JW READ "The Book Thief"??

[wanner251 17]

This seems very uncharacteristic for him. He always talks about how he never wants to see a script, nor read the book, etc... He just wants to see the final cut, and go from there... Thoughts?

[Incanus 5,801]

He did the exception with Harry Potter books (I am not sure if all of them but at least the first) and Memoirs of a Geisha too. I think it resulted in great scores where I feel he used the musical associations from the book and the dynamics of the film's narrative (which he likes to experience as one of the audience members to better react to it with all the emotions the film entails) to fuel his composing. The Book Thief situation was very similar to Memoirs of a Geisha where he had read the book, already thought of cello as the voice of Sayuri and then heard Spielberg was going to produce the film and basically asked to score the film. The few articles concerning the Book Thief and Williams' involvement give the same impression this time around. He read the novel, heard that there was going to be a film adaptation and got in touch with the director and asked if he could score the film.

[mrbellamy 6,753]

Yes, he had read the book before he had heard there was going to be a film, as it was with Memoirs and (I think?) Potter. I think the key phrase would be that he prefers not to know anything about the film "if he can help it."

[Incanus 5,801]

Yes, he had read the book before he had heard there was going to be a film, as it was with Memoirs and (I think?) Potter. I think the key phrase would be that he prefers not to know anything about the film "if he can help it."

Yeap. And he had read the first Potter to his grandchildren but he does prefer to see the film and react to it.

[Naïve Old Fart 10,425]

This seems very uncharacteristic for him. He always talks about how he never wants to see a script, nor read the book, etc... He just wants to see the final cut, and go from there... Thoughts?

Quite right, too! He has said in many interviews that he prefers to watch as final a cut of the film as possible, so he can react to it as a film, and not have his own ideas of the film in his head from reading the book.

Question is; does he read the book afterwards..?

[Incanus 5,801]

This seems very uncharacteristic for him. He always talks about how he never wants to see a script, nor read the book, etc... He just wants to see the final cut, and go from there... Thoughts?

Quite right, too! He has said in many interviews that he prefers to watch as final a cut of the film as possible, so he can react to it as a film, and not have his own ideas of the film in his head from reading the book.

Question is; does he read the book afterwards..?

Well he certainly by all accounts is a voracious reader so he actually might.

[Miguel Andrade 1,361]

Williams also read "Angela's Ashes" prior to the film being made, and went after it, when it was scheduled to be filmed. Same thing with "Book Thief".

A different thing happened with Geisha. As I've read the story, after reading the book, he sent two copies, one to the office next door, introducing the book to Spielberg, who would buy the film rights and whose name was attached as director for quite some time, and the other to Yo-Yo Ma, telling him he had hopes that if the film ever got made, they could collaborate on the score.

[Incanus 5,801]

Williams also read "Angela's Ashes" prior to the film being made, and went after it, when it was scheduled to be filmed. Same thing with "Book Thief".

A different thing happened with Geisha. As I've read the story, after reading the book, he sent two copies, one to the office next door, introducing the book to Spielberg, who would buy the film rights and whose name was attached as director for quite some time, and the other to Yo-Yo Ma, telling him he had hopes that if the film ever got made, they could collaborate on the score.

Johnny is wily and puts forth these things for himself to score.

[Alejandro 28]

I wonder what he thinks of these films after he sees the first cuts. Especially Memoirs and Angela.

[Joni Wiljami 1,212]

He must love Angela. Morley.

[wanner251 17]

I have a friend whom Angela Morely mentored into the transgender world. She wants to write a book on Angela; it seems logical that Williams would be a great resource for such a thing. Good luck getting that interview, though.

[The Train Station 8,673]

Reading? I didn't know he could read.

[Incanus 5,801]

Reading? I didn't know he could read.

John Williams is a man of many talents, among them reading, and not just notes but letters too.

[The Train Station 8,673]

I thought there was some embarrassing reason why he didn't read screenplays.