Dune 2: Hans Zimmer will not be eligible for the Oscar for best original score

By taking up themes from the first Dune, by Denis Villeneuve, the composer transgresses one of the rules of the Academy….

Dune – Part Two is already one of the biggest hits of 2024, and Warner Bros. intends to ensure that its great critical and public reception ends with awards during the new season of ceremonies. To prepare for the 97th edition of the Oscars, Denis Villeneuve and his team are participating these days in special screenings of the film, in Los Angeles, in order to draw the attention of voters to its multiple qualities, and try to have it selected in a maximum of categories: best film, actors, direction, adapted screenplay… as well as best photo, makeup or editing.

There is, however, one Oscar the team shouldn't win, reveals Variety : that of the best original soundtrack. The music of Dune 2 does not lack qualities, and Hans Zimmer, who supervised it, has already been praised at the Oscars for King Lion (1994) and… Duneprecisely, in 2021. Yes, but this time, there is a catch.

Dune: Part II is a monumental cinematic messiah [critique]

Shortly after a screening of the film hosted by Ludwig Göransson, who won this statuette last year for his musicOppenheimerthe Hollywood newspaper explains that to be eligible in the Oscar category for best soundtrack, in the case of a sequel, prequel or spin-off, “there must not be more than 20% of pre-existing themes or music borrowed from previous scores of works in the same franchise.”

The rule being more flexible regarding the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards or the BAFTAs, Hans Zimmer however has a chance of being honored this year. Not to mention that he also composed quality music for Blitzby Steve McQueen.

Note that this question of too strong a resemblance between the music of a film sequel and that of the original has already arisen: in 1973, Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola still won the Oscar for best BO for The Godfather IIand last year John Williams was nominated forIndiana Jones 5despite the echoes of its initial cult theme. It could also concern another Warner blockbuster this year: Furiosaby George Miller, the prequel to Mad Max for which Junkie XL took on the air of Fury Road. While inventing new sounds throughout most of the film. But the objective being to make the link at the end between the two films, this also involved its music…