Legendary composer John Williams has provided the soundtracks to some of the most iconic blockbusters in film history. However, given that he is 90-years-old, Williams was planning on retiring from film scoring after his most recent work - or at least he was, until he made a surprise announcement to the contrary.
Williams had previously announced his intention to retire from film work after composing the soundtrack for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the upcoming fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. However, during a recent American Cinematheque event celebrating his 50-year collaborative career with director Steven Spielberg, per The Hollywood Reporter, Williams told the crowd that Dial of Destiny would probably not be his last project, saying, "I’ll stick around for a while!" Williams added of his longtime directing partner, "Steven is a lot of things. He’s a director, he’s a producer, he’s a studio head, he’s a writer, he’s a philanthropist, he’s an educator. One thing he isn’t is a man you can say 'no' to."
Following Williams' announcement, which seemed to stun Spielberg, the acclaimed director said, "I’d better get to work to find out what the hell I’m doing next!" It is unclear when the pair's next collaboration will be. Their most recent team-up occurred when Williams provided the soundtrack for Spielberg's semi auto-biographical film, The Fabelmans, which recently won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture-Drama and Best Director for Spielberg. When asked about the pair's process of working together, Williams shed some light on his musical undertakings:
"Music is probably older than language. It is a very important thing in all of us — when we’re grieving, when we’re happy. We don’t know why. It’s unknowable. In the end, the film tells us, if we pay attention enough. It’s mainly intuitive."
Spielberg also spoke of Williams' contributions to his films, saying, "I tell a story, and then John retells the story musically.” It should come as no surprise that the director was chosen to help honor Williams, as the pair have become indelibly linked in their careers. Williams has composed the soundtracks for some of Spielberg's most iconic films, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the first two Jurassic Park films, and all of the Indiana Jones films.
Williams has also worked with many directors outside of Spielberg, adding to his lexicon of quintessential film scores. This includes the first three Harry Potter films, the first two Home Alone films, and Superman. Then of course, there is his legendary soundtrack from Star Wars. Williams composed the music for all nine Skywalker Saga films, and his soundtrack from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is considered by the American Film Institute and many others to be the greatest film score ever made.
A behind-the-scenes look at Williams' work on The Fabelmans can be seen below: