Denis Villeneuve finally opens up about the Oscars disqualification of Han Zimmer’s Dune 2 score

When Hans Zimmer’s Dune: Part Two score got tossed out of the Oscars race, the outrage was as loud as one of his signature drumlines. And now, Denis Villeneuve is stepping in to crank up the volume. He struck back, even if politely. Speaking at a Directors Guild of America screening in New York, he didn’t mince words.

“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.”

He added,

“I don’t use the word genius often, but Hans is one.”

Villeneuve didn’t just call Zimmer a genius. He practically knighted him. For the director, Zimmer’s music is the beating heart of the Dune saga. He argued that the scores for Parts One and Two are stitched together like a sandworm and its rider, impossible to separate without destroying the magic.

Zimmer’s music, Villeneuve insisted, doesn’t repeat itself. It evolves. The themes from the first movie don’t just linger. They transform, mirroring the growth of Paul Atreides and the rising storm on Arrakis. In Villeneuve’s eyes, that continuity is a feature, not a flaw.

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Why the Academy hit pause

The Academy’s rulebook is clear. Sequel scores can’t reuse more than 20 percent of a previous film’s music and still be considered original. According to them, Zimmer crossed that line, leaving his Part Two score stranded in the desert without an Oscar nomination.

But Villeneuve and plenty of fans think the Academy missed the point. Instead of treating the Dune films as separate entries, Zimmer and Villeneuve designed them as one sweeping epic broken in two. For Villeneuve, reusing motifs wasn’t laziness. It was storytelling.

This idea seems especially archaic in this era of immense film universes and multipart stories. If Dune: Part Two is deemed unfit because it remains faithful to its origins, what does it mean for any franchises in the future? Would this problem have been there for The Lord of the Rings if these rules had been in place back then?

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Zimmer’s music, more than just awards

Hans Zimmer isn’t exactly hurting for trophies. He’s already won Oscars for The Lion King and Dune: Part One. But his work on Dune: Part Two wasn’t just about adding another statue to the shelf. It was about taking risks.

Villeneuve shared that Zimmer was especially nervous about the sequel’s love theme, “A Time of Quiet Between the Storms.” Asked to compose something that captured young, doomed romance and cultural collision, Zimmer reportedly turned pale.

“Those are the most difficult to write,” he admitted.

Hard or not, he nailed it. The love theme became a standout piece in a score that amplified Part Two’s emotional stakes. From sweeping desert vistas to knife fights in smoky arenas, Zimmer’s music hit like a cry from the soul.

Beyond Dune, Zimmer's impact is immense. He has made a name for himself by transforming music into narrative, from the eerie score of Interstellar to the nail-biting suspense of Dunkirk. His music does more than merely enhance the graphics. They shape the narrative's emotional arcs and frequently feel like characters in their own right.

Zimmer sought out extraterrestrial sounds that may reverberate throughout Arrakis's sands for Dune; thus, he forwent using conventional orchestras in favor of custom-built instruments. Like the planet Frank Herbert envisioned, the outcome is an aural landscape that is both old and modern.

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What happens when rules clash with art

The Academy’s rules are there to promote originality, but Villeneuve’s frustration raises bigger questions. Should sequels be punished for continuity? And how do you measure originality in a soundtrack that’s designed to echo itself, like the desert wind looping through dunes?

Villeneuve described the Dune saga as “one big movie cut in half,” a structure that challenges the Academy’s framework for defining originality. Critics argue that the 20 percent rule reflects an outdated understanding of serialized storytelling, one that doesn’t fit modern filmmaking.

Zimmer’s exclusion also highlights how awards season often struggles to recognize innovation. His decision to blend the guttural cries of bagpipes with throat singing and percussive beats created something otherworldly, music that doesn’t just accompany the visuals but expands them.

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A score that transcends awards

While Zimmer’s work for Dune: Part Two may not get the Oscar recognition Villeneuve believes it deserves, its impact is already cemented. The collaboration between Villeneuve and Zimmer has redefined how music shapes science fiction, proving that a score can be as epic as the story it accompanies.

Awards or not, Zimmer’s music will keep echoing across Arrakis and the film world for years to come.