John Williams Is Likely To Retire From Film Scores After Indiana Jones 5
After more than six decades and an immeasurable amount of influence over cinema, it appears as though John Williams, the composer behind "Jaws," the "Star Wars" saga and so many other classics, is getting ready to retire. Not that Williams is walking away from music entirely but, after wrapping up work on "Indiana Jones 5," it appears as though the Oscar winner is no longer going to be working on film scores, thus putting a cap on an absolutely remarkable career.
In an interview with AP News, Williams revealed that "Indiana Jones 5," which is directed by James Mangold and will once again see Harrison Ford returning as the title hero, is likely to be his last film. And, if the man is to be believed, it seems like Ford may be getting ready to pack it in as well, which actually may have inspired his decision.
"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... I don't want to be seen as categorically eliminating any activity. I can't play tennis, but I like to be able to believe that maybe one day I will."
Speaking a little bit further, Williams explained that a score for a big film such as "Star Wars" can take up to six months and, at 90 years old, that is a huge commitment. On that note, he added that amount of time "at this point in life is a long commitment to me."
'It's given me my life'
It is difficult to quantify the importance of Williams' work. He is one of few composers virtually everyone knows by name and, even if you don't know his name, you know his work. It's hard to imagine anyone who can't hum that theme from "Jaws" or can't recall the "Jurassic Park" theme. Not to mention the "Superman" theme or any number of other all-time classics he's got his name attached to.
Aside from the hundreds of credits to his name, he has won six Oscars and has been nominated for a staggering 52 overall. One simply cannot write the history of Hollywood without Williams. And he would probably compose the score for that undertaking, honestly. Speaking a bit more broadly about his career, Williams waxed poetic about the nature of music in general.
"It's given me the ability to breathe, the ability to live and understand that there's more to corporal life. Without being religious, which I'm not especially, there is a spiritual life, an artistic life, a realm that's above the mundanities of everyday realities. Music can raise one's thinking to the level of poetry. We can reflect on how necessary music has been for humanity. I always like to speculate that music is older than language, that we were probably beating drums and blowing on reeds before we could speak. So it's an essential part of our humanity. It's given me my life."
If anyone has earned the right to retire, it is Williams though, it perhaps goes without saying, he will be missed in this arena.
"Indiana Jones 5" is currently set to hit theaters on June 30, 2023.