John Williams Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Jon Burlingame Music has always been an integral part of the “Star Wars” universe, dating back to the John Williams scores for the original movie trilogy. So will Emmy voters recognize one, two or all three of the recent “Star Wars” TV series in the scoring categories? Vying for consideration: the 12-part “Andor,” with music by Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated Nicholas Britell (“Succession”); the six-part “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” with a new theme by Williams and score by English composer Natalie Holt (“Loki”); and the eight-part third season of “The Mandalorian,” with music by Joseph Shirley. All aired on Disney+. Britell spent more than two years on “Andor,” the backstory of “Rogue One” hero Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), including several months creating music that was played on the set during filming – from the Time Grappler’s hammer-banging signals on Ferrix to the alien electronica in the clubs on Morlana and the amateur funeral band playing a dirge for Cassian’s mother in the finale.

first reactions on social media were more positive. Per usual for Cannes premieres it did receive ovations, but they were reserved for Harrison Ford himself rather than the James Mangold-directed film.

Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford swung into Cannes on Thursday for the world premiere of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in one of the most anticipated events of the French Riviera festival.

A.D. Amorosi Johan Lenox, Variety’s Hitmaker of the Month, is known for the supple grandeur he brings to different projects as a producer, arranger and/or composer. These range from the sublime, stringed swell of “Creepin’,” Metro Boomin’s current top 10 smash with the Weeknd and 21 Savage, to the epic orchestral and choral arrangements of Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” and Nas’ “Nasir” (both produced by Mike Dean), and tracks for Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes and Machine Gun Kelly. Lenox’s background is as a classical music prodigy (by 18, his compositions were heard at Boston’s Symphony Hall and New York’s Alice Tully Hall) and as a musical theater composer (his 2012 off-Broadway musical “Independents” was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick). But he exists in his own lane, one that’s expanded greatly with the release of solo projects such as his 2022 chamber-pop-hop vocal album debut, “WDYWTBWYGU.”

A pre-taped message from Harrison Ford introduced an extended action clip from Lucasfilms’ highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny during Disney’s CinemaCon presentation here in Las Vegas this morning. Said the veteran actor, “Hello CinemaCon! Playing Indiana Jones all these years has meant the world to me. (The movies) have adventure and heart — and for some reason snakes.” In a charming call back to the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ford added, “Why did it have to be snakes?”

Jurassic Park has been announced, marking 30 years since the release of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster.‘Jurassic Park In Concert’ is due to tour the UK, with John Williams’ score performed live by a full orchestra. The tour begins at the Manchester AO Arena on October 18, before continuing to the Birmingham Resorts World, Leeds First Direct Arena, Nottingham Motorpoint, and concluding at the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena on October 29.The tour follows a long line of Hollywood classics that have received the orchestral treatment, with the HD screening accompanied by a performance of Williams’ seminal score by the Hallé Orchestra, one of the UK’s top symphonic ensembles.The plot of Jurassic Park follows a group of scientists, invited to a newly opened theme park set on a remote island, with exhibits featuring recently revived dinosaurs after a scientific breakthrough.You can see full dates for the tour below.

Earlier this week Jurrasic Park fans were surprised with a full UK arena tour of the film 'in concert' and tickets go on sale today.

In total, Cannes Film Festival General Delegate Thierry Frémaux today announced 52 titles that will debut at the 76th edition which runs May 16-27 on the Riviera, and which he dedicated to the late producer and Telluride co-founder Tom Luddy. It’s set up to be yet another starry affair – though to outdo last year’s Top Gun: Maverick screening replete with French fighter jets buzzing the Palais would be a real feat.

Harrison Ford is back as Indiana Jones and returns to form in the newly released trailer!

Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock back in the hot seat. Johnny Depp, Disney and a bizarre UK government department called the Valuation Office Agency were in the international film and TV news this week. Make sure to sign up to the Insider newsletter by clicking here. Let’s go.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic According to legend, the chupacabra is a fearsome, blood-sucking beast — a lean and intimidating animal you wouldn’t want to come across feasting on your livestock at night. Not so the cub three kids nickname “Chupa” (Spanish for “sucker,” short for its species) in Mexican director Jonás Cuarón’s family-friendly Netflix movie. This one looks like a fuzzy-wuzzy baby lynx, with inquisitive amber eyes and a pair of awkward azure wings it still hasn’t learned how to use. A single glimpse of this oversized kitten and you’ll want one for your own, if not the plush version to snuggle up with at night. That’s a pretty radical reimagining of a mythical monster usually discussed in horror terms, but an inspired way to bring a sense of Amblin-esque wonder south of the border, attempting to do for a legendary Latin American creature what films like “E.T.” did for extra-terrestrials — which is to say, turn something typically perceived as a threat into everyone’s new fantasy best friend. Cuarón doesn’t exactly hide his influences here, paying overt homage to Steven Spielberg throughout. He even goes so far as to tack a “Jurassic Park” poster on the wall of 13-year-old Alex’s (Evan Whitten) all-American bedroom.

The Cannes Film Festival has confirmed that it will announce the Official Selection for its 76th edition on April 13 in Paris.

Cannes has confirmed that Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny will get its world premiere on May 18 at the festival.

Hello, and welcome to Oscars Sunday on Deadline. Tonight we gather as another lengthy awards season draws to a close, and what a bizarre season it has been. Before the year started, who would’ve thought a pic like A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, a scrappy sci-fi comedy adventure about an Asian-American family, would go from outside underdog to odds-on front-runner? The film debuted last year out at SXSW but has stuck around, charming its way onto screens across the world and picking up top honors from all four major guilds — a sweep only four other films have ever achieved. But can it win Best Picture? That’s perhaps the biggest question still at play this evening.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic paid tribute to the music of iconic composer John Williams with a program dedicated to his timeless scores. And they turned The Smith Center into an interactive experience! Not just through music! Thrilling!

Jon Burlingame editor In what may be the most difficult-to-predict score competition in years, the original-music Oscar could go to a sentimental favorite, a past nominee or the newcomer to the race. Academy members begin voting today. Legendary composer John Williams broke records again by becoming the most nominated living person (53 nominations, winning five), earning the highest number of nominations ever in the music categories, and (it is believed, per the Academy) becoming the oldest nominee ever for a competitive award. He is 91. His nomination for “The Fabelmans” surprised some outsiders, as his fairly spare score is often overshadowed by the several classical pieces performed by Mitzi (Michelle Williams), the character based on director Steven Spielberg’s piano-playing mom. But it passed the 35% rule — that is, more than a third of the total musical content must be original dramatic score — or it would have been disqualified by the Academy’s strict music-branch executive committee.

Jon Burlingame editor “The Fabelmans” music is up for an Oscar and the score for “Indiana Jones 5” is completed, but 91-year-old John Williams is far from retired. He is mulling new concert works for leading classical soloists and preparing for a series of conducting gigs in the coming months that will take him from Chicago to Tokyo. Williams celebrated his birthday on Feb. 8 quietly, just dinner with his wife and daughter, he tells Variety in a rare interview. “When you finally get to be 90, you think, ‘This is great, I made it.’ It’s wonderful. I recommend it to everybody.” Nonagenarian status hasn’t slowed down the five-time Academy Award winner, who is on his 53rd Oscar nomination for Steven Spielberg’s film about his childhood and the trauma of his parents’ divorce. It’s their 29th film together, and three of his five Oscars are for Spielberg films (“Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Schindler’s List”).

Steven Spielberg has said the final scene in Schindler’s List, where holocaust survivors visit the grave of Oskar Schindler, was a late addition to the pic and was his way of making sure audiences knew the film’s story was based on real-life facts.

also include some history-making firsts worthy of celebration. While Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett are breaking ground in the acting categories, RRR is bringing Indian representation to a stacked list of contenders for best original song.Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian-identifying woman to be nominated in the best actress category for her starring role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical feature The Fabelmans earned a number of Oscar nominations this morning, including one for Spielberg’s longtime collaborator, composer John Williams, and one for veteran actor Judd Hirsch, who plays Boris, a fictionalized version of Spielberg’s great uncle in the movie.

The 2023 Oscar nominations for Best Original Score and Best Original Song have been announced. The 95th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Rihanna and Mitski have earned their first Academy Award nomination, with Rih's “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and "This Is A Life," a song co-written by Mitski, David Byrne, and Ryan Lott, up for Best Original Song at this year’s Oscars.

Cue the menacing tuba. And the Imperial March. And the rousing Indiana Jones theme. Five-time Oscar-winning composer John Williams is getting the feature documentary treatment, and his half-century collaborator is among those wielding the baton.

Last summer, legendary composer John Williams said his score for the upcoming “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” would be the last of his storied career. Now it appears he spoke too soon.

While original adult films haven’t been faring well at the box office of late in the shadow of tentpoles, the one week Thanksgiving sneak preview of Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery looks to change the tide in its short run before hitting the service on Dec. 23.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope, Ubisoft has shared a track from the game with NME – which you can listen to below.‘Icy Battle Ballet’ was created by composer Grant Kirkhope for Sparks Of Hope, and you can listen to the track below:Speaking to NME, Kirkhope shared that he was “super happy” with how ‘Icy Battle Ballet’ turned out and described it as “my kind of John Williams, Home Alone-y thing.”“Mostly I’ve drawn from John Williams, just because he’s a legend – I can’t hope to ever get to his level of utter brilliance, but if I can get one per cent of it then I’ll be happy,” continued Kirkhope. “I was just trying to find something that was light, wintery and bouncy.

Jon Burlingame editor The centennial of Henry Mancini, composer of “The Pink Panther,” “Moon River” and other movie songs, isn’t until 2024. But the celebration began on Thursday when an all-star parade of Oscar, Emmy and Grammy-winning musicians got together to re-record one of his most famous works: “Peter Gunn.” With legendary composers John Williams and Herbie Hancock on keyboards, jazz great Arturo Sandoval on trumpet and music mogul Quincy Jones conducting an 18-piece band of L.A. session players, Mancini’s 1958 TV theme rocked the Warner Bros. scoring stage all afternoon. It was old home week for many, who seemingly spent half the three-hour session embracing, laughing and snapping photos. Williams and Jones called each other “Q” and “John T.,” the nicknames they had when the two were toiling side-by-side at Universal Television in the 1960s, before each started collecting Oscars and Grammys for their work in films and records.

Shalini Dore Features News Editor The annual L.A. Phil Gala saluted composer John Williams on his 90th birthday Tuesday with the maestro conducting the orchestra on his “Violin Concerto No. 5.” Anne-Sophie Mutter made the violin sing as she performed on the premiere of his new piece. In his opening remarks on stage for the event, which marks the fall season opening for Walt Disney Concert Hall, L.A. Phil conductor Gustavo Dudamel said, “We have the chance tonight to celebrate one of the greatest composers of all time. His name is John Williams. He is a very special part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic family. His music for films transcends, it is in the big symphonic world like Mahler [and others].”

Jon Burlingame editor Writing new music for the “Star Wars” universe would be daunting for any composer, considering its iconic scores by the legendary John Williams. Luckily for “Andor” composer Nicholas Britell, writer-producer Tony Gilroy and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy gave him “total freedom” to imagine a new, totally unique soundscape for the backstory of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the rebel spy first encountered in the 2016 film “Rogue One.” So, unlike “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the “Star Wars” series for which Williams wrote a new theme earlier this year, there isn’t a note of Williams music in “Andor,” which launched a 12-episode run last Wednesday on Disney+.

British actor’s death from pancreatic cancer, excerpts from his journals are set to be published in a book titled “Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman.”In the book — out Oct. 4 — Rickman noted how he wanted to leave the wizarding franchise after the release of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” back in 2002.Rickman went on to play the part in six subsequent films in the series, ending in 2011.Parts of the diary were published recently by the Guardian. In an entry dated Dec.

Queen Elizabeth II before her death.According to a new report in The Daily Mail, Williams – who has scored countless films in a long and distinguished career, most notably Star Wars – was on a list approved by the queen to be honoured with a KBE for his role in improving UK-US relations.Also on the list, according to the report, is former Disney chief executive Robert Iger. Despite the knighthoods, the pair won’t receive the title of ‘Sir’, an honour that is reserved for British nationals.The news comes as Williams, who is also behind the film scores for Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and more, revealed that he is set to retire from scoring films after completing his work on the upcoming Indiana Jones 5.In an interview with Associated Press, Williams, 90, revealed, “At the moment I’m working on Indiana Jones 5, which Harrison Ford – who’s quite a bit younger than I am – I think has announced will be his last film.“So, I thought: If Harrison can do it, then perhaps I can, also.”AP notes that Ford has yet to make such a public statement.

decorated as an Honorary Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, who approved the award prior to her death.The honorary award given to recipients who are not U.K. citizens is the second-highest rank in the order and is designated for individuals who have made “a pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity,” per the Honours’ website.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Former Disney chairman-CEO Bob Iger and renowned film composer John Williams were selected for 2022 Honorary KBE laurels by Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K. government disclosed this week. The Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire kudos for Iger and Williams were part of a number of honorary awards for foreign nationals that were approved for 2022 by the beloved monarch, who died Sept. 8 at age 96 after an historic reign. Iger was cited for “services to the UK/US relations,” presumably referring to his long run as a top Disney executive and the company’s notable presence in the global content business and U.K.-based film, TV and stage production. Williams, a five-time Oscar winner and an accomplished conductor, was cited for his many years of “services to film music.”

Star Wars composer John Williams is reported to have been made one of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s very last knights, with the honour one of the final awards approved by the late monarch before her death a fortnight ago.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor With Oscar season fully underway following the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals, buzz is building for the latest offerings from marquee filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Darren Aronofsky,Sarah Polley and Alejandro G. Iñárritu. But behind the scenes, look for leading artisans to also be recognized for their work on high-profile contenders; within the film community, these names have become as renowned as the directors and A-listers with whom they work. Here are some titans of the crafts who could add a nomination and even an Oscar win to their résumés when the Academy Awards are dispensed in March. Catherine MartinProduction designer“Elvis”

Clayton Davis Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday. LAST UPDATED: Sept. 22, 2022 CATEGORY COMMENTARY: Composer John Williams is a legend in every facet of the music world. Aside from winning 25 Grammys and five Oscars, he is undoubtedly the most important musical artist living today. Tapped for Steven Spielberg’s personal semi-autobiographical film “The Fabelmans,” he adds another great composition to his already impressive resume. If nominated, at 90 years old he would surpass costume designer Ann Roth and documentarian Agnes Varda as the oldest nominee, of any competitive Oscar category, in history.

Gregg Goldstein The last time Fred Hechinger was in Toronto, he came to see a film that left his acting on the cutting room floor. Six years later, in one of several full-circle moments, the breakout star of HBO’s “The White Lotus” and Sony/Marvel’s upcoming Spider-Man Universe entry “Kraven the Hunter” returns with the Sept. 9 Gala premiere of “Butcher’s Crossing,” his first lead role in a feature. “It was my first time going to a festival to see something that I was a part of,” the actor recalls. “I was working behind the scenes on [the romantic drama] ‘Tramps,’ they put me in one scene and I got cut, but it was technically the first thing I’ve ever acted in.” Yet that trip ignited a bizarre series of events that helped launch his career. “To connect a lot of crazy dots, the next morning I saw the first [TIFF] screening of ‘Moonlight’ and a Q&A with Barry Jenkins.” When the director hired him years later for the 2021 Amazon Prime miniseries “The Underground Railroad,” Hechinger read some revivalist western novels on set for research … including John Williams’ 1960 book, “Butcher’s Crossing.”