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Music by John Williams

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about a documentary film on John Williams. For his discography, see John Williams discography.
Music by John Williams
Film poster
Directed byLaurent Bouzereau
Produced bySara Bernstein
Laurent Bouzereau
Justin Falvey
Darryl Frank
Brian Grazer
Ron Howard
Meredith Kaulfers
Kathleen Kennedy
Frank Marshall
Steven Spielberg
Justin Wilkes
StarringJohn Williams
CinematographyToby Thiermann
Edited bySierra Neal
David Palmer
Jason Summers
Music byJohn Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byDisney+
Release dates
  • October 23, 2024 (2024-10-23) (AFI Fest)[1]
  • November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01)[1]
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Music by John Williams is a 2024 American documentary film about the composer and conductor John Williams, produced and directed by Laurent Bouzereau.

Background and synopsis

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The film explores the life and career of John Williams. Williams composed music for many films throughout his career, including the Star Wars series, the Indiana Jones series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The film contains interviews with many of the directors and cast members Williams has collaborated with, including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ron Howard, Chris Columbus, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Kathleen Kennedy, Itzhak Perlman, and J. J. Abrams.

Release

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Interviews given at the film's premiere

Music by John Williams opened the 2024 AFI Fest on October 23. It was given a limited release and premiered on Disney+ on November 1.[1][2][3]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 48 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "A warm retrospective on a modern master, this documentary is a symphonic treat for anyone who loves music in the movies -- or just plain great music."[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[5]

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "It is not a documentary so much as a tribute, a tool for fans designed to celebrate Williams' legacy without getting too personal or technical in the process."[6]

Matt Goldberg of TheWrap wrote, "While I wish the film got more into the weeds of where Williams and his work exists in comparison to those who preceded and those who followed him, this is still the kind of inoffensive celebratory piece that will have you eager to revisit his most beloved scores while gaining a bit more insight into their creation."[7]

Accolades

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Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program Dmitri Makarov, Tim Farrell, Richard Gould, and Ramiro Belgardt Won [8]
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program Roy Waldspurger, Christopher Barnett, and Noah Alexander Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c "'Music by John Williams' Trailer: Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard Produce Documentary on Iconic 'Star Wars' and 'Jurassic Park' Composer". IndieWire. October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "Wonderful Trailer for Disney+ Documentary 'Music By John Williams'". First Showing. October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "'Music by John Williams' celebrates the extraordinary legacy of the legendary composer". ABC7. October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "Music by John Williams". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  5. ^ "Music by John Williams". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  6. ^ Debruge, Peter (October 23, 2024). "'Music by John Williams' Review: Steven Spielberg and Friends Pay Rapturous Tribute to the Master Composer". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  7. ^ Goldberg, Matt (October 23, 2024). "'Music by John Williams' Review: An Unabashed Celebration of One of Cinema's Greatest Composers". TheWrap. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  8. ^ "Music By John Williams". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  9. ^ a b Hammond, Pete (October 14, 2024). "'Sugarcane', 'Super/Man', 'Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  10. ^ Lewis, Hilary (November 10, 2024). "Critics Choice Documentary Awards: 'Super/Man' and 'Will & Harper' Tie for Best Feature". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Victorian, Brande (February 22, 2025). "Cinema Audio Society Awards: 'A Complete Unknown,' 'The Wild Robot' Among Film Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  12. ^ "68th Annual Grammy Awards".
  13. ^ "Grammy Awards 2026: Full Winners List".
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