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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Producer Marc Beckman says the team behind Melania could not clear requested music by Guns N’ Roses, Grace Jones and Prince’s estate. His account identifies no song titles, and the explanations come from Beckman rather than direct statements from the artists. The reports describe a separate dispute over a Jonny Greenwood score cue, not another refusal to license a song.
What Beckman says happened
In accounts of an interview with Variety, Beckman described three unsuccessful music-clearance requests. MusicRadar’s February 25, 2026 report and The Independent’s February 26, 2026 report relay his account. The details should be understood as Beckman’s claims; the reports do not establish the artists’ accounts independently.
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MELANIA | Buy on Amazon | |
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Melania | $12.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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MediaRange MR470 Read/Write DVD | $88.88 | Buy on Amazon |
| Artist or rights holder | Beckman’s account | What is not established |
|---|---|---|
| Guns N’ Roses | Beckman said one member approved a proposed song use and another opposed it, and the production needed everyone’s approval. | The song title and the identity of the member who objected. |
| Grace Jones | Beckman said Jones did not grant permission for a requested song. | The song title or a direct explanation from Jones. |
| Prince’s estate | Beckman said Primary Wave appeared willing to grant rights, but the estate’s approval was also needed and a lawyer managing the estate refused. | The song title or a direct statement from the estate lawyer. |
Why the Guns N’ Roses request failed
Beckman described the group as “split down the middle politically” and said the production needed every member’s approval. He recounted: “There was a beautiful song we wanted to use, and one of the guys – I don’t want to name, it’s not fair – said, ‘You got it. Go.’ And the other one was basically like, ‘There’s just no way.’”
Neither the song nor the dissenting member was identified in the reports, so it would be speculation to name either. MusicRadar reported that Guns N’ Roses representatives did not provide comment to Variety.
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What Beckman said about Grace Jones
Beckman said the team sought permission to use one of Jones’s songs and did not receive it. He characterized her reason this way: “She apparently couldn’t get over the political hurdle, notwithstanding the fact that the film is not a political film.” That is Beckman’s interpretation; the reports do not include a direct statement from Jones explaining her decision.
Why Prince’s estate reportedly declined
According to Beckman, Primary Wave appeared willing to grant rights to an unnamed Prince song, but approval from the estate was also required. He said a lawyer managing the estate blocked the request, relaying the lawyer’s words as: “Prince would never want his song associated with Donald Trump.” The quote is reported through Beckman, not as a direct statement from the lawyer. MusicRadar said Prince’s estate representatives did not provide comment to Variety.
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The Jonny Greenwood dispute is different
A separate disagreement concerns a cue from Jonny Greenwood’s score for Phantom Thread. Greenwood and director Paul Thomas Anderson asked for the cue’s removal, arguing that Universal, which owned the score copyright, had not consulted Greenwood despite a requirement in his composer agreement. Their statement, reported by Louder, said: “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.”
Beckman disputed the request, saying the production paid for the music and the cue would remain. The disagreement is about consultation and an alleged contractual obligation over use of a score cue—not a reported refusal by Greenwood to license a requested song. The available reports do not resolve the contract issue or establish its terms.
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- Capacity: 8.5 GB
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