There hasn’t been a Steven Spielberg film I’ve been anticipating more than “The Fablemans,” in at least a decade. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the potential this one has. Now we’re learning that Spielberg regular John Williams is currently finishing work on the score for “The Fabelmans.”
This marks their 29th film collaboration together. “The Sugarland Express,” their first one, dates back five decades. Williams’ 52 Oscar nominations are an all-time record for scoring, 17 of those are for Spielberg films, including three of his five wins (“Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Schindler”).
Slated for a November 23rd release, this autobiographical film will have Spielberg recounting his childhood in Arizona, including his sneaking into studio lots to meet his idols (the rumor is that David Lynch will be playing an eye-patched John Ford).
UPDATE: Williams now says he plans to retire from film scoring after Indy 5 and The Fabelmans, which he expects will be his final collaboration with Spielberg.
As per NYT:
This year, he will complete what he expects to be his final two films: “The Fabelmans,” loosely based on Spielberg’s childhood, and a fifth installment in the “Indiana Jones” series.
“The Fabelmans” has been particularly emotional, he said, given its importance to Spielberg. On a recent day, he recounted, the director wept as Williams played through several scenes on the piano.
Williams said that he expected “The Fabelmans” would be the pair’s final film collaboration, though he added that it was hard to say no to Spielberg, whom he considers a brother.
Back in May, a Warner Bros. source told me ‘Chapter 2’ wasn't coming out in 2026. It was “not in the plans.” The film has been finished for two years.