Hans Zimmer has voiced his frustration with the Academy’s decision to disqualify his Dune: Part Two score from Oscars consideration, calling the rule behind the ruling “stupid.” Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, the composer explained why he disagrees with the decision but does not see it as a personal slight.
“You know something? It’s not really a sore point. It’s just such a stupid point—how can it be a sore point?” Zimmer said. “I got disqualified because I was using material from the first movie in the second movie, but it’s not a sequel. It is the completion, both movies are one arc.” He questioned whether he was supposed to remove all character themes and create entirely new ones rather than expanding on the established music.
The Academy’s rule states that for a sequel’s score to be eligible, it must contain no more than 20% of material from previous installments. Zimmer and director Denis Villeneuve have argued that Dune: Part Two should not be categorized as a sequel, given that it continues the same story immediately after the first film’s conclusion.
Villeneuve expressed similar frustration ahead of the 97th Academy Awards, describing Zimmer’s work as one of the best scores of the year. “I don’t use the word genius often, but Hans is one,” he said. “I am absolutely against the decision of the Academy to exclude Hans, frankly, because I feel like his score is one of the best scores of the year.”
Zimmer’s work on Dune has been widely praised, with his score for Dune: Part One earning him an Oscar in 2022. Speaking on a separate podcast, Zimmer reiterated his belief that the two films should be considered a single project. “It’s called Dune: Part Two, not Dune 2,” he said. “The story starts the second we finish the first movie. We are still within that story, those characters, and it would be foolish and completely uncinematic to go and write new themes for the characters instead of enlarging the theme.”
Villeneuve had previously hinted that he might push back against the decision. “I don’t think this is over yet,” he said. “I was there when Hans wrote the music, and he did a tremendous amount of music. Part Two is a new score. I don’t accept this because it’s one of the most beautiful scores Hans has ever written, and I would love it, at least, to be considered.”
Beyond Dune, Zimmer also spoke about his approach to superhero films. Having composed music for The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman 1984, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, he indicated he is not currently interested in returning to the genre. “They have [asked], and it was always—timing wasn’t great,” Zimmer said. “And really, quite honestly, I’m looking for other things right now.”
Zimmer remains in demand, having recently signed on to compose the score for the BBC’s upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Flies. He also confirmed he is already in discussions with Villeneuve for Dune: Messiah, though he did not disclose details. “I talk to Denis every day. Yes, it’s happening sooner rather than later,” he said. When asked if he was already working on the score, he answered coyly, “Mmm, maybe.”
