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Thomas Newman replaces John Williams on Bridge of Spies [UPDATE: New Spielberg interview mentions Williams' health]


Jay

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John Williams is OFFICIALLY on board to score Steven Spielberg's 28th theatrical film, which is also him and John Williams' 27th theatrical feature collaboration.

Source: http://www.gsamusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/WILLIAMS_JOHN4.pdf

This film was previously known as "St. James Place" or "Untitled Cold War Spy Thriller" and is now known as "Bridge of Spies".

The film opens Friday October 16th 2015 in the US. I expect Sony will release the OST CD on Friday Oct 9 or Friday Oct 16.

What's everyone expecting the music to sound like?

EDIT: On March 18, 2015, it was announced that Thomas Newman replaced John Williams on this score. CLICK HERE FOR THE THREAD TO DISCUSS NEWMAN'S SCORE.

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Nah, I want it to be Williams jazzy 70's take on what Desplat did for Grand Budapest Hotel.

Actually, speaking of Desplat, wouldn't it be cool if Williams pulled out something like The Ghost Writer for this? Any sort of departure from the standard "brooding thriller" sound would be neat.

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Great find! :)

Regarding the title, the GSA pdf lists the project as "Untitled Cold War Spy Thriller". The only place I found where "Bridge of Spies" is mentioned is here:

http://www.thedp.com/article/2015/03/q-and-a-with-marc-platt

Are we totally sure that's the official title?

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The title could always change again, of course, but that seems to be what they're calling it today.

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Nah, I want it to be Williams jazzy 70's take on what Desplat did for Grand Budapest Hotel.

Actually, speaking of Desplat, wouldn't it be cool if Williams pulled out something like The Ghost Writer for this?

I'd rather not. THE GHOST is one of the blandest Polanski scores--should have been Kilar. Don't get me wrong though, I like Desplat.

Or Bridge Of The Spies!

Bridge of Spielberg.

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Exciting! This means there are two new Williams scores to look out for this year, and they're bound to be quite different in mood.

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Steven Spielberg's 27th theatrical film, and him and John Williams' 26th theatrical feature collaboration.

28th and 27th, actually:

1. Sugarland

2. Jaws

3. CE3K

4. 1941

5. Raiders

6. E.T.

7. TOD

8. Color Purple

9. EOTS

10. LC

11. Always

12. Hook

13. JP

14. SL

15. TLW

16. Amistad

17. SPR

18. AI

19. MR

20. CMIYC

21. Terminal

22. WOTW

23. Munich

24. KOTCS

25. Tintin

26. War Horse

27. Lincoln

28. Bridge of Spies

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I don't know why everyone is expecting a grim drama in the style of Munich (a film I personally liked a lot, but whatever). If Spielberg proved something over the course of his career is surely that he never does the same movie twice.

Personally, I'm feeling more like this could be Spielberg's tip of the hat to 1960s-styled American political thrillers, in the vein of Torn Curtain or The Prize.

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Personally, I'm feeling more like this could be Spielberg's tip of the hat to 1960s-styled American political thrillers, in the vein of Torn Curtain

God, I hope not. The film was antiquated even at its time of release.

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What Fantastic news and a fantastic Title too Bridge of Spies wonderful news!

I wonder if John Williams will score the BFG and It's What I Do (A Photographer's Life of Love and War), I am sure everyone has heard the other Steven Spielberg news today Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Laurence teaming up together!

I wonder what sounds and instruments we are going to get with Bridge of Spies, Sexy 1940's saxophone or trumpet if it is a lighthearted film but the story seems dark and foreboding maybe a score with the same style and tone to Munich or Minority Report is more likely but you never know with the master of film music John Williams!

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I wonder if John Williams will score the BFG and It's What I Do (A Photographer's Life of Love and War), I am sure everyone has heard the other Steven Spielberg news today Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Laurence teaming up together!

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25148

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Yes. They've started casting, I think it's still due to start filming this year.

I predict neither will be nominated (but both will be very good!)

Well, they nominate him for pretty much anything. I think both movies and/or the scores would have to turn out to be crap for his music not to be recognized at all this year...and even then.

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Nah, I want it to be Williams jazzy 70's take on what Desplat did for Grand Budapest Hotel.

While that's not exactly what I would want to hear, it would be nice to hear a departure from the low-end piano rambling, drum loop score we're all expecting.

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Yes. They've started casting, I think it's still due to start filming this year.

I predict neither will be nominated (but both will be very good!)

Well, they nominate him for pretty much anything. I think both movies and/or the scores would have to turn out to be crap for his music not to be recognized at all this year...and even then.

Since Bridge of Spies appears to be an Oscar-bait type of film, it's likely Williams will be nominated. I'm not so sure about TFA getting a nomination unless if it's on the same level as SW or ESB. None of the prequel scores were nominated, but Williams had more "serious" scores in those respective years.

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Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was also rightly not nominated.

Considering the suspect quality of some of the other nominated scores, I'm not sure that was the right decision. Not a major travesty or anything though, as KOTC contained a lot of auto-pilot sections.

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Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was also rightly not nominated.

Considering the suspect quality of some of the other nominated scores, I'm not sure that was the right decision. Not a major travesty or anything though, as KOTC contained a lot of auto-pilot sections.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button should have won.
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Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull was also rightly not nominated.

Considering the suspect quality of some of the other nominated scores, I'm not sure that was the right decision. Not a major travesty or anything though, as KOTC contained a lot of auto-pilot sections.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button should have won.

It would have been better than Slumdog Millionaire. My favorite of the nominees was JNH's Defiance.

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I have a feeling that it will be a mixture of the boring suspense cues from Munich with some boring Catch Me if You Can-style drama writing thrown in for good measure.

It surely will be less boring than reading most of the posts in this thread.

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Most JWfans only got into his music because of Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Superman and think all his drama scores are boring.

A joke, I hope!

While those scores were influential in my JW discovery too, it didn't take long before I gravitated MORE towards the drama and the subdued. Eventually, Williams' "religious sound" -- as I call it -- became my main reason for liking him, all the action stuff being secondary. Same is true today.

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Most JWfans only got into his music because of Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Superman and think all his drama scores are boring.

Not all of his drama is boring (I actually like the majority of it quite a lot). I just don't think that there are many truly interesting musically interesting routes Williams can go. It's not his fault though, Spielberg just needs to choose more interesting projects.

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