Most people would recognize Thomas Newman from his musical work, as a career scoring films like The Shawshank Redemption and Finding Nemo has kept him a Hollywood staple for decades. That being said, film buffs would also mark the Elemental composer as notable for another reason: he belongs to a family dynasty of movie music legends – which is ultimately what led to him being able to work with John Williams on the music for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year).
When I sat down to interview Thomas Newman, I asked about how he wound up orchestrating a cue for Maestro Williams just as the Star Wars legacy was hitting its first grand finale. Recounting the story, the composer said,
