The John Williams Documentary Now Has a Release Date and Trailer, and We’re Already Emotional

Music by John Williams will be on Disney+ and in select theaters November 1.

There are a lot of potentially great movies coming out before the end of 2024 but here’s the one we’re the most excited about. Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and many others have teamed up with director Laurent Bouzereau to make a documentary about the best film composer ever, John Williams, and your first look is finally here. The film is called Music by John Williams and it’ll be released on Disney+ November 1, along with a limited theatrical release in New York, Los Angeles, and London on the same day. The news came along with the release of the film’s first trailer, which you can watch below. But fair warning. Get ready to feel goosebumps at your desk or wherever you’re reading this. Disney describes the film as follows: “From his early days as a jazz pianist to his 54 Oscar nominations and five wins, the documentary takes an in-depth look at Williams’ countless contributions to film, including many iconic franchises, as well as his music for the concert stage and his impact on popular culture. The film features interviews with artists and filmmakers whose lives have been touched by his timeless music.” There are so many things that are exciting about all of this. Having a new movie entirely filled with Williams’ music is one. Seeing the people in the trailer, and surely many others, explain what Williams means to them is another. Hearing from his family about what impact his type of musical genius had on them is yet another. And who isn’t excited by some of the vintage footage in there? Hopefully, there’s much, much more. The director, Laurent Bouzereau, is best known for his behind-the-scenes work on many of Steven Spielberg’s films. For example, he directed the recent Harrison Ford documentary you can still see on Disney+. What that means is the access is absolutely unprecedented, but also maybe things are a tiny bit sugar-coated. Which could be a knock in some cases but specifically in the case of Williams, I’m fine with it. It’s just exciting that we’ll have this love letter to him to enjoy from now until forever. One other thing to mention is the footage of Williams on stage with fellow conductor Gustavo Dudamel—the scenes with all the lightsabers and Williams wearing white. That footage was taken at the Hollywood Bowl (we’re guessing in 2023) where Williams has been performing his music annually for decades. This year, however, the maestro wasn’t up to it physically so the performance happened without him. It was incredibly sad. Hopefully, he’s back in 2025 but, at the age of 92, there’s a chance the film may have captured his last time at the Bowl. See? We’re already getting emotional and we haven’t even seen the movie yet. Music by John Williams is out November 1. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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