Will John Williams score Steven Spielberg's new UFO movie?

[mrbellamy 7,310]

If Steven Spielberg directs it and John Williams is alive and well at 93+, I think it'll happen. I wouldn't begrudge him saying no but of course I hope he does it. I don't really wanna think about it anymore until it exists. 

[Gurkensalat 364]

I would love another big Williams score, but when I look at the Indy 5 soundtrack, for which he had to resort to copying old works to fill in the blanks despite having lots of time due to the constant delay of release, I don't think that he has a big action wall to wall score in him any more. Once you get that old, the energy level just goes down and everything takes much more time. But on the other hand if this movie is more of a kind like Fabelmans or the Post, requiring no wall to wall scoring, he might still be able to pull it off, if he really wants to do it and it really happens in the next 1-2 years.

 

By the way, what I would really like is him writing another Tintin score, but I think that window of opportunity is passed, even if another Tintin movie will be made one day.

[Richard P 4,775]

Williams doesn't owe anyone another film score. If he wants and is able, he'll do it, perhaps with Ross' help. But no one should be surprised, shocked, betrayed or send hate mail to the composer who scores it, if Williams chooses not to.

 

We were fortunate to get DoD out of him as a largely original score but we shouldn't expect it from him.

[Marian Schedenig 10,160]

3 hours ago, Gurkensalat said:

I would love another big Williams score, but when I look at the Indy 5 soundtrack, for which he had to resort to copying old works to fill in the blanks despite having lots of time due to the constant delay of release, I don't think that he has a big action wall to wall score in him any more. Once you get that old, the energy level just goes down and everything takes much more time.

 

Maybe it wouldn't have to be a wall to wall score. It probably needs fewer busy action sequences than Indy, too. And I'm sure Spielberg would accommodate Williams and plan for his scoring habits along with editing. Provided Williams is healthy and wants to do it, of course.

[JohnnyD 1,534]

"According to Spielberg, Williams repeatedly tells him that he’s waiting for his next assignment. “Every time we see each other,” Spielberg says, “Johnny asks, ‘Are you working on our next film?’ Because John has been my primary creative partner across my entire film career. And that’s not gonna end until we do.”"

 

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/john-williams-oscars-star-wars-steven-spielberg-collaborations-1235929403/

 

I think that answers the question.

[Yavar Moradi 3,599]

On 18/04/2024 at 2:43 AM, bollemanneke said:

No, because he said he was done with films, right? He's done enough, he needs to enjoy the time he has left.

 

Wrong; he never ever said that. And I agree he should enjoy the time he has left... fortunately for us he genuinely enjoys writing music for films (or at least, for Spielberg films).

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 14,996]

Spielberg should do Indy 6, getting Indy and Short Round (Tall Round? Mr. Round?) back together for one last adventure, kick-starting the Round franchise. 

[GerateWohl 5,961]

Too late. Round is too old for that.

[Thor 9,308]

"Round". I giggled.

[mrbellamy 7,310]

10 hours ago, Yavar Moradi said:

 

Wrong; he never ever said that. And I agree he should enjoy the time he has left... fortunately for us he genuinely enjoys writing music for films (or at least, for Spielberg films).

 

Yavar

 

He did literally say "I don't particularly want to do films anymore" but I think as it turns out, the word "particularly" was doing a lot of work when he said that. With the various qualifying statements he's given since, it's more accurate to say film scoring as a whole is not a priority.

 

But he's also admitted to being protective and jealous about his film legacy, saying some version of "I did it because I didn't want anybody else doing it" about multiple projects now. And even though he can come off ambivalent and not-quite-kidding when he says stuff like "Steven expects me to work til I'm 100," he's obviously sentimental and proud about that. They are married after all. 

[Davis 3,949]

On 19/04/2024 at 6:26 PM, Jurassic Shark said:

Short Round (Tall Round? Mr. Round?)

You call him Long Round, Doll! 

---------------------------------

 

 

I would LOVE another sci-fi score in the same veins of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND or E.T. 

If only...

[Jurassic Shark 14,996]

On 19/04/2024 at 6:34 PM, GerateWohl said:

Too late. Round is too tall for that.

 

[Edmilson 10,522]

On 19/04/2024 at 1:26 PM, Jurassic Shark said:

Spielberg should do Indy 6, getting Indy and Short Round (Tall Round? Mr. Round?) back together for one last adventure, kick-starting the Round Cinematic Universe. 

Fixed.

[Davis 3,949]

I just want one more HUGE Spielberg-Williams sci-fi blockbuster like CEOTTK, E.T., MR, AI or WotW. 
I’m so sorry JW couldn’t do RPO, that could’ve been a great opportunity for him to return to sci-fi with Spielberg. Maybe now they can pull it off. I miss his 70s sound very much, but I guess we’ll never have that again as his style has evolved so much. And he doesn’t have Herbert Spencer, either. But an optimistic sci-fi with a hummable JW theme would be wonderful.

[Will 2,329]

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/steven-spielberg-next-movie-summer-2026-release-date-1236014435/

 

Quote

Universal Pictures is backing the movie, which will open in theaters on May 15, 2026. It’s unclear what the untitled project — which the studio described as a “new original event film” — is about, though Variety previously reported that Spielberg is working on a UFO story.

 

Very much hope JW scores this!

[Edmilson 10,522]

Hopefully he will! If he scores this during 2025 he'll be 93, maybe 94 if the proccess continues during early 2026. A very advanced age, but he looks healthy, right? Doesn't he still have concerts scheduled for the next few months all around the world?

[JohnnyD 1,534]

1 hour ago, Will said:

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/steven-spielberg-next-movie-summer-2026-release-date-1236014435/

 

 

Very much hope JW scores this!

 

No doubt about it. This will be worth the wait.

 

58 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

If he scores this during 2025 he'll be 93, maybe 94 if the process continues during early 2026. A very advanced age, but he looks healthy, right? Doesn't he still have concerts scheduled for the next few months all around the world?

 

He is very healthy. It is still astonishing to me how well he looks and how busy he is with the upcoming concerts at Vienna in December of this year AND Berlin next year.

[Marian Schedenig 10,160]

He could announce that he's scoring it in Vienna and premiere the theme in Berlin…

[Davis 3,949]

I'm sure that if he'll be alive when Spielberg makes the film, he will score it.

 

Spoiler

Having reached this old age, JW will stay healthy 'til the very end, and when his time comes, he'll possibly die in his sleep peacefully. He has earned it.

 

[Holko 11,399]

You know what could be wild? Sneaking in references to Spielberg's Firelight score.

[Jurassic Shark 14,996]

3 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

He could announce that he's scoring it in Vienna and premiere the theme in Berlin…

 

He could write the theme in the cart while riding from Vienna to Berlin.

[Tom 5,615]

According to Spielberg, Williams repeatedly tells him that he’s waiting for his next assignment. “Every time we see each other,” Spielberg says, “Johnny asks, ‘Are you working on our next film?’ 

 

"John, John, you are going to love this. I am finally making a new film."

"Oh, that is fantastic, Steven.  These concert works are sucking the life out of me.  Please give me some inspiration."

"Well, the wait is over. I am filming soon."

"Great, great. What is it about?"

"Well, what if aliens came to visit earth?"

"Um, yeah, well, here's the thing: I am writing concert music at the moment."  

 

[phbart 656]

I always thought that an evil posessed Barry trying to take over the planet would be a perfect sequel for CE3K. Afterall, who knows if the little boy that came out of the ship was actually him? And Roy Neary was selected by the aliens in the end and shipped as far away as possible because he was the only one who would be able to identify alien Barry and stop it in time, but soon he would realise that and would fight the aliens and take control of the ship and go back to Earth, but then no one here would believe him and sent him to jail for trying to murder a child. When all hopes are lost, Ronnie Neary comes up and sets her husband free by making the guards hostages and making them open the cell and locking them up. Then a wild chase unfolds when Jillian Guiler shows up in Mad Max style (or Furiosa, for that matter) to prevent the Neary family from taking posessed Barry from her (which, of course, she doesn't want to believe he's not her son anymore).

 

Then Spielberg and Koepp can figure out the rest of the story. I can imagine some freakin cool cues JW can score for this... 

[Holko 11,399]

Ah yes, the perfect sequel for the movie ending with the revelation that not only are we not alone in the universe but they're just like us, we play music together and make peace... is that they were evil all along? What?

[Davis 3,949]

 Btw a CEOTTK sequel wouldn’t be so bad. Imagine what they could achieve with today’s CGI. The Mothership comes back with Roy and little Barry who never aged a day. They see what have become of Earth and get back into the ship, and take JW with them. End cue.

[phbart 656]

They kidnapped people for decades, stoled aircrafts... oh, and what about the mess they made in Jillian's kitchen? Isn't that evil enough for you?

[Davis 3,949]

2 minutes ago, phbart said:

They kidnapped people for decades, stoled aircrafts...

But they brought them back, fully operational and with their tanks full. 
And the people didn’t age.

The mess in the kitchen is unforgivable.

[phbart 656]

Yes, they pretty much emptied Jillian's fridge. I hope at least they went to do groceries for her. I'm sure JW will write a beautiful cue for that scene.

[Bayesian 1,513]

I see no reason why JW couldn't score this. The music wouldn't be bombastic or Star Wars-y anyhow, since that style has been passé for decades now (outside of SW of course). A JW score to a violent or scary alien movie would probably focus on textures, WOTW-style, more than anything. Honestly, I would love if JW wrote some seriously angular or atonal stuff, full of tone clusters and weird-ass polychords and shit. We know of JW's supreme mastery in the tonal realm; let's hear some more Images-like sound design.

[Jurassic Shark 14,996]

With lots of shouting and percussion!

[Muad'Dib 1,946]

Night Skies!

[Edmilson 10,522]

8 hours ago, Holko said:

but they're just like us

Well, if they are anything like us, then of course they are evil. Maybe not evil but more like "eh, these stupid humans are way too inferior to us, they haven't even figured out space travel yet! Let's enslave them all".

[Once 904]

7 hours ago, Bayesian said:

I see no reason why JW couldn't score this. The music wouldn't be bombastic or Star Wars-y anyhow, since that style has been passé for decades now (outside of SW of course). A JW score to a violent or scary alien movie would probably focus on textures, WOTW-style, more than anything. Honestly, I would love if JW wrote some seriously angular or atonal stuff, full of tone clusters and weird-ass polychords and shit. We know of JW's supreme mastery in the tonal realm; let's hear some more Images-like sound design.

Atonal Images-like textures could result in an Oscar win. If the movie is a hit.

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,904]

Is Silvestri available?

[Director of Poltergeist 8,123]

On 19/04/2024 at 1:21 AM, Gurkensalat said:

I would love another big Williams score, but when I look at the Indy 5 soundtrack, for which he had to resort to copying old works to fill in the blanks despite having lots of time due to the constant delay of release, I don't think that he has a big action wall to wall score in him any more. Once you get that old, the energy level just goes down and everything takes much more time.

 

I'm going to piggyback off this, one of the best comments I've seen on this forum in years. I know you're referring strictly to "Big" JW scores in this case, so in a very modern way, I would in no way want to take your post out of context. But you're absolutely right. Now we'll go strictly into my unrelated opinion. 

 

DOD was a total disaster. For a decade now these pitiful JW scores have been one-and-dones, and a chore to get through at that. Even the Galaxy Edge track at 5 minutes was a pathetic slog.

 

This will be met with nothing but disdain and pitchforks, but JW should have retired 20 years ago. Goldsmith was taken by cancer and Horner exploded in a horrific plane crash in the desert, but they both exited the field before they'd outlived their usefulness, as Kirk and Spock would say.

 

Modern Williams should be relaxing and watching baseball games, not putting out this forgettable mediocre autopilot dreck that shouldn't even be associated with the guy who composed Superman, Jaws, E.T., Raiders, bloody Amazing Stories "The Mission". 

 

I've had a few drinks, but this is how I truly feel. I'm sorry to those who are triggered.

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,904]

He's basically like Twin Peaks Season 2. His story wrapped up... but he just keeps going and going and going and going and going!

[Director of Poltergeist 8,123]

Don't even get me started on Spielberg 

[Once 904]

30 minutes ago, Brock Lovett said:

This will be met with nothing but disdain and pitchforks, but JW should have retired 20 years ago.

My experience couldn't be more different. Some of my absolute favourite Williams scores and cues are from the last 20 years - and that's the consensus within my circle of friends as well. To each their own, but "pathetic slog", "forgettable mediocre autopilot" and "a chore to get through" doesn't describe anything Williams has done in my book.

[Director of Poltergeist 8,123]

I'm sorry!

[Andy 5,997]

You should be sorry. That was a swamp ass rant. 

[Director of Poltergeist 8,123]

But it's true

[Andy 5,997]

Then why did you apologize?  The booze talking?

[Bellosh 4,252]

I saw the words Ranch and Wine next to each other earlier but realized it was Skywalker. Almost lost my lunch on my keyboard 

[Director of Poltergeist 8,123]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

Then why did you apologize?  The booze talking?

 

That's alright Lieutenant. From the smell of him I'd say it was the booze talking. 

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,904]

Justin's right. Aside from a few occasional blips of decent material, JW overall output over the last decade has been mediocre compared to his previous usual standard. Artists tend to lose their hunger as they get older and richer anyway.

[Tom 5,615]

1 hour ago, Brock Lovett said:

I've had a few drinks, but this is how I truly feel. I'm sorry to those who are triggered.

 

[mrbellamy 7,310]

Sounds like you guys just don't know how to quit John Williams.

 

You must still believe in him or you would have stopped bothering with his new releases a long time ago. 

[Stark 715]

Even if it were true that JW had declined, his newest scores are still good scores and better than most other contemporary scores. The word “usefulness” has no bearing on this matter, but if we must entertain it, then it’s undeniable that JW’s mere presence was “useful” to the Star Wars sequels in legitimizing them (at the minimum before the films’ other characteristics could be assessed). 

 

[mrbellamy 7,310]

Honestly over the years I've found John Williams' new music pretty useful for cheering me up from JWFan's disillusionment with his new music. 

[GerateWohl 5,961]

When I look at discussions like parts of this one I am always amused by these obvious double standards in evaluating Williams' work.

John Williams lives with this "always the same" and "autopilot" accusations for 50 years now.

And if there are five minutes in a score copied from another place in the score or even a previous score, then some fans get outrageous, the same who praise other modern scores where these kinds of repetitions, copy paste, plagiarism and ghostwriting are much more obvious, often in company of much less original ideas.

 

How come, that people, and even fans are so overly critical with Williams recent work (at any point in time, since the 90s his best work is always at least ten years ago)? And on the other hand works of other composers seem to be regarded much more benevolent? I don't get it.