J.J. Abrams Teamed Up With ‘Hamilton’ Creator for New ‘Star Wars’ Music

Image by Screen Shot

By John A. Oswald December 1, 2015

Social media was all atwitter Tuesday after director J.J. Abrams revealed he teamed up with the creator of the Broadway hit “Hamilton” for music in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

It was during an intermission at the musical that its creator Lin-Manuel Miranda approached the director and quipped: “Hey, if you need music for the cantina, I’ll write it.”

Abrams thought he was joking and when he asked if Miranda was serious, he responded: “I’ll drop everything!”

Abrams hired him on the spot.

“We’ve never discussed this before, so he might kill me,” Abrams told Jimmy Fallon Monday night on “The Tonight Show.”

The revelation led to some hilarious #Force4Ham mashups on Twitter.

Abrams also revealed:

That his family is not super impressed that he’s the director of “The Force Awakens.” The talk around the Thanksgiving table was very ‘meh’ about the whole thing.
He broke his L4 vertabra rescuing Harrison Ford when a hydraulic door closed on him during filming.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opens Dec. 18. That’s less than three weeks, fanboys and fangirls.

Whatever it is Jefferson started it. #Force4Ham pic.twitter.com/Y0shJmB4h1

— Kelly Lawler (@klawls) December 1, 2015

“Burr, you disgust me” “Ah, so you’ve discussed me” #Force4Ham pic.twitter.com/3CjtEGHMGA

— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) December 1, 2015

John Oswald is The Forward’s deputy digital media editor.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism so that we can be prepared for whatever news 2025 brings.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO