Ludwig Göransson is an Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy award winning composer – a talent who has spent the last decade establishing himself as one of the best in the game when it comes to music in film and television – and it’s a career trajectory that really started with the cult favorite sitcom Community. He came aboard the NBC show in its first season, his contributions adding both levity and tremendous emotion to the work, and it proved to not only be the first of many Hollywood projects Göransson would take on, but he formed a relationship with Donald Glover a.k.a. Childish Gambino while making the series, and they have been collaborating ever since.
With his talent and this history, Ludwig Göransson is a significant part of the legacy of Community… which is why it’s a bit distressing to learn that he has not yet heard any word about potentially composing the music for the long-awaited Community movie that was officially confirmed as being in the works in September.
Fans of the composer will soon be able to hear his latest score in director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it was during a recent interview about his work on the new blockbuster that I asked about his potential involvement with the developing Community movie – which is being made as a Peacock exclusive. I asked if he had heard anything from the show’s creator, Dan Harmon, and he explained that the only person he’s talked about the project with is Ken Jeong (who memorably plays the psychotic Ben Chang on the series). Said Göransson,
You know, I haven't talked to Dan [Harmon] yet. Sometimes I see him in the neighborhood, but I think he might have moved. So I haven't seen him in a long time. I did run into Ken Jeong at a ski Resort in Utah when he was there with his family, and I was there with my kids. And I think he was the first one to tell me about this movie. This was a while ago. He was like, 'Yeah, we're trying to...'
The developing feature is fulfilling a promise that was made to fans back in Season 2 of the show when Danny Pudi’s Abed made a memorable declaration about “six seasons and a movie.” It was originally written as a jab at the short-lived NBC series The Cape, but was ultimately adopted as a goal for the totality of Community. Season 6 of the series aired back in 2015, and there has been simmering hope ever since that growing popularity would eventually inspire a studio or streaming service to give a feature the green light.
Admittedly, Ludwig Göransson is definitely not the only important talent from the Community family who has not yet been confirmed as being attached for the movie. When Peacock announced that the film was happening, Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong were all listed as returning stars – but that list notably doesn’t include the names Donald Glover and Yvette Nicole Brown. Dan Harmon has expressed enthusiasm about getting everybody back for the project, including Glover, and hopefully his efforts for a true reunion will include reaching out to the show’s composer.
Said Göransson of the present status of things,
[S]o far no one's reached out to me, so we'll see if they still want me or if I'm forgotten at this point.
I personally can’t imagine that there’s a Community fan on Earth who would discount the incredible contribution that Ludwig Göransson made to the show with his music, so fingers are most definitely crossed tightly hoping that outreach eventually happens.
If you’re now feeling in the mood to binge some Community as a way of distracting yourself from the wait for the movie, all you need is a Netflix subscription to start watching instantly (it’s definitely one of the best shows to binge on the service). And if you’re excited to hear some magical new music from Ludwig Göransson, start preparing yourself now for what the composer has in store for you in the critically acclaimed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – which arrives in theaters this Friday (you can purchase tickets on Fandango).
