion first came on iTunes, it didn’t have the new Darth Vader scene. A couple weeks later, it did. No notification or new thing to purchase or anything, they just started streaming a more recent file instead.
Well I for one think it’s a perfect fit.
I like what they’re going for here, but the edit does feel a little abrupt when it jumps to the end.
Until they fix the awful pinkish color on New Hope and correct EVERY shot of the green saber on the Falcon, they aren’t getting a penny from me. THX should mean quality!
THX is the standard by which the media is presented (like when the PT was shown @ labeled as “THX” it meant the theaters had to comply & have the properly installed equipment & calibration to ensure that what we experienced in the theater was as close to what the mixing engineers & mastering houses intended).
Reliance media works remastered the OT 4k, which I’m guessing will be released when 4k bluray hits the market next winter. The OT remaster was done in 16 bit color… if you get any sets post 2016 it will probably have 10 bit color. (currently most sets are 8… great bit depth= more perceivable colors).
So no concept art of Uber yet? Since he is in the next movie I would think this piece of reference exists. Anyone out there seen it? Don’t all raise your hand at once. Either that or we can wait until 2017. Let the wait begin.
Uber only has a few scenes, so don’t expect any concept art from him.
However, I’m concerned that there is no mention of Rey doing anything important to the plot (unless you count ***spoiler*** scavaging Imperial junk and running like a scared princess from a lightsaber as important.)
I’m not a big fan of the new fanfare, it sounds like it was just spliced from the phantom menace trailer but in a bad way.
Forget midichlorians… THIS fanfare is the real childhood killer.
I would have preferred silence until the Star Wars theme starts. I think that’s actually a great way to start. You’re sitting there in silence and then…BAM! The Star Wars theme we all know and love. I know we all grew up listening to that 20th Century Fox theme and it’s embedded in our collective consciousness but if it’s gotta go away – I’d prefer nothing to what we got.
As many others commented the edit sticks out like a sore thumb. Was disappointed when I first heard it. If they felt they had to have something — I think they should have asked Williams to score something brief and recorded it when he did that piece for the first trailer.
This new fanfare fucking sucks.
Cheap and poorly edited…
This is a preview of what’s coming.
TFA will be a cheap and poorly edited piece of shit.
Trust me, it’s Groundhog Day, I’ve seen this all play out a million times before.
I hate the way Disney is handling things so far. Hopefully, next Thursday will change my mind.
I thought it was a fan made film.
Seriously I did.
What with the shakiness of it all.
The digital release is completely useless to me. Its just the beginning of the marketing onslaught for episode 7.
Oh my god that was awful!! I hope they can make something better before TFA…
With the proper software i could do a better job, i’m not kidding.
Duke Groundrunner, that low-grade new intro is just a taste of whats to come.
Everyone who’s expecting an OT renaissance quality-wise with TFA are gonna be in for a rude AWAKEning. TFA is going to SUCK.
And I’ve been making this same call now for months and months, I just hope that when the time comes I’ll finally get some credit around these parts. It’s long overdue.
The only thing that will suck is… I think you know where I’m going dude!!!
@holler at you boy: so, wanting TFA to fail is the only way you have to “get some credit” and feel bettere about yourself?
@anon 15:47, oh, the same way you feel better about yourself by bashing the Phantom Menace? ha ha ha, you are so stupid and hypicritical. And don’t try to smile and say “I am actually one of the few PT fans,” blah blah blah.
@ anonymous
Who said anything about “wanting” TFA to fail?
I never said that. I’ve made my bearish forecast not because I want TFA to be stinkbomb.
I made this prediction because I’ve been paying closer attention and scrutinizing things far more than the majority of you guys have.
And based upon my objective, logical analysis, I’ve concluded that TFA will fall far short of expectations.
I hope I’m wrong, I would far prefer praising the film than bashing it.
But I don’t think I’m wrong, and so I’m going with my gut.
TPM caught me off-guard in ’99. It’s not happening again.
Sir, I respect your paranoia.
I’m not personally expecting this to be AS good as people say it will be. But ya know what? If Ep VII turns out to be stupid or bad, my world has not come to an end.
Every film is bound to be worse than SOMETHING. [except Godfather, because that’s just nature].
When compared to other films based on Quality, Star Wars isn’t really THAT high on the ladder. But here’s the thing. Star Wars isn’t SUPPOSED to be GOOD. It’s supposed to be F@$#KING AWESOME. Things like “scriptwriting” and “realism” aren’t exactly top priority. And so, Star Wars has carved out a unique zone in the film industry where people appreciate it for what it is. And that zone can not be judged by the same criteria as say, the King’s Speech, because they’re two completely different films with completely different Goals / Priorities. So they require different judging criteria.
Which brings me to the Sequels.
I seriously doubt the Sequels will look or feel the same as the OT or the PT. I’m actually ok with that.
If we can learn anything from the Teaser, it moves in a different rhythm than its predecessors. As a STAR WARS film, it may succeed or it may fall short.
As a GOOD film it may succeed or it may [probably] fall short.
So here’s my game-plan as an audience-member: Sit down, watch, assess this film as a COMPLETELY NEW THING. Not comparing it to OT, PT, or the Oscar-Nominees.
The only criteria I’m gonna judge is enjoyment. Comparisons can come in the 2nd-40th viewing, but if I want to give this film a FAIR shot at entertaining me, I need to know it for what it is before I even THINK about comparisons.
It may sound extreme to you but in my experience nothing kills film-watching faster than Critiquing Closed-Mindedness [of which I’m prone to].
Do what you guys will but I’m gonna judge this sequel as it’s own entity before tethering it to a Good/Bad Examples of the Past
PS; that said: If JJ manages to give us the illegitimate love child of PT’s [superb] SFX with the OT’s charisma and badassery, that would be frickin’ fantastic!
@holler: Well, you basically put yourself in a box here. If the new movies will suck, you won’t be happy about it because of course not. But then again, if they turn out to be great, your “logical analysys” will be wrong and you won’t be gettin’ any “credit”
Nothing of this really count, though, since you’ve already decided that you “have been paying more attention and scrutinizing far more than the majority”, based on a “objective, logical analysy” [you absolutely don’t have enough element to make]. You just described both a “prejudice” and a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. You even put a matter of personal credit on this, so even if TFA turns out to be The Greatest Movie of All Time, you will force yourself to find something wrong with it so that you can be right.
I’m sorry to say so, but it really sucks to be you.
You guys are right, the problem is all mine.
There are no legitimate issues that could possibly justify skepticism of the film at this point.
I apologize for expressing a lack of total faith in Disney and JJ.
You wouldn’t have even thought of watching the original 1977 movie if you were there analyzing what was going on during production. You would have completely missed out on something great.
Sounds good to me. As long as any Disney or bad robot themes are not accompanying it. I will miss the fox fanfare but putting it in when fox did nothing for this movie would be stupid… We don’t need everything to be exactly the same. I’m not expecting the same trailers in front of episode 7 to be the same so if the logos change its fine. To me the actual film dosent begin until that Star Wars logo appears and the john Williams theme blares. Anything beforehand is advertisements.
This is just me, but I think this new fanfare destroys my chilhood and OT feelings more than midichlorians, jedi rocks, and greedo shooting first put together.
But I don’t expect anyone around here to agree…
I doubt this is SERIOUSLY what they’re gonna go with, at least permanently. This stuff changes around all the time. If they replace it in, that naturally sets the precedent for it to be replaced by something else [hopefully better] in the future.
But yeah, it’s pretty lame. It’s like my teacher decided to show up to do the graduation ceremony – in my living room, on game-night. Like what emotion am I supposed to be feeling while listening to this music? Awkward boredom? Or swells of nationalistic pride–over a movie?
Luckily this is pirated so we’ll give the execs the benefit of a doubt. Maybe KK agrees with us and this is a 1st Draft reject? one can hope…
I don’t like it at all! Would have been better silent, until STAR WARS bursts onto screen. As is,it’s far too abrupt.
it would be alot better silent right after the thx sound. then BOOOOOOM when the movie starts. but oh well..it is not a big deal, and some people really really really need to get lives around here.