DVD Release DateJohn Williams discusses retirement plans, remains open to future composing opportunities

John Williams discusses retirement plans, remains open to future composing opportunities

  • John Williams is not retiring just yet and is open to working on additional projects if they interest him and fit his schedule.
  • The composer is excited to see how cinema will continue to contribute to the development of new music.
  • Williams has been nominated for over 50 Oscars and won a total of five Academy Awards for his work in the industry.

Despite announcements that John Williams would retire after scoring Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the 91-year-old composer has made it clear that he is not yet done with his career. In an interview with The Times newspaper, he expressed, “If a film came along that I was greatly interested in, with a schedule that I could cope with, then I wouldn’t want to rule anything out… I like to keep an open mind.”

When the opportunity arose for Williams to collaborate with Steven Spielberg again on The Fabelmans, he was nominated once more for an Oscar and could not refuse his long-time colleague. Williams is also known for his iconic scores in films such as Superman: The Movie (1978) and Jaws (1975), and he discusses the changing value of music both commercially and artistically in the same interview:

“I’d love to come back in 50 years’ time and see what cinema is contributing to the development of new music, because I think young composers will want to work across both.”

Over John Williams’ 65-year career, he has composed music for a wide range of projects, including television series Gilligan’s Island, the 1979 remake of Dracula, and the famous twist in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back. Reflecting on his adaptability and composing style, Williams says: “Somewhere in all of my film scores there must be some kind of ‘me.’ But I leave that to others to identify.”

With more than 50 Oscar nominations and five Academy Award wins to his name, it remains to be seen if John Williams has more masterpieces up his sleeve.