‘Dune: Part Two’ score submitted for Oscars amidst questions over eligibility

Director Denis Villeneuve and composer Hans Zimmer are determined to get an Oscar nomination for Zimmer’s “Dune: Part Two” score. According to Variety, Warner Bros. has submitted the sci-fi sequel’s score to the Academy despite the question as to whether the score will qualify under Academy rules. 

The rules state that “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 “Dune: Part Two” score uses themes from the first film, and observers expect that it’s more than 20%, though the Music Branch has not yet reviewed the score to make the determination. Whether it makes the cut for contention will be revealed when the shortlist voting period begins on Dec. 9. 

In a forthcoming podcast interview with Variety, Villeneuve and Zimmer made the case for the score’s Oscar eligibility. “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,” Villeneuve said. “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.”

Zimmer argued that “Dune: Part Two” isn’t a sequel and should be considered an extension of the first film. “It’s called ‘Dune: Part Two,’ not ‘Dune 2,’” Zimmer clarifies. “The story starts the second we finish the first movie. We are still within that story, those characters, and it would be foolish and completely uncinematic to go and write new themes for the characters instead of enlarging the theme.”

Zimmer won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for “Dune: Part One,” his second win. He has earned 12 nominations throughout his career. “Dune: Part Two” is not his only potential contender this year; he also composed the score for Steve McQueen’s “Blitz.”