Williams, 93, to score Spielberg's 2026 UFO film

John Williams, the 93-year-old legendary composer, is reuniting with Steven Spielberg to score the director's upcoming untitled UFO film, marking their 30th collaboration over a career spanning more than 50 years.screenrant+2
The news was confirmed by Damian Woetzel, president of the Juilliard School, during a recent event where he revealed that Williams is currently in Los Angeles working with Spielberg on the project.screenrant+2
Williams had previously hinted at retirement after scoring Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023, but later walked back his comments, saying he wouldn't rule anything out if the right film came along.gizmodo+1
The mysterious science-fiction film is written by David Koepp, who previously collaborated with Spielberg on Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and other films, and stars Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor, with a theatrical release scheduled for June 12, 2026 through Universal Pictures.gizmodo+1
Williams, who has been nominated for 54 Academy Awards and won five, previously scored iconic Spielberg films including Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.ign+1

Legendary composer John Williams, 93, has emerged from retirement to collaborate with Steven Spielberg on the director's mysterious UFO film, marking their 30th cinematic partnership in a career spanning over five decades.

The confirmation came during a Juilliard School event titled "John Williams — A Composer's Life: A Night of Stories and Music" on Monday evening, where Juilliard president Damian Woetzel revealed that Williams "is in Los Angeles doing what he does: he is working with Steven Spielberg on the next movie".screenrant+3

A Partnership That Defied Retirement

Williams had suggested in 2022 that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would be his final film score, citing Harrison Ford's own franchise retirement. However, the composer later softened his stance, stating, "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. Everything is possible".ign+3

The untitled Universal Pictures production reunites Spielberg with longtime screenwriter David Koepp, who previously penned Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell.ign+5

Return to Classic Spielberg Territory

Principal photography wrapped in late May 2025, with the film operating under the working title "Non-View". The project marks Spielberg's return to science fiction territory, where his collaborations with Williams have produced some of cinema's most memorable scores, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park.syfy+2

Williams, who holds the record for most Oscar nominations by a living person with 54 nods and five wins, began his collaboration with Spielberg in 1974 with The Sugarland Express. The composer's work on Spielberg films has earned 17 of those nominations, including wins for Jaws, E.T., and Schindler's List.ign+2

Universal Pictures has scheduled the untitled UFO film for theatrical release on June 12, 2026.screenrant+2

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