With just 17 days left untilStar Wars: The Force Awakensarrives, it seems that most of the film’s secrets will remain intact until opening day. While we’ll surely be treated to more clips and TV spots over the next three weeks, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever get an official glimpse atLuke Skywalker(Mark Hamill), or learn the surnames of Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) until this highly-anticipated adventure hits theaters. DirectorJ.J. Abramshas already started his promotional tour forStar Wars: The Force Awakens, appearing onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonlast night, where he did reveal that he co-wrote music for a new Cantina scene with none other than Broadway sensationLin-Manuel Miranda, who created and stars in the hit musicalHamilton.
“I sawHamilton, and at intermission,Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote it and conceived it and normally stars in it, he wasn’t in it that night, comes up to me and says hello. My mind is blown, because he’s so brilliant. And he says, ‘Hey, if you need music for the Cantina, I’ll write it,’ and he walks off. I’m like, ‘Does he know?’ Basically, we have a scene that’s sort of our version of the Cantina scene.John Williams, the master composer, said, ‘J.J., baby, I’d rather not write the music for that scene because I’d rather write the score. I end up emailingLin-Manuel Mirandaand I say, ‘I know you were kidding but if you actually want to write this music, I’m actually working on something if you want.’ He’s like, ‘I’ll drop everything!’ I’m like, ‘All right!’ He and I were sending back and forth music files and he’s singing and playing instruments. This whole thing was nuts. And now, in the movie, in this one sequence is music thatLin-Manuel Mirandaand I wrote. We’ve never discussed this before, so he might kill me for revealing this. The guy is unbelievable!”
This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve heard about a Cantina scene inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, but it’s the first we’ve heard ofLin-Manuel Miranda’s involvement. There have long been rumors that there will be a new bar inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, that is said to be quite similar to the infamousMos Eisley Cantina. Last month,J.J. Abramsconfirmed that this bar is owned byMaz Kanata(Lupita Nyong’o), the diminutive alien character wearing goggles in the poster that surfaced in October.
The original rumor claimed that Rey ends up meeting both Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) in this bar, which was initially thought to be the original Mos Eisley Cantina, but later confirmed as a different bar entirely. This scene in question features Chewbacca, whose arm is in a sling, disarming a hostile alien, before a “planet/moon” explodes. Those details have still not been confirmed yet, but we’ll find out if this is one of the early rumors that turn out to be true, whenStar Wars: The Force Awakenshits theaters on December 18.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ ensemble cast includesHarrison Ford,Mark Hamill,Carrie Fisher,Adam Driver,Daisy Ridley,John Boyega,Oscar Isaac,Lupita Nyong’o,Andy Serkis,Domhnall Gleeson,Anthony Daniels,Peter MayhewandMax von Sydow.Kathleen Kennedy,J.J. Abramsand Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason D. McGatlin serving as executive producers. Take a look at the video fromThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonbelow, and stay tuned for more onStar Wars: The Force Awakens.
