Dune: Part Two submitted for key Oscar category despite fears it isn’t eligible

‘I don’t think this is over yet’ says Denis Villeneuve

Hans Zimmer’s score for the sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two has been officially submitted for Oscar consideration, despite previous fears that it wasn’t eligible.

Zimmer won the Best Score Oscar in 2022 for his work on Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune film, but his efforts on the sequel were likely not to be in the running at next year’s Academy Awards.

Dune: Part Two features a substantial amount of music from the first film, preventing it from being considered for nomination under the current Academy rules.

However, the German composer’s music for the film has now been submitted for Oscar consideration, with Warner Bros hopeful that Zimmer’s innovative contributions to the score can earn a nomination, reports Variety.

The current Academy rules for music eligibility from sequels state: “In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20 per cent of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.”

On Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, both Villeneuve and Zimmer believe they can challenge what they can challenge the notion that Dune: Part Two is not a sequel but merely a continuation of the first film.

“It’s called Dune: Part Two, not ‘Dune 2’” says Zimmer. “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”

Villeneuve adds: “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. 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.”

Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler in ‘Dune: Part Two’ (© 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Zimmer could still yet land an Oscar nomination this year with his work as composer on Steve McQueen’s Blitz standing him in good contention to at least get one nod for March’s ceremony.

The composer has been nominated for 12 Oscars during his career, with the first being for Rain Man in 1989. His only two wins have been for Dune in 2022 and The Lion King in 1995.

Even if Dune: Part Two is deemed ineligible for the Oscars the film’s score can still be nominated for numerous other awards bodies including the Golden Globes, Bafta and the Grammys.