John Williams Reunites with Steven Spielberg to Score Upcoming UFO Movie - Their 30th Film Together
There are few creative partnerships in Hollywood as legendary as John Williams and Steven Spielberg. The duo behind some of cinema’s most iconic moments from Jaws to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is coming together once again.
Williams is officially confirmed to score Spielberg’s next movie, a mysterious UFO-themed adventure that will hit theaters in 2026. This marks their 30th collaboration across five decades of movie magic.
The news came from Damian Woetzel, president of The Juilliard School, during an event titled “John Williams – A Composer’s Life: A Night of Stories and Music.” Woetzel shared, “John Williams, who is in Los Angeles doing what he does, […] is working with Steven Spielberg on the next movie. And that is something to be happy about,” according to journalist Doug Adams.
Williams and Spielberg’s artistic bond began in 1974 with The Sugarland Express, kicking off a creative partnership that has defined modern filmmaking. From the shark-infested terror of Jaws and the wonder of E.T. to the epicness of Jurassic Park, and the emotional weight of Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Lincoln, their collaboration has given audiences some of the most memorable scores in film history.
At 93, Williams had once hinted that his work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny might be his last. In a 2022 interview with the Associated Press, he said, “Harrison Ford — who’s quite a bit younger than I am — has announced [it] will be his last film. So, I thought: If Harrison can do it, then perhaps I can, also.”
But retirement just doesn’t seem to fit a composer whose music practically is the sound of cinema. Williams later clarified: “I don’t care much for grand pronunciamentos, statements that are firm and finished and surrounded by closed doors. If I made one without putting it in context then I withdraw it.”
Spielberg’s upcoming film, currently untitled, is being described as a “new original event film” by Universal Pictures. While plot details remain tightly under wraps, it’s said to center around UFOs and boasts a great cast that includes Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, and Eve Hewson.
The screenplay is written by David Koepp, a longtime Spielberg collaborator whose credits include Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Williams and Spielberg working together again is reason enough for film fans to celebrate. Their partnership has shaped the emotional core of modern storytelling, and if their past 29 films are any indication, this UFO adventure is bound to deliver something special.