- - Paul Thomas Anderson asks 'Melania' to remove 'Phantom Thread' score

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 1:44 AM

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Jonny Greenwood and Paul Thomas Anderson are pushing back after music from "Phantom Thread" showed up in the "Melania" documentary.

Greenwood, the Radiohead guitarist and Oscar-nominated composer, has shared a joint statement with Anderson objecting to part of the musician's score for Anderson's 2017 movie being used in the recent Amazon MGM Studios documentary about first lady Melania Trump.

The pair have requested that the "Phantom Thread" music be taken out of "Melania."

"It has come to our attention that a piece of music from 'Phantom Thread' has been used in the 'Melania' documentary," Greenwood and Anderson said in a statement shared with multiple outlets, including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. "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."

Paul Thomas Anderson speaks onstage during the Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 4, 2026, in Santa Monica, California.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Universal and Amazon for comment.

Greenwood received a best original score Oscar nomination for the music he composed for "Phantom Thread," Anderson's 2017 drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a fictional dressmaker. Greenwood was nominated for an Oscar again this year for his score for Anderson's most recent movie, "One Battle After Another," which is widely viewed as the frontrunner to win the Academy Award for best picture.

Greenwood, the lead guitarist for Radiohead, has also composed music for movies like "The Power of the Dog" and "Spencer," in addition to his frequent work with Anderson.

Jonny Greenwood attends The Ivors 2019 at Grosvenor House on May 23, 2019 in London, England.

Directed by Brett Ratner, "Melania" follows the first lady of the United States in the days leading up to President Donald Trump's second inauguration in 2025. In addition to the track titled "Barbara Rose" from the "Phantom Thread" score, the film also includes music by the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, among other artists.

The documentary was released in theaters on Jan. 30 to almost universally negative reviews from critics, though it had a better-than-expected opening weekend at the domestic box office. "Melania" remains far short of being profitable based on its ticket sales, but Amazon will recoup some of the costs it spent on acquiring and marketing the film through ads and streaming service sign-ups.

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Oscars are here! See which actors, directors and films are nominated for the 98th Academy Awards, to be handed out live March 15 and broadcast on ABC and Hulu.

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1 / 36Oscars 2026 – The top nominees in photos

Oscars are here! See which actors, directors and films are nominated for the 98th Academy Awards, to be handed out live March 15 and broadcast on ABC and Hulu.

In a statement shared over the weekend, Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM Studios' head of domestic theatrical distribution, said the "strong theatrical performance" of "Melania" has built awareness and momentum for the documentary ahead of its debut on Prime Video. It has not been announced when the movie will begin streaming.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Patrick Ryan and Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Melania' movie music – Paul Thomas Anderson slams use of song

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