Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood, the director and composer behind the 2017 film Phantom Thread, have officially requested the removal of the movie’s score from a recent documentary about Melania Trump. The contested documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, features some of Greenwood’s music without proper permission, prompting Anderson and Greenwood to protest its use.
In a statement issued to Variety, they explained the situation:
“It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary,”
and further clarified,
“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.”
Background on the Melania Documentary and Its Reception
The Melania documentary aims to offer an inside perspective on Melania Knauss, the Slovenian model who became the First Lady of the United States after marrying Donald Trump. However, the film has been widely criticized for failing to provide any meaningful insight. Notably, the Guardian’s critic Xan Brooks gave it a zero-star review, calling the film “deadly,” “dispiriting,” and
“one of those rare, unicorn films that doesn’t have a single redeeming quality.”
Despite the negative reviews, the documentary has earned $13.35 million in its first two weeks at U.S. theaters. Its strong earnings were largely driven by organized Republican women who see the film as a political statement, even though the box office performance dropped sharply by 67% in its second weekend.
Financial Stakes and Industry Speculation Around the Film
Amazon MGM acquired the streaming rights to the Melania documentary for a staggering $40 million and spent an additional $35 million on theatrical marketing—a strikingly large investment for a nonfiction film without a nature or music focus. These unusual financial figures have spurred speculation that Amazon’s purchase was intended to gain favor with Donald Trump, who is known to be supporting director Brett Ratner’s comeback after multiple sexual misconduct allegations during the #MeToo movement.
In fact, it was reported in November 2025 that Rush Hour 4, the long-anticipated sequel to the Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker buddy-cop films, was greenlit by Paramount Skydance following Trump’s involvement. The former president reportedly lobbied his ally Larry Ellison, Paramount Skydance’s largest shareholder, to help finance the project. Paramount Global also recently settled a lawsuit with Trump over a sharply critical CBS News interview.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Reaction to Melania Documentary and Critical Praise
While accepting a screenplay award from the London Critics’ Circle, Anderson expressed both frustration and admiration concerning the Melania documentary’s coverage. He praised the Guardian’s Xan Brooks for a searing review that described the film as
“a gilded trash remake of Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest in which a button-eyed Cinderella points at gold baubles and designer dresses, cunningly distracting us while her husband and his cronies prepare to dismantle the constitution and asset-strip the federal government.”
Reflecting on the review, Anderson said,
“It was one of the best pieces of writing,”
adding simply, “Pretty damn good.”
Phantom Thread’s Lasting Recognition and Score’s Importance
Phantom Thread itself garnered six Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Original Score, cementing its critical success and the high regard for Jonny Greenwood’s composition. The controversy highlights the importance of respecting artists’ rights in licensing music, especially in politically charged projects such as the Melania documentary.
The demand to remove the Phantom Thread score signals ongoing tensions in the creative and political intersections, posing questions about artistic control and the appropriate use of copyrighted material in documentaries tied to current public figures.
