John Williams Replaced on Spielberg's BRIDGE OF SPIES, Will Score THE BFG

Not too long ago, I wrote about how Steven Spielberg's Cold War spy thriller was titled Bridge of Spies, and that his longtime collaborator John Williams would be providing the score for the movie. Today, Disney and DreamWorks sent over a press release confirming the title, but now there's a bit of bad news for fans of Williams' music (and who isn't a John Williams fan?): the composer has been replaced by Thomas Newman "as John Williams’ schedule was interrupted and he was unavailable to score the film due to a minor health issue, now corrected."

I'm glad to hear that Williams is OK, but it's sort of a bummer that he won't be able to put his spin on the sound of Spielberg's newest movie. I was looking forward to hearing his take on the 60s-set spy genre, but as far as replacements go, getting a 12-time Oscar nominee like Newman to take over isn't half bad. And there's still some good news to come out of this: the release says that Williams will return to score Spielberg's next movie, The BFG, so it sounds like he thankfully really has recovered from that health issue after all. Bridge of Spies stars Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, and Alan Alda, and opens in theaters on October 16th. Here's the official synopsis, followed by a new image from the film:

A dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of a series of historic events, “Bridge of Spies” tells the story of James Donovan (Hanks), a Brooklyn lawyer who finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the near-impossible task to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot. Screenwriters Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen have woven this remarkable experience in Donovan’s life into a story inspired by true events that captures the essence of a man who risked everything and vividly brings his personal journey to life.