Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood Ask for ‘Phantom Thread’ Music to Be Removed From Melania Trump Documentary

Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and composer Jonny Greenwood are speaking out after music from their Oscar-winning film Phantom Thread was used in a controversial documentary about Melania Trump.

In a joint statement released Monday, Anderson, 55, and Greenwood, 54, said they were not consulted about the use of the score in the documentary Melania and want it removed.

“It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary,” the statement read. “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.”

They added that, because of this, both Greenwood and Anderson have formally requested that the music be taken out of the film.

Anderson wrote, produced, and directed Phantom Thread, which was released in 2017 and starred Daniel Day-Lewis as a brilliant but obsessive fashion designer who finds inspiration in a young waitress. Greenwood composed the film’s acclaimed score. The movie received six Academy Award nominations and won one, for Best Costume Design.

The documentary Melania, directed by Brett Ratner, focuses on the First Lady’s life during the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Despite opening to a reported $7 million at the box office, the film quickly dropped off in its second weekend and currently holds an eight percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie’s financial performance has drawn extra attention because Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million to acquire the documentary, along with a future docuseries centered on Melania Trump. An additional $35 million was spent on marketing and promotion, making it unlikely the project will break even in theaters.

Late-night hosts have also mocked the film. Stephen Colbert joked that Amazon “bribed a whopping $40 million dollars for the movie” to stay on good terms with the Trump administration. Jimmy Kimmel questioned the film’s opening-weekend numbers, saying he couldn’t understand how it sold $7 million in tickets when theaters appeared nearly empty. He sarcastically added that investigators should “seize the ticket machines” to get answers.

This is far from the first time artists have pushed back against having their work linked to Trump-related projects. Anderson and Greenwood now join a long list of musicians who have demanded their music not be used, including Queen, Rihanna, Neil Young, Adele, the Rolling Stones, Prince, and many others.

For Anderson and Greenwood, the message is clear: their music should not be used without permission—and certainly not in a project they never agreed to be part of.