On a recent Thursday afternoon, a significant event unfolded at the historic Sony lot in Culver City, previously known as the MGM lot during the mesmerizing Golden Age of Hollywood. The studio site was preparing to honor the iconic film composer, John Williams, by renaming its musical building after him.
The Man of the Hour: John Williams
Williams, the impressive nonagenarian renowned for his iconic scores of Star Wars and 29 Steven Spielberg films, was present to witness the renaming. Williams has worked on 20 Spielberg movies in this very structure, which will now bear his name. It was a reunion for many with the likes of Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, film producer duo Frank Marshall and Kristie Macosko Krieger, and fellow composer Thomas Newman gracing the event.
Tony Vinciquerra, the chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment enlivened the occasion by acknowledging the magical artistry that this building bore witness to. Tom Rothman, the chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, lauded Williams as the unequivocal GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in the realm of film scoring.
“There is no argument: John Williams is the GOAT. I’m very sure that 100 years from now the name that will go on this building today will still be the name of the greatest of all time.”
J.J. Abrams too, paid tribute to Williams, expressing the collective fortunate fate of living in an era cohabited by the maestro.
Spielberg’s Ode to an Old Friend
It was then Spielberg’s turn to celebrate his long-time collaborator. Spielberg reminisced about the times idled, familiarizing himself with the genius that was synonymous with John Williams. Their relationship began in 1974, dating back to Spielberg’s feature directorial debut, The Sugarland Express, and has remained strong ever since.
“What you did for me was something I had never been able to imagine any single creative collaborator would ever be able to do for me or the stories I was telling, and that is when I thought I’d gotten to know a film really well, by the time I turned my films over to you, I knew what my movies were, I knew what they meant to me. Then you would musically do the final draft of my films, the final rewrite, and you would bring every movie I’ve ever made to a level that I didn’t recognize it as me, I recognized it as us.”
In a picturesque moment, the veil lifted from the building, revealing the new name in bold letters.
Williams Responds with Humor and Hope
Williams, stepping up to the podium, lightened the moment, jesting about the simultaneous stress and de-stress that this alley evoked in him and Spielberg. He took a trip down memory lane, sharing his very first memory of stepping into this studio as a 10-year-old boy.
Finally, he offered a noteworthy message to future artists gracing the halls, underscoring the responsibility of creating music that echoes the excellence of compositions conceived in the last century.
“My hope and even prayer for this hall and for future people coming into it is a hope and it’s also a challenge: that they should do as well the next 100 years as the people who have been here for the last 100 years. They need to get to work and make some good music.”
The Hits Keep Coming at John Williams Music Building
As the guests retired to a buffet lunch, the John Williams Music Building was already alive with the sounds of a new score. Oscar-winning composer Dario Marianelli was conducting a full orchestra for the upcoming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, under the watchful eyes of director Gil Kenan.
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