Anderson, Greenwood Demand Track Removal from Melania Documentary

Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and composer Jonny Greenwood have demanded the removal of a musical track from the documentary "Melania," accusing Universal Pictures of breaching Greenwood's composer agreement by licensing the piece without his approval.

The track in question, "Barbara Rose," was composed by Greenwood for Anderson's 2017 film "Phantom Thread," a period drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis that received six Academy Award nominations. In a joint statement released on Monday, the collaborators said, "It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary. While Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright in the score, Universal failed to consult Jonny on this third-party use which is a breach of his composer agreement. As a result Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary."

The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, chronicles the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration in January 2025, focusing on former First Lady Melania Trump. It features a lengthy excerpt from "Barbara Rose" and includes other licensed songs such as The Rolling Stones'...