Music by John Williams

In the film music world, it’s fair to say there isn’t a greater living legend than John Williams; his scores have graced movie theatres across almost seven decades (from 1958’s Daddy-O to 2024’s Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny). It only takes a couple of notes for Williams to weave magic from thin air—evidenced by the famous semitone motif for Jaws that plays about eleven seconds into the trailer.

Next, we’re treated to the fanfare to Star Wars—an iconic theme if there ever was one, since 1977’s A New Hope. The bombastic fanfare styling and yet majestic through line of the melody would be a staple of Williams’ composing. Throughout, quotes from the directors he’s worked with—first and foremost, Steven Spielberg, but also others—give colour to Williams’ own thoughts about his work. It’s clear throughout that the composer/director dynamic is paramount, as has historically been and continues to be the case in many instances: Danny Elfman and Tim Burton are just one easy, relatively recent example that comes to mind.

The latter half of the trailer uses another heavy hitter, the main theme from 1994’s Jurassic Park—another prime example of the aforementioned majestic fanfare style. The talking heads vary a bit here, with Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin making a brief appearance, which suggests through association just how much Williams has broken through and become popular not just among film buffs, but with a broad, general audience.

Indeed, it’s probably true that if most people were asked to name a film composer, they probably will come up with John Williams (and be hard-pressed to name anyone else). Still, it’s prudent that the trailer editors would elect to use the most popular themes Williams has ever made—Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Jaws—likely squaring that with the criterion that they ought to sound triumphant, celebratory, and even jubilant. After all, the film is a celebration of Williams’ career.

There isn’t a whole lot of clever or decisive editing in terms of synch points or anything of the kind, which definitely isn’t the point; instead, Williams’ themes are simply permitted to play as they are, simple and to the point.

Music by John Williams arrives on Disney Plus November 1st.

— Curtis Perry