We’re a mere few weeks from the arrival of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which is not only the finale to the main storyline but will likely be the last Star Wars picture for a good while. As such the ad team has really been kicking into high gear. Earlier this week there was a hankie-sogging featurette about the franchise’s legacy over the last four decades-plus. Even the latest TV spot brings back an old classic from the films’ iconic score.
Entitled “Duel,” it’s built around what appears to be a climactic lightsaber tussle between Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. There’s a lot of other Star Wars-ing packed into the 30-second ad, too, with lots of explosions and laser shooting and vehicle flying and what-have. It’s all very dramatic, and not only because of all the action; it’s because backing it all is “Duel of the Fates,” a favorite track written by the series’ legendary composer, John Williams.
“Duel of the Fates” isn’t too old; it was first used in The Phantom Menace, namely during the threeway battle between Qui-Gon Jinn, Young Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul. But that fight is one of that film’s most beloved moments, and Williams — who’s written the scores for all of the main Star Wars movies — really brought it, more than usual. It’s another case of the Rise of Skywalker marketing team using the past to sell the present, and don’t you know it works.
One can watch the new TV spot above.
(Via IndieWire)
