Mandalorian Season 2 composer lets slip a huge release date clue
The hit show is finally getting its finishing touches.
The wait for The Mandalorian Season 2 feels never-ending, but there's a definite light at the end of the tunnel. Amid countless delays across movies and television, Disney+ announced an October 2020 release date. Could that stick until the actual release? The show's composer let slip a major clue when discussing his work scoring the series.
It's really difficult not to be aware of Ludwig Göransson's work. If you're a Marvel fan, he won an Oscar for his score of Black Panther. More of an animation person? He wrote original songs for Trolls: World Tour. Watch a lot of sitcoms? He's the mind behind the music of New Girl and Community. Even if you don't pay attention to scores, he's produced every Childish Gambino album.
Needless to say, he's in very high demand. Despite all that, he has found room in his schedule for the Star Wars universe. After finishing up the score for Christopher Nolan's Tenet, Göransson is focusing completely on The Mandalorian Season 2. In conversation with Deadline, he revealed he's been working on the score for a few months already.
Göransson after winning his Oscar for 'Black Panther'
Composing is slow work, but this isn't a death sentence for the October release date. While Göransson started with initial ideas an entire year before The Mandalorian's premiere, the actual composing and recording spanned from April to September 2019. If this five-month timeline still holds for Season 2, and they've already worked on the score for "a couple" months, that puts the score at finishing right around October. It's not a lot of wiggle room, but it's completely possible Mando will stick the landing.
Composing a second season may not take as long. Göransson's Mandalorian score, like most Star Wars scores, uses the concept of leitmotif, where characters are associated with a specific musical phrase or idea. This means the score consists of different combinations and takes on these themes. While there's still an entire season to score, the ingredients are already assembled thanks to Season 1. That aspect should mean the series won't be delayed due to the tight scoring timeline, and October 2020 is looking more and more likely. (But early October is feeling a lot less likely.)
This is a bit of a blow to those thinking the show would be released early due to the lack of competition at a time where most other shows have ceased production. Star Wars wouldn't be Star Wars without its iconic score, and whether it comes from an icon like John Williams or a rising star like Ludwig Göransson, it's worth waiting for.
The Mandalorian Season 2 will be released in October 2020 on Disney+.
