Written by Peter Burditt
Videos by American Songwriter
John Williams, the 91-year-old film composer, made a surprise visit at the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (June 14).
Prior to Williams’ reveal, Steven Spielberg, who has worked with Williams on 27 of his films, praised the composer as “the person who is the glue to all five of these films, who gave us all of our rhythm and all of our melody” quote via (Far Out). Following that statement, the Oscar-winning composer showed up in a grandiose fashion as he was accompanied by a full-sized orchestra that then went into conducting the iconic theme song from the series.
Williams and Spielberg’s relationship goes back nearly 50 years, as the two first collaborated in 1974. The pair most recently teamed in 2022 on Spielberg’s film The Fablemans, in which Williams was nominated for Best Original Score at the Oscars. Williams’ nomination made him the oldest person to be nominated for an Academy Award. According to Deadline, Spielberg plans to make a feature film about Williams’s life, work, and influence on cinematic scoring.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny marks the first time Spielberg is not directing an Indiana Jones film. James Mangold serves as a director while Spielberg still serves as executive producer on the project alongside longtime partner George Lucas.
The trailer for the film includes a remix of the franchise’s notorious theme song composed by Williams, as well as an old and digitally-enhanced younger version of Harrison Ford. The trailer also showcases a cast of new actors, such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Mads Mikelson (Casino Royale), and Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger).
Between the star-studded cast and ornate production, the film is the most expensive the series has ever made, with a budget of $300 million. Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny will hit theaters on June 30.
(Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images)
