Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood ask 'Phantom Thread' music to Be removed from 'Melania'

Greenwood says he was not consulted about the inclusion of the music in the documentary

Jonny Greenwood has formally asked that his Phantom Thread score be removed from the documentary Melania, saying its use violated the terms of his original composer agreement.

The composer, known for his long‑standing creative partnership with director Paul Thomas Anderson, said he was not consulted about the inclusion of the music in the film and that its placement in the documentary was inconsistent with how the score was meant to be used.

In a joint statement with Anderson, Greenwood said, “As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary.” He added, “While I do not own the copyright to the score, the way it has been used in this film is not consistent with the agreement I have as a composer. I was not consulted, and that is a concern for me both artistically and contractually.”

The documentary’s distributor included a portion of the orchestral score from Phantom Thread, which earned wide critical acclaim and multiple award nominations when it was first released in 2017. Greenwood emphasized that his request is grounded in respect for the original artistic intent. “This is about maintaining the integrity of the work and honoring the agreements under which it was created,” he said.

Representatives for the Melania documentary and its distributor have not yet publicly responded to Greenwood’s request, and it remains unclear how or whether the score will be altered in current or future versions of the film. The situation underscores ongoing questions about how music licensing agreements are interpreted when works are repurposed in new documentary projects.