‘Phantom Thread’ director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood have called for some of the 2017 film’s music to be removed from the controversial documentary ‘Melania.’ Greenwood wrote the score for “Phantom Thread.”
In a statement obtained by Variety from Greenwood’s representatives, the pair said: “We have learned that Phantom Thread’s music is being used in the ‘Melania’ documentary.” “Although Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright to the score, Universal did not consult Jonny about this third-party use, which was a violation of his composer agreement. As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson requested that the song be removed from the documentary.”
The Brett Ratner-directed documentary, which is ostensibly an intimate look at the first lady but whose final details remain unclear, has grossed $13.35 million domestically in its two weeks of release, a remarkable number for a documentary that isn’t about nature or music.
But “Melania” cost more than any other documentary in history. Amazon MGM spent a staggering amount of money, acquiring the film and its accompanying streaming documentary series for $40 million, plus an additional $35 million in theatrical marketing costs. This is an unprecedented cost, given that documentaries are not traditionally big box office drivers.
Amazon MGM’s huge spending has led industry observers to speculate that the document may be an attempt by the company to pander to the current administration. Since theater owners keep about half of the ticket sales, it will be difficult to justify the cost of “Melania.” However, in an unusual move, Amazon MGM issued a statement regarding its second weekend results.
For the past 25 years, Greenwood has been more active as a film composer than as a rock musician, writing or contributing to the music for 12 films, including One Battle After Another, There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice, and Licorice Pizza, among others.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote of Greenwood’s work on Phantom Thread in a 2017 review: “Everyone knows full well that something sinister must be lurking in the shadows…and Jonny Greenwood’s intoxicating, taut score evokes an unmistakable ’50s Hitchcock vibe.”
