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Both Star Wars and Harry Potter are beloved stories for all ages, and they also share a surprising musical connection.
In the last century, filmmaking has made leaps and bounds in storytelling and how it conveys feelings ranging from happiness to suspense. Some great examples of this can be found in franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter. However, the biggest factor that helps in how these films convey feeling is through their music. Interestingly, both franchises share the same composer in John Williams. The composer is known for scoring many of the most impactful films in the medium, including Jurassic Park. However, even someone as talented as Williams occasionally encounters situations involving similar pieces of music.
While Williams didn’t compose for every film in the Harry Potter franchise, he worked on the first two and composed the iconic “Hedwig’s Theme,” which was famously used throughout the franchise. These films, specifically Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, came at an incredibly busy time in Williams’ career. He was juggling several other projects, including Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. For reasons that have yet to be clarified, both films feature an unmistakably similar sequence in their soundtracks.
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Williams worked on a piece called “Chasing the Snitch.” The song is paired with the scene where Harry and his rival Draco Malfoy fight to gain control of the Golden Snitch during a Quidditch match. The scene is packed with suspense, even though this was only the young wizard’s second year in the sport. With Malfoy joining, Harry had to fight even harder to win the game, and the music playing during the scene perfectly showcases how he has to dig deep to succeed. There is a specific section in the piece that focuses on horns and flutes in a repetitive pattern. With only one count between the notes, the tempo raises the suspense and gives the necessary feelings of a chase. It perfectly fits the scene and helped put viewers on the edge of their seats like a real sporting event would.
Those same few bars of music are expertly executed in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The section can be found in the track, “Zam the Assassin/ The Chase Through Coruscant,” where Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi chase an assassin through Coruscant after she fails to kill Senator Amidala. The scene itself is pulse-pounding, as the two Jedi have to navigate the lanes of speeders thousands of feet in the air. Not only must they use speeders and avoid accidents, but Anakin also freefalls through the traffic to catch the assassin. Thanks to the footage, the horns and flutes constantly chanting in the background adds an extra level of tension and stakes. The bars keep the momentum alive because the assassin could have information on who wants to kill the Senator.
Fortunately, the piece of music works well with both scenes, but even well over a decade after, there is still no answer to how this occurred. Many believe that it’s a clever Easter egg, while others think it was simply a mistake. One theory that leans to it being a mistake explains that Williams had help conducting on Harry Potter from composer William Ross. As a result of the extra help, it’s possible the pieces of music got mixed up. The fact that “Catch the Snitch” isn’t on the official soundtrack also adds credence to the theory. However, with no official explanation, it’s hard to know what really happened.
There’s no denying that even in Williams’ busy year, he was able to put out two amazing soundtracks to two iconic films. While a few bars share similarities between the movies, they perfectly match the scenes and show that although they sound similar, the stakes add a unique distinction. For Harry Potter, it reminds viewers of those moments in big sports where both teams could win at any moment. In contrast, Star Wars awakens the suspense of seeing people in films chasing down a high-value target. Whether a mistake or an Easter egg, the similarity is a perfect example of Williams’ skills in mixing music and storytelling.
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