Hans Zimmer’s ‘Dune: Part Two’ score is ruled ineligible for Oscars consideration
The Academy won’t release its official shortlists until later this year, but one presumed contender for Best Score has already missed the cut.
On Tuesday, Variety confirmed Hans Zimmer’s score for “Dune: Part Two” is ineligible for Oscar consideration next year due to its reliance on pre-existing music.
“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,” reads the Academy’s rules on the matter. Being a sequel to “Dune,” Zimmer used many of the same motifs and themes for the film’s blockbuster sequel, thus the disqualification.
The loss of Zimmer’s “Dune: Part Two” score was already anticipated by many online, particularly after the newly launched Warner Bros. FYC website had left Best Score off its list of categories for “Dune: Part Two.” The original film won Zimmer Best Score, one of six Oscars the Denis Villeneuve sci-fiction epic took home at the 2022 ceremony. Zimmer has received 12 Oscar nominations in his lengthy career, with wins for “Dune” and “The Lion King.”
For his part, Zimmer seemed at peace with the decision. He spoke to Variety about the score and said, “In the world of storytelling, our purpose is to serve the narrative and connect with the audience. With ‘Dune: Part Two,’ we continue the journey we began in the first half of the book at the exact moment we left off. The score was always written to expand and evolve its themes and take them, like the book, to a natural ending, planned from the first word to the last note.”
Before the ruling, “Dune: Part Two” ranked third in the Gold Derby odds for Best Score, behind “Conclave” and “The Brutalist.” The other predicted nominees in the category before the ruling were “Emilia Perez” and “The Wild Robot.” “Saturday Night,” with an original score from Oscar winner Jon Batiste, ranked sixth in the odds, followed by “Challengers” (from two-time Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) and “The Room Next Door” (from four-time Oscar nominee Alberto Iglesias). Expect one of those contenders to move into the top five with “Dune: Part Two” now vacated.