Hans Zimmer has made it clear: his music for HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” reboot will sound nothing like the scores John Williams wrote for the original films. In an interview with Collider, Zimmer said he wants to keep his work as far from Williams’ sound as possible.
“I can’t write like John Williams, but even if I could, I would try to stay away as far as possible and try to be original,” Zimmer told Collider.
The pressure is real. Williams composed the scores for the first three “Harry Potter” films, which arrived between 2001 and 2004. His signature theme, “Hedwig’s Theme,” appears in all seven films and is widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of film music ever.
Zimmer’s Superman Experience
Zimmer knows what it feels like to follow Williams. His previous work with Snyder came on “Man of Steel,” the 2013 Superman film. Williams had already scored the 1978 “Superman” film and its 1980 sequel.
“When I was doing ‘Man of Steel,’ which, of course, is Superman, for three months I was running around going, ‘I don’t know. I can’t do this. I can’t do this because it’s John Williams. John Williams is — it’s brilliant! It’s brilliant!'” Zimmer said.
Christopher Nolan was a producer on “Man of Steel,” and he pushed Snyder to check on Zimmer’s progress. Snyder called Zimmer and said, “Can I come down?” Zimmer replied, “I don’t really have anything,” and Snyder shot back, “Well, I’ll be there on Tuesday.” So Zimmer came up with a tune, but he remained incredibly worried about it.
“Zack just said the simplest thing to me. He said, ‘Hans, it was just a movie. This is just a movie.'”
The Lesson From Superman
Zimmer said Snyder’s response was liberating. “It’s just a movie, and my life is all about making music for movies, which I do because I love it. I love the movies, and I love having fun with it.”
The quote captures the whole spirit of Zimmer’s approach. He is not trying to top Williams. He is trying to create something distinct.
The Reboot Timeline
The “Harry Potter” reboot is a major project for HBO. Season 1 will debut near Christmas. The trailers released so far show a project with a clear ambition to stand apart from the original films.
The source material does not describe the trailers in detail beyond noting they share similarities with the original movies. What it does establish is that the music will be different, with Zimmer’s comments making that distinction explicit.
Zimmer’s Decision
Zimmer’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview with Collider. The excerpt focuses on Zimmer’s relationship with Williams’ legacy.
The takeaway is simple: expect a fresh musical approach when the series arrives on HBO. The trailers may look familiar, but the soundtrack will sound different.
Source material: “HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Music Will Be ‘As Far Away as Possible’ From the Movies; Hans Zimmer Says ‘I Can’t Write Like John Williams’,” Variety.
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