Why Dune: Part 2 Could Still Win an Oscar For Its Music Despite Not Meeting Eligibility Requirement?

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune is an epic science fiction movie based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert. The movie is set in the distant future and follows Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, as his noble House Atreides is pushed into war for Arrakis. Part Two follows Paul Atreides reuniting with Fremen to wage war against House Harkonnen.

The movie was released in March 2024 and opened to critical and audience acclaim, surpassing Part One’s success as well. The performances of the actors, direction, storyline, and background score were highly appreciated. Dune: Part Two became the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2024, and now Denis Villeneuve explains why its music deserves an Oscar.

Denis Villeneuve strongly believes that Dune: Part Two’s score deserves the Oscar

German film score composer and music producer Hans Zimmer composed the background score of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series. The critics as well as the audience appreciated the score of the movie, as it is one of the most significant parts of making a movie. The filmmaker believes that the score of the movie deserves the appreciation of the Academy Awards for being one of the most exceptional scores.

However, according to earlier reports by Variety, Zimmer’s score failed to meet the eligibility criteria for the Academy Award due to surpassing the Academy’s limit on pre-existing music. Therefore, it cannot be nominated in the best original score category.

The publication clarifies the Academy’s rules and states;

In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20% of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.

Zimmer’s composition for Dune: Part Two has used his work from Dune: Part One, and it falls outside of the eligibility criteria. But now, another recent report by Variety mentions that Warner Bros. updated the For Your Consideration page on October 30, 2024, which mentioned Dune: Part Two’s score to the official submission.

Denis Villeneuve and Hans Zimmer, in an upcoming episode of Vareity’s Awards Circuit Podcast, shared their views on the same, with the director stating,

I don’t think this is over yet… 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.

Villeneuve and Zimmer are standing firm on their stance, which states that Part Two is not a sequel but a continuation of Part One. They added that the story has not yet concluded and it would be very foolish and completely un-cinematic to go and write new themes for the same characters.

Denis Villeneuve says Dune: Messiah is his ‘deep’ immersion into the Dune universe

In an interview with Deadline, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve shared that he might be going back behind the camera sooner than he expected, noting that his break seems to be over. He, however, added that currently, he is in the writing zone, explaining that for him, Dune: Part One and Part Two are like one entity.

Talking about the third installment in the series, he said,

I think it’ll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of Part Two. Their journey and their story are different this time, and that is why I always say that while it’s the same world, it’s a new film with new circumstances.

Villeneuve also mentioned that the third installment is going to bring Paul Atreides’ arc to a full conclusion. He also revealed that Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh are going to return to reprise their characters. Asking about a tentative timeline, he mentioned that these movies take a lot of time to be made.

The filmmaker argued that the essential point of Dune is the desire of the Fremen to transform their desolate homeland into fertile land. He also pointed out that the cultures Frank Herbert explored in his novels are also one of the facts that make the storyline very interesting. The relationship between Paul Atreides and Chani is the heart of the movie.

Dune: Part Two is available to stream on Max.