Film score composer Hans Zimmer boasts a discography that’s nothing short of legendary. A Grammy-winning artist behind some of the most iconic movie soundtracks, including astonishing titles like Interstellar, Inception, Dune, The Dark Knight, Blade Runner 2049, and so much more, Zimmer has become indelible to the framework of cinematic music.
Among his countless endeavors, one resulted from a complete accident.
And not just that, Zimmer had thought that the pursuit at its nascent was the ‘worst idea’ he heard at the time. So, then, what led him into the world of Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl? He recounted his experience with Gore Verbinski’s Disneyland attraction-inspired movie as he looked back on his decorated career.
Hans Zimmer Initially Didn’t Think Too Highly of Pirates of the Caribbean
Breaking down the innumerous movie projects the 66-year-old German film score composer has committed himself to over his long, embellished career, Zimmer told Vanity Fair of his experiences on the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The Gore Verbinski-directed movie, inspired by the Disney theme parks’ attraction of the same name, starred Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, etc.
Following the adventures of Jack Sparrow, the movie fared well among critics, audiences, and on the commercial front. Its triumph galvanized a franchise, allowing the protagonist (and, by extension, the lead actor) to become a media icon. Besides the stand-alone experience of the film resonating with viewers, the music, credited to Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer, became an innate part of the immersion.
To think that what’d later became a classic soundtrack in Zimmer’s discography was birthed out of a total accident. And what with the album’s producer not even impressed by the idea at its inception, the aftermath felt like a meant-to-be moment. Talking of his initial reservations about a Pirate-related movie, the film score composer spoke:
“Pirates was a complete accident. I was working with Gore [Verbinski] on something. I said, ‘So, what are you doing next?’ He’s going, ‘Well, I’m thinking of doing this Pirates movie.’ Okay, Pirates movie… really? Seriously? This is the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
It was only later that Zimmer would be proven wrong of his pre-conceptions. One day, he was asked to come over and look at what Verbinski had brought to fruition. To say that the producer had his mind blown would be an understatement.
How Hans Zimmer Got Attached To Pirates of the Caribbean
When Zimmer was shown the movie, he couldn’t believe how wrong he had been with his earlier judgment. What Gore Verbinski showed him went beyond his initial expectations. The Oscar-winning producer recalled:
“I got a phone call from Gore on a Sunday going, ‘Come over … look at this thing.’ He showed me a movie that I couldn’t possibly have imagined, you know, when he was talking about it. And I loved how wrong I was and how right he was.”
At first, composer Alan Silvestri was appointed for the score of The Curse of the Black Pearl, having shared past collaborative experience with director Gore Verbinski. Alas, that ship sank due to creative differences. Thus, when Hans Zimmer was tasked to join the project, he realized he didn’t have much time.
According to reports, at that point, he was also committed to another project (The Last Samurai), so he directed the team to seek Klaus Badelt’s assistance.
While Zimmer wasn’t willing to undertake the responsibility of scoring the entire bulk of the project, he could barely stop himself from collaborating with Badelt and contributing to the film (via Soundtrack.net). Thus, they wrote the main themes and tunes of the score together.
He recalled to Vanity Fair the experience of going home with the urgency of writing a theme, starting at 7:30 in the evening. Although it had been a struggle—despite the multiple ideas that kept ‘exploding’ within himself—he finished at 5 in the morning.
And that summed up Hans Zimmer’s contribution to the first film in the series, where Klaus Badelt was credited as the composer for the soundtrack and the former as its music producer.
This wouldn’t be the 66-year-old’s only rendezvous with the franchise. Zimmer tagged along as the composer and producer for the second, third, and fourth films, only for the fifth to be scored by Geoff Zanelli.
With a sixth film currently in development, one can only wonder whether Zimmer’s tenure within the series has, in fact, come to a conclusion or if there’s scope for a probable return. For now, you can go on a trip down memory lane and immerse yourself in the previous films in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, all of which are available for streaming on Disney+.
