When it comes to film music, no one is better than Hans Zimmer except maybe Alexandre Desplat. Zimmer’s original score for films like Interstellar, Inception, the Dark Knight trilogy, Gladiator and so many others have made him a musical superhero or a chameleon to fans all around the world.
When it comes to film music, no one is better than Hans Zimmer except maybe Alexandre Desplat. Zimmer’s original score for films like Interstellar, Inception, the Dark Knight trilogy, Gladiator and so many others have made him a musical superhero or a chameleon to fans all around the world.
Luckily for listeners, Zimmer is back in the spotlight with the new Tom Hanks film, Inferno and has a role to play in the film’s odd soundtrack. Aside from that, Zimmer is also involved with the series, Planet Earth II, which is coming a decade after the original first aired. Set to make an appearance in the UK this coming Sunday, the series features Zimmer as composer, who in turn found inspiration in David Attenborough’s voice.
“When I look at nature I hear David’s voice. I think a lot of us do, because he has led us in finding our place in this world for such a long time, it’s hard to look at nature and not hear David’s voice.”
Reflecting on the new series that explore natures in its many facets, Zimmer added: “What the series does extraordinarily and importantly is to draw us humans into this world. One which we must comprehend. What David has been doing has more relevance now than ever before.”
What’s also been made clear by Zimmer is that he is done with superhero films for the time being. Having composed the score for Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, Zimmer went on to work on films like Man of Steel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the iconic master maintains that he has simply run out of ideas.
“Oh, I might as well say it. I have officially retired from the superhero business,” Zimmer told the BBC. It’s just me. I started to find… This one was very hard for me to do. To try to find new language. To try to find … I did it in collaboration with a friend of mine, Tom Holkenborg [Junkie XL], who just did the Mad Max movies, and we’ve been friends forever. That was very important, to have another voice in here.”
While crediting another composer for his last superhero film, Zimmer has turned his attention to other projects, chiefly Chris Nolan’s upcoming war drama, Dunkirk. What Zimmer’s departure from the superhero soundtrack business means for DC Comics’ upcoming ventures, Wonder Woman and Justice League, time will tell.
