Hans Zimmer Manifested ‘Dune: Part Two’ With His Pure Love for the IP After Denis Villeneuve Had to Remind Him First Movie Was Over
Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer once needed a reminder from Denis Villeneuve after they completed Dune: Part One, as Zimmer was so immersed in the project that he already started writing for the sequel.
Hans Zimmer isn’t just a celebrated composer but an artist best known for giving life to films through his creative mind and passion to craft compelling scores. The German-American film score composer has created some of the most iconic scores in his career, including The Lion King, Gladiator (2002), and many others.
However, Hans Zimmer has a special connection with Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, as the composer has been a fan of the original novel by Frank Herbert since childhood, and due to his affection, Zimmer couldn’t keep himself from writing for Dune 2 just months after the first film made it to the theatres.
Hans Zimmer Started Working on Dune 2’s Musical Score Despite Denis Villeneuve’s Reminder
After anticipating Dune: Part Two for almost three years, the film has finally made it to the theatres. However, the sequel’s composition journey began way before it was green-lit. As revealed by the acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer himself, soon after he and the director of Dune: Part One wrapped up, Zimmer’s passion for the original novel by Frank Herbert initiated him to start the musical score for the second installment.
Also Read: Denis Villeneuve isn’t Rushing to Make Dune 3 Due to “The danger in Hollywood”
Just six months after Dune was out, Hans Zimmer started writing the score for Dune 2, and Denis Villeneuve called the composer to remind him that the film had been released and that he should stop writing. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Zimmer said:
“I just carried on, I carried on writing, and there came a phone call from Denis going, ‘Listen the movie has been out for six months. You can stop writing now’.”
Villeneuve learned that Zimmer was still working on the score and urged him to stop since Dune was already out. The composer added:
“I was going, ‘No, no, no, I really think we’re going to get to make part two’. Because we weren’t green-lit at that point in time. so, I just carried on writing. and then I wrote a theme, which I really loved.”
Despite the director asking Hans Zimmer to stop working on the musical score for Dune 2, the composer couldn’t resist it due to his true love for intellectual property.
Hans Zimmer Rejected Christopher Nolan’s Film Only To Make The Musical Score For Dune
While Christopher Nolan is one of the most glorified filmmakers in the industry, Hans Zimmer is an equally celebrated composer. The two have collaborated on some of Nolan’s best movies, and despite sharing a great bond, Zimmer chose to abandon the score of Tenet, only due to his fondness for the original Dune novel.
During his appearance on The Playlist podcast, Hans Zimmer shed light on making the score for Dune and that he’s intrigued by the filmmaker’s work. He said:
“Dune’ is one of my favorite books from my teenage years and I love Denis Villeneuve, obviously. It almost feels like family. And I never saw the original ‘Dune’ movie, and so, I’m coming at this in a fresh way, just from the book.”
The composer mentioned never watching David Lynch‘s version of Dune, and his passion for the 2021 film was entirely based on his love for the books. Following his determination and creativity, Hans Zimmer succeeded in making a masterwork of ambient synth and sound design for Dune: Part Two
Dune 2 is in theatres now.
