The documentary about Melania Trump, titled “Melania,” follows the 20-day period before her husband Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term as US President. Despite being characterized as a commercial success in theaters, Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead have demanded the removal of music from the film “Phantom Thread” used in the Melania documentary.
Melania Trump’s streaming obstacle
Amazon, Disney, Netflix and Paramount Pictures all submitted bids for streaming rights, and while Disney offered approximately $14 million, it lost to Amazon’s $40 million offer. The US First Lady stated that the warm reception to her 2024 memoir pushed her to consider the documentary idea.
The documentary, which reached theaters last month, reportedly features a musical excerpt from the 2017 film Phantom Thread. The movie was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and includes music by Greenwood. Both have now demanded its removal from the documentary, claiming it constitutes a “breach” of the composer’s agreement.
“It has come to our attention that a musical excerpt from the film Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary,” stated their joint declaration, published by Variety. “While Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright to the film score, Universal did not consult Jonny for third-party usage, which constitutes a breach of his composer agreement,” the statement notes. “As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have requested the removal of the musical work from the documentary,” it adds.
