First Trailer Released for Major New John Williams Documentary on Disney+

"Music by John Williams" will be available to stream from November 1, 2024

A major new documentary on the life and work of the renowned film music composer John Williams is set to be released for streaming on the platform Disney+ on November 1, 2024.

Titled Music by John Williams, the documentary is ambitious in scope, tracing the entirety of Williams' career and covering many of his most iconic scores. It will also feature extensive interviews with the composer.

The first trailer for the documentary has now been released, and as well as interviews with Williams himself, it teases extensive interviews with director Steven Spielberg, who has collaborated with Williams on a staggering 29 films.

According to its tagline, Music By John Williams "offers a fascinating and insightful look at the prolific life and career of the legendary composer. From his early days as a jazz pianist to his Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy wins, the documentary takes an in-depth look at Williams’ countless contributions to film, including many iconic franchises, in addition to his music for the concert stage and his impact on popular culture."

“The first thing I played for Steven on this piano was [the Jaws Main Title theme]; I played that for him and he said, ‘What is that? What are you going to do with that?’" Williams said in the trailer.

"The greatest way to demonstrate how much music affects movies [is to] play it absolutely with no music at all," said Steven Spielberg. "And then, go back and do the whole scene again, with all the cues, and you’ll recognize the absolute brilliance of John Williams."

You can view the full trailer below.