It appearsBlade Runner 2049is getting a dose of The Zimmer. When it was announced that aBlade Runnersequel was happening, many were understandably skeptical. But signing filmmakerDenis Villeneuve, fresh off ofSicarioandArrival, to direct was a major reason to be excited for this sci-fi follow-up. Villeneuve is known for meticulous craftsmanship and a degree of creative ambition that’s not usually found in blockbuster filmmaking, which extends to his filmmaking team. There’sRoger Deakins, master cinematographer bringing films likePrisonersandSicarioto vivid life, and there’s Oscar-nominated composerJohann Johansson, who’s somewhat changing the game when it comes to traditional film scoring.
Johansson’s work onSicarioandArrivalin particular drew heavily from soundscape, blurring the line between score and sound design in the most wonderful way. Fans have been curious to hear what he’s put together forBlade Runner 2049, but now comes word that Johansson’s work won’t be the only one we hear in the film. Villeneuve revealed in a recent interview withStudio Cine Live(viaFilm Music Reporter) thatHans Zimmeris now working on the score alongsideBenjamin Wallfisch(A Cure for Wellness,IT), maintaining the theme written by Johansson. The report says that Johannsson is still involved in the project, but it’s unclear what led to this change.
Colliderspoke with Villeneuve just a few weeks agoabout the score as part of an extended, exclusive interview, and while the filmmaker didn’t talk aboutwho’sdoing the score, he made clear that the score forBlade Runner 2049will absolutely harken back toVangelis’ work in the original film:
“There are some components in the original movie that made that movie stand out, and one of those components is the Vangelis music. It’s a very specific sound, and for me there was no negotiation about that. It [was] very important that the2049would be directly inspired by Vangelis’ work as much as the cinematography was directly inspired by the original movie. There’s things [that are] like in the DNA ofBlade Runner, so we tried to stay faithful to that DNA.”
It sounds like it’s possible Johansson’s score wasn’t Vangelis-y enough for Villeneuve, so Zimmer and Wallfisch came in to flesh that part of the score out. Or it’s possible Zimmer and Wallfisch were brought in for an entirely different reason. As big a fan as I am of Zimmer’s, it’s a bit of a bummer to hear that Johansson’s score won’t be untouched. But I also trust in Villeneuve to make the right decisions here, so I’ll be curious to see what the final soundscape (and credits) are like.
If you’re a fan of Johansson’s work, don’t worry—he’s got some great stuff on the horizon likeDarren Aronofsky’smother!, which hits theaters in September.Blade Runner 2049opens in theaters on October 6th.
