There is still an air of apprehension surrounding the planned re-boot of the Star Wars franchise - which is now owned by Disney - however a recent interview with the great John Williams has given fans something to be a little less cautious about, as he has signed on to score the soundtrack for the seventh instalment of the sci-fi movie series. In a video interview posted on to the official Star Wars YouTube page on Saturday (July 27), the composer pledged his commitment to the franchise for at least one more film, as he also detailed his own love of George Lucas' beloved sci-fi epic.

John Williams
Williams, pictured with Samanta Winslow, will be back to compose the score for the new Star Wars

The five-time Oscar winner, who won one of his golden statuettes in 1977 for his work on A New Hope, the first movie released from the series, said that he is working on the score for the upcoming film as he plans on maintaining his healthy relationship with the long-running series. Williams is the latest returnee slated to feature as part of JJ Abram's upcoming reboot, with original stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) all rumoured to be returning to the franchise. The Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan has also been announced as a returnee, taking on the role of creative consultant for the film, with Lucas himself said to be involved in the filming to ensure it adheres to his own vision of the galxay far, far away. Williams and his other returnees will be working on a script that is being penned by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3), with the film expected for a summer 2015 release.

The announcement that Williams will be returning to Star Wars was first announced at the Star Wars Celebration Europe in Essen, Germany the same Saturday, with the video interview being showed at the convention before making it's way online. The announcement of William's return wasn't the only thing that the German Star Wars fans were treated to though, as the attendees of the convention were also given a first look at the upcoming Disney Channel animation Star Wars Rebels. The show is set during the third and fourth episodes of the film series and follows the forming of the Rebel Alliance as they attempt to put a halt to the advances of the Empire, which is continuing it's campaign of mass genocide against the last Jedi Knights in the galaxy to ensure the powers of the Dark Side continue to grip the galaxy.

Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill is expected to return as an aged Luke Skywalker

Dave Filoni, an executive producer on the show who also worked on the successful Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series - which will be released in its entirety on Blu Ray and DVD later this year - gave fans a glimpse at some of the upcoming animation on offer in the series. Ghost, the spaceship of the still-unnamed main character, was one of the main attractions at the unveiling, with designs for the Stormtroopers from the series and the inside of an Imperial Star Destroyer also on offer.

Star Wars Rebels will begin life as a one-hour special that will air on the Disney Channel in fall 2014, with a follow-up series due to air on Disney XD. Star Wars: Episode VII is due to reach cinemas in the summer of 2015.

Harrison Ford
Ford is also slated to return to the film series that made him a star