Hans Zimmer Calls ‘Dune’ Score’s Oscar Disqualification “Stupid”

Hans Zimmer’s score for Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part 2” was going to heavily contend for the Original Score Oscar, but it sadly did not meet the eligibility requirements to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Apparently, the music surpassed the Academy’s limit on pre-existing music. It was too similar to Zimmer’s “Dune” (2021) score, they claimed. Zimmer, who had already won the Oscar for the first film, is now tackling the snub, calling the Oscar rule “stupid” (via Happy Sad Confused):

You know something? It’s not really a sore point. It’s just such a stupid point – how can it be a sore point? I got disqualified because I was using material from the first movie in the second movie, but it’s not a sequel. It is the completion, both movies are one arc. So was I supposed to go and take all the character themes away and write new character themes and develop them? It’s just a stupid rule. What I didn’t want to do is go and bitch about it.

According to The Academy, the rule 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.”  However, Zimmer’s score for “Dune: Part Two” qualified for other awards, including the Critics Choice Awards, BAFTA, Grammys and The Golden Globes — the latter which he ended up winning.

Regardless, Zimmer’s disqualification greatly benefited Daniel Blumberg who ended up winning a first Oscar for his majestic work on “The Brutalist.” No offense to Zimmer, but Blumberg’s score was the best of 2024 and deserved to win. Better luck next time, Hans and careful about those “pre-existing themes” on “Dune: Messiah.”