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IMDbPro

Hans Zimmer(I)

  • Music Department
  • Composer
  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000397
Hans Zimmer at an event for Inception (2010)
Hans Zimmer has changed the sound of movies, including 'Inception' (2010), 'The Dark Knight' (2008), 'No Time to Die' (2021), and 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022). So, IMDb has him break down three of his scores including 'Dune' (2021).
Play clip1:41
Hans Zimmer in Three Scores
12 Videos
73 Photos
German-born composer Hans Zimmer is recognized as one of Hollywood's most innovative musical talents. He featured in the music video for The Buggles' single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which became a worldwide hit and helped usher in a new era of global entertainment as the first music video to be aired on MTV (August 1, 1981).

Hans Florian Zimmer was born in Frankfurt am Main, then in West Germany, the son of Brigitte (Weil) and Hans Joachim Zimmer. He entered the world of film music in London during a long collaboration with famed composer and mentor Stanley Myers, which included the film My Beautiful Laundrette (1985). He soon began work on several successful solo projects, including the critically acclaimed A World Apart, and during these years Zimmer pioneered the use of combining old and new musical technologies. Today, this work has earned him the reputation of being the father of integrating the electronic musical world with traditional orchestral arrangements.

A turning point in Zimmer's career came in 1988 when he was asked to score Rain Man for director Barry Levinson. The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture of the Year and earned Zimmer his first Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Score. The next year, Zimmer composed the score for another Best Picture Oscar recipient, Driving Miss Daisy (1989), starring Jessica Tandy, and Morgan Freeman.

Having already scored two Best Picture winners, in the early 1990s, Zimmer cemented his position as a pre-eminent talent with the award-winning score for The Lion King (1994). The soundtrack has sold over 15 million copies to date and earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score, a Golden Globe, an American Music Award, a Tony, and two Grammy Awards. In total, Zimmer's work has been nominated for 7 Golden Globes, 7 Grammys and seven Oscars for Rain Man (1988), Gladiator (2000), The Lion King (1994), As Good as It Gets (1997), The The Preacher's Wife (1996), The Thin Red Line (1998), The Prince of Egypt (1998), and The Last Samurai (2003).

With his career in full swing, Zimmer was anxious to replicate the mentoring experience he had benefited from under Stanley Myers' guidance. With state-of-the-art technology and a supportive creative environment, Zimmer was able to offer film-scoring opportunities to young composers at his Santa Monica-based musical "think tank." This approach helped launch the careers of such notable composers as Mark Mancina, John Powell, Harry Gregson-Williams, Nick Glennie-Smith, and Klaus Badelt.

In 2000, Zimmer scored the music for Gladiator (2000), for which he received an Oscar nomination, in addition to Golden Globe and Broadcast Film Critics Awards for his epic score. It sold more than three million copies worldwide and spawned a second album Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture, released on the Universal Classics/Decca label. Zimmer's other scores that year included Mission: Impossible II (2000), The Road to El Dorado (2000), and An Everlasting Piece (2000), directed by Barry Levinson.

Some of his other impressive scores include Pearl Harbor (2001), The Ring (2002), four films directed by Ridley Scott; Matchstick Men (2003), Hannibal (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Thelma & Louise (1991), Penny Marshall's Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), and A League of Their Own (1992), Tony Scott's True Romance (1993), Tears of the Sun (2003), Ron Howard's Backdraft (1991), Days of Thunder (1990), Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), and the animated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) for which he also co-wrote four of the songs with Bryan Adams, including the Golden Globe nominated Here I Am.

At the 27th annual Flanders International Film Festival, Zimmer performed live for the first time in concert with a 100-piece orchestra and a 100-voice choir. Choosing selections from his impressive body of work, Zimmer performed newly orchestrated concert versions of Gladiator, Mission: Impossible II (2000), Rain Man (1988), The Lion King (1994), and The Thin Red Line (1998). The concert was recorded by Decca and released as a concert album entitled "The Wings Of A Film: The Music Of Hans Zimmer."

Last year, Zimmer completed his 100th film score for the film The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, for which he received both a Golden Globe and a Broadcast Film Critics nomination. Zimmer then scored Nancy Meyers' comedy Something's Gotta Give (2003), the animated Dreamworks film, Shark Tale (2004) (featuring voices of Will Smith, Renée Zellweger, Robert De Niro, Jack Black, and Martin Scorsese), and Jim Brooks' Spanglish (2004) starring Adam Sandler and Téa Leoni (for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination). His 2005 projects include Paramount's The Weather Man (2005) starring Nicolas Cage, Dreamworks' Madagascar (2005), and the Warner Bros. summer release, Batman Begins (2005).

Zimmer's additional honors and awards include the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Film Composition from the National Board of Review, and the Frederick Loewe Award in 2003 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He has also received ASCAP's Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement. Hans and his wife live in Los Angeles and he is the father of four children.
BornSeptember 12, 1957
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornSeptember 12, 1957
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000397
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 2 Oscars

Photos73

Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Hans Zimmer and Bryan Adams in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Hans Zimmer in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Hans Zimmer, Elton John, Tim Rice, Jon Favreau, Florence Kasumba, Beyoncé, Lebo M., Seth Rogen, Pharrell Williams, Keegan-Michael Key, and Billy Eichner at an event for The Lion King (2019)
Hans Zimmer at an event for The Lion King (2019)
Hans Zimmer, Jon Favreau, Florence Kasumba, Seth Rogen, Pharrell Williams, Keegan-Michael Key, Billy Eichner, and Clara Amfo at an event for The Lion King (2019)
Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams at an event for The Lion King (2019)
Hans Zimmer at an event for The Lion King (2019)
Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams at an event for The Lion King (2019)
Hans Zimmer at an event for The Lion King (2019)

Known for

Russell Crowe in Gladiator (2000)
Gladiator
8.5
  • Music Department(uncredited)
  • 2000
Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Oscar Isaac, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya in Dune (2021)
Dune
8.0
  • Music Department
  • 2021
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe, and Dileep Rao in Inception (2010)
Inception
8.8
  • Music Department
  • 2010
Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Strong, and Rachel McAdams in Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Sherlock Holmes
7.6
  • Music Department
  • 2009

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Music Department

  • Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)
    The Simpsons
  • Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, and Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown (2016)
    The Crown
  • The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)
    The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari
  • Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
    Top Gun: Maverick
  • Wie Gott uns schuf - Coming Out in der katholischen Kirche (2022)
    Wie Gott uns schuf - Coming Out in der katholischen Kirche
  • Arctic Blue - Machtpoker im schmelzenden Eis (2022)
    Arctic Blue - Machtpoker im schmelzenden Eis
    • (uncredited)
  • Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Rhys Ifans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zendaya, and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
    Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma, and Leonie Benesch in Around the World in 80 Days (2021)
    Around the World in 80 Days
  • Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ruby O. Fee, Stuart Martin, and Guz Khan in Army of Thieves (2021)
    Army of Thieves
  • Tony Zhou, Imran Alhosan, and Sahil in Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa (2021)
    Once Upon a Time in Aotearoa
  • Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Oscar Isaac, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya in Dune (2021)
    Dune
  • Tina Guo: Moonhearts in Space Serj Tankian
  • Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
    Wonder Woman 1984
  • Freshy Kanal in Freshy Kanal Rap Battles (2017)
    Freshy Kanal Rap Battles
  • The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)
    The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

Composer

  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
    • Post-production
  • Dune: Part Two
    • Post-production
  • Mufasa: The Lion King
    • Pre-production
  • The Night Logan Woke Up (2022)
    The Night Logan Woke Up
  • Jeff Wilbusch and Juliana Canfield in The Calling (2022)
    The Calling
  • Frozen Planet II (2022)
    Frozen Planet II
  • Anthony Hopkins, Laura Dern, Hugh Jackman, George Cobell, Vanessa Kirby, and Zen McGrath in The Son (2022)
    The Son
  • Prehistoric Planet (2022)
    Prehistoric Planet
  • Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
    Top Gun: Maverick
  • Sandra Bullock in The Unforgivable (2021)
    The Unforgivable
    • (music by)
  • Matthias Schweighöfer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ruby O. Fee, Stuart Martin, and Guz Khan in Army of Thieves (2021)
    Army of Thieves
    • (music by)
  • Daniel Craig in No Time to Die (2021)
    No Time to Die
    • (music by)
  • Barry Levinson and Ben Foster in The Survivor (2021)
    The Survivor
  • Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Oscar Isaac, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya in Dune (2021)
    Dune
    • (music by)
  • Jeff Goldblum, Lisa Kudrow, James Marsden, Jimmy Kimmel, Eva Longoria, Amy Sedaris, David P. Smith, James Ryan, David Soren, James McGrath, Raphael Alejandro, Serenity Reign Brown, Ariana Greenblatt, Molly K. Gray, and Nova Reed in The Boss Baby 2: Family Business (2021)
    The Boss Baby 2: Family Business
    • (music by)
  • Parker: A Spider Man Origin Story (2021)
    Parker: A Spider Man Origin Story
  • Vaiva Kalinauskaite: Now We Are Free
  • Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
    Wonder Woman 1984
    • (music by)

Actor

  • Hans Zimmer and Alan Olav Walker in Hans Zimmer & Alan Walker: Time (Remix) (2020)
    Hans Zimmer & Alan Walker: Time (Remix)
  • Walmart: The Box (2018)
    Walmart: The Box
  • Alicia Keys Feat. Kendrick Lamar: It's on Again (2014)
    Alicia Keys Feat. Kendrick Lamar: It's on Again
  • Man kann ja nie wissen
  • Geoff Downes and The Buggles in The Buggles: Video Killed the Radio Star (1979)
    The Buggles: Video Killed the Radio Star

Videos12

The Dark Knight Project
Full Movie 14:47
The Dark Knight Project
Hans Zimmer in Three Scores
Clip 1:41
Hans Zimmer in Three Scores
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Clip 1:00
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
New Trailer
Trailer 2:24
New Trailer
Trailer #1
Trailer 2:06
Trailer #1
Black Hawk Down
Trailer 2:30
Black Hawk Down
Madagascar
Trailer 1:54
Madagascar
Invincible (2001)
Trailer 2:11
Invincible (2001)
"A Portrait of Solomon Northup"
Featurette 5:36
"A Portrait of Solomon Northup"
Sherlock Holmes: Meet the Musicians
Featurette 2:35
Sherlock Holmes: Meet the Musicians
Chappie
Featurette 2:26
Chappie
Super Bowl Spot
Promo 1:31
Super Bowl Spot

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Facebook
    • Hans Zimmer Live
    • September 12, 1957
    • Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, West Germany
    • Suzanne Zimmer1993 - present (filed for divorce, 4 children)
  • Other works
    He produced the song "History Of The World (Part 1)" by British punk band The Damned for their fourth LP "The Black Album".
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 6 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Completely self-taught, he learned everything he knows through collaboration and experimenting.
  • Quotes
    I have all these computers and keyboards and synthesizers, and I rattle away. For instance, with The Lion King (1994), I wrote over four hours' worth of tunes, and they were really pretty - but totally meaningless. So in the end I came up with material I liked. We worked on The Lion King for four years, but I wasn't toying until the last three-and-a-half weeks properly. On Crimson Tide (1995), on the other hand, I just went in and within seconds I knew what I wanted.
    • Uses elements from the characters' culture in the music, i.e. tribal chants in The Lion King (1994), guitar with vocals in Gladiator (2000) and ukulele in Pearl Harbor (2001)

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