Zimmer also addressed the issue, calling the disqualification a “stupid point.” He explained on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, “How can it be a sore point?
Composer Hans Zimmer has not yet begun working on the music for Dune: Messiah, the upcoming sequel to Dune: Part Two. Although director Denis Villeneuve is finishing the script for the film, Zimmer has not started composing the score for the highly anticipated project.
In an interview with Collider, Zimmer shared, “Have I started writing [‘Messiah’]? No. Not quite yet.” He acknowledged the complexity of the film but emphasized his dedication to the project, saying, “It’s a very complicated one, but I love working with Denis, so I’m actually going to just focus on that, nothing else, and really spend the time doing it.”
Zimmer’s score for Dune: Part Two was disqualified from the Best Original Score category at the 97th Academy Awards, a decision that Villeneuve strongly opposed. The director expressed his disappointment, stating, “I am absolutely against the decision of the Academy to exclude Hans, frankly, because I feel like his score is one of the best scores of the year.”
The disqualification came due to the Academy’s rule that 80 percent of a movie’s score must be original. Since Dune: Part Two shared significant musical material with its predecessor, it did not meet this requirement. Villeneuve, however, defended the continuity of the two films, arguing that they are “one movie that is cut in half,” and thus, the similar score was a natural choice.
Zimmer also addressed the issue, calling the disqualification a “stupid point.” He explained on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, “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’s a completion, both movies are one arc.” He questioned whether he was expected to completely discard the themes from the first film and start anew.
As Villeneuve works on Dune: Messiah, the film is expected to enter principal photography in June, a year ahead of schedule, with a release date set for December 2026. Based on Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel, Dune: Messiah takes place 12 years after Dune: Part Two and follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he ascends to the throne as Emperor of the Known Universe. However, the religious cult he created around himself begins to spiral out of his control.
The film will bring back Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck.
