Should John Williams do a score for future Bond film?

GordoLeiter · July 2012

I was pondering on this yesterday while i watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, im suprised that John Williams was never given the chance to do a Bond movie score. I think a 007 film with a Williams style soundtrack would be interesting, no offence to Barry fans but he could be the next John Barry if given the chance.

001 · August 2012

Could be very interesting. Would definitely take Bond back to the "bombastic" days of old. I could see this being a potentially good idea.
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Golrush007 · August 2012

Well, John Williams is a great composer. If I was forced to choose between John Barry and John Williams, I would have to say that Williams is the greater composer. I think his work today shines even more amidst the mediocrity that composer's like Hans Zimmer churn out.

So, given that Williams is such a fine composer, I'm sure that he could do a superb score for a Bond film. I suspect it would be a very different Bond score, and that it would have a greater level of classical style and complex compositions etc. I thought his music for Tintin was fantastic.

I doubt that a Williams Bond score would ever happen, but it is an intriguing thought to ponder.

Thunderpussy · August 2012

J Williams is good But there is the Old joke that if you played
superman,Raiders and Star wars mixed together you couldn't tell
the difference,
He has a very distinctive sound which INHO wouldn't suit the
Bond series.

Rainier Wolfcastle · August 2012

Thunderpussy wrote:

J Williams is good

Quite an understatement - John Williams is the best.
The scope of his works is far beyond the bombastic Star Wars-style soundtracks for which he is most famous. Just think of Jaws (or not as well known: Poseidon Adventure and Presumed Innocent), you wouldn't confuse this with Superman or Raiders.

If you take John Barry's score for Scarlet Letter you could also think that this is from his Dances with Wolves score. Or a track from Dr. No that sounds just like from The Black Hole.

I think Williams would not want to include the James Bond theme much in his own score so it is perhaps better that he never did a Bond film. Given his age of 82 I have to doubt that "he could be the next John Barry."

Thunderpussy · August 2012

I'll bow to your surerior knowledge of Music.

BIG TAM · August 2012

John Williams is an exceptional composer. He may actually find the process of scoring a Bond easier than most having worked on a film series before. His scores for the Indiana Jones films are each subtly different but at the same time contain indelible trademarks which link them. Such is the case with the Bonds. I'd say it's a difficult job & one that may well be undervalued within the film community.
A composer, like any part of the Bond creative team has to adhere to a roster of rules. The shackles have been loosened a bit in recent times but any composer who works on a Bond faces the unenviable task of balancing their own creativity with certain expectations. The ghost of John Barry looms large, so there's that 'sound' to contend with. Then there's the James Bond Theme itself. Iconic, immediately identifiable. Balls-up the arrangement & you've blundered. It's to David Arnold's credit he was able to deliver a recognisable Bond score for CASINO ROYALE without having to shoehorn the infamous theme in. Arnold's penchant for techno blips & beeps aside, he does seem to understand the requirements for these films & it's a shame he isn't onhand for SKYFALL. Thomas Newman is a terrific composer in his own right & it will interesting to see how he grapples with the requirements of this complex gig.

Napoleon Plural · August 2012

Williams might have worked for Skyfall, but he's another one who seems tied in with Spielberg, like Hitch was with Bernard Herrmann. There is a sense that he deals with more uplifting, emotional themes than Bond, Oscar-winning stuff. And wouldn't his fee be high?

GordoLeiter · August 2012

Just out of curiosity ive gone ahead and watched the ski chase scene from OHMSS on youtube muted with Duel of the Fates from SW Ep.1 playing over it and i must say Williams' style does fit with the Bond franchise

If any of you have Duel of the Fates on mp3 or whatever, give it a try yourself and you might agree with me

OHMSS ski scene : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrkerh77MYY

James Suzuki · August 2012

It works!! I watched the ski scene with the music

jasper_lamar_crabb · September 2012

John Williams is one of the greats, no doubt, and now sadly the unfortunate target of wannabe iconoclasts who don't know what they're talking about. I'd suggest listening to some of his 1970s scores such as Black Sunday and The Towering Inferno to get an idea of a suitable approach he could have taken with a Bond film. However, the man is now 80 years old and only works for Steven Spielberg so we'll never know what a Williams Bond score would be like.

Should John Williams do a score for future Bond film?

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