Music By John Williams premieres on Disney Plus on 1st November, allowing the world a glimpse into the creative process of the maestro, and on Wednesday 23rd October the documentary from Lucasfilm Ltd, Amblin Documentaries, and Imagine Documentaries premiered on the opening night of AFI FEST, and many of Williams collaborators were present. Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and J.J. Abrams were there, and Abrams remembered his time working with the living legend.
Director J.J. Abrams and Williams collaborated on Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and later Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), a partnership that introduced Star Wars to a new generation. “Whether you know his music or you didn’t realize you know his music — and I think that those are the only two categories that exist — seeing this story, how he works, the compassion and heart that he has, the way he shares that with the orchestra, is so incredible,” Abrams said. “There’s nothing about him and what he does that doesn’t blow my mind. He’s just unreal. And it’s great to get a peek behind the curtain [and get] a sense of the man behind these incredible scores.” For Abrams, Williams brings a stunning humility to every film. “He’s the most humble person,” Abrams continued. “It’s as if he hasn’t read his own resumé. He’s just so good, but talks to you as if he’s just starting.”
We’ll be sure to review Music By John Williams once it arrives on Friday 1st November, and discuss it on our numerous podcasts including Desert Planet Discs, Making Tracks and on Sunday night on Good Morning Tatooine.