Legendary composer Hans Zimmer reflects on his Dune: Part Two score being deemed ineligible for the 2025 Oscars. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the movie garnered mass attention for its enchanting music, but the score was ultimately ineligible for an Academy Award because of a rule that states sequels cannot use more than 20% of existing themes and compositions. Dune: Part Two itself earned five nominations and won two (Best Visual Effects and Best Sound), but it was its snubs, which also included Villeneuve for Best Director, that garnered the most attention.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zimmer revealed his reaction to the Dune: Part Two score being disqualified from the Academy Awards. He had a relatively jovial attitude when asked about missing out on the nomination, but nonetheless showed some disappointment about his disqualification. Zimmer explained:
It’s not really a sore point. It’s just such a stupid point. How can it be a sore point? I mean, 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 complete arc. Both movies are one arc. So, was I supposed to go and take all the character themes away and write new character themes or develop them? So, it’s just a stupid rule, you know? And what I didn’t want to do, I didn’t want to go and bitch about it.
What Hans Zimmer’s Snub Meant For Dune: Part Two
Part Two Had Half As Many Oscar Nominations As Part One
Zimmer’s scores for Dune and Dune: Part Two are iconic aspects of the sci-fi movies. In fact, in 2021, Zimmer won the Academy Award for Best Score for his work on Dune. It was his second Oscar win and 12th nomination. The Academy’s ruling that a score cannot repeat the content from a previous film makes it impossible for a sequel like Dune: Part Two to garner a nomination because it relies on compositions from its predecessor. As Zimmer said, it would not make sense for him to simply throw out his old material when certain aspects of the music are critical to characterization and scene-setting.
The Brutalist won Best Score at this year’s Academy Awards, beating out Conclave, Emilia Pérez, Wicked, and The Wild Robot.
Zimmer’s miss was part of a pattern for Dune: Part Two and the Academy. The movie received only five Oscar nominations this year, but its predecessor earned a whopping 10, winning six of them. The Academy also received criticism from both fans and fellow industry members for its decision not to give Villeneuve a Best Director nomination, mirroring the disappointment of audiences when Zimmer was left out of the Best Score category this year.
Our Take On Hans Zimmer Not Being Nominated For An Oscar
Leaving Out Zimmer Was A Massive Snub
By being disqualified for Best Score, Zimmer was snubbed. The iconic composer should have been considered for the award because Dune: Part Two‘s score is simply that strong. The music sets the movie’s tone and carries the story forward, acting as a necessary part of the film. Zimmer will presumably not receive a nomination for the upcoming Dune: Part Three, which is currently in the works. It would once again be a disappointing move by the Academy, but perhaps this will lead to a rule change that could give Zimmer the nomination he deserves.
Source: Happy Sad Confused
Dune: Part Two
9/10
- Release Date
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February 27, 2024
- Runtime
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167 minutes
- Producers
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Herb Gains, John Harrison, Mary Parent, Patrick McCormick, Richard P. Rubinstein, Cale Boyter, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Joshua Grode, Tanya Lapointe