Renowned music producer Hans Zimmer, who co-composed the score for Harrison Ford’s Blade Runner 2049 with Benjamin Wallfisch, initially turned down working on the project!

Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch’s contributions to the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack album made it an astounding follow-up to the original 1982 film’s Vangelis-produced score.

Despite the responsibility of living up to the predecessor and continuing its legacy falling on their shoulders, Zimmer and Wallfisch’s Grammy-nominated score doesn’t attempt to compete with the first endeavor. It is distinct, mesmerizing, and captivating in and of itself; the only resemblance to Vangelis’s is the use of the Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer.

Hans Zimmer. Credit: The Jonathan Ross Show/YouTube

With how well-loved the soundtrack to the Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling starrer ended up being, Zimmer’s recent revelation on his Instagram page comes off as a shocker. When the German film score composer was approached for the gig, phoned by none other than the director, Denis Villeneuve, he outright declined.

The reason? He had to embark on his first-ever live tour the very next day! Sounds like an impossible scenario, right? But it turns out that Villeneuve’s persuasion skills are more potent than Zimmer may have expected.

How The Blade Runner 2049 Soundtrack Nearly Didn’t Come To Be

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Posting on Instagram reels, Hans Zimmer reflected on the memories attached to the Blade Runner 2049 score.

He disclosed that he initially declined the gig when Denis Villeneuve, the film’s director, phoned him up. The Interstellar alum had previously shared similar details to Fact Magazine, saying that Villeneuve and film editor Joe Walker were facing some difficulties and feeling stuck with the soundtrack. They wished to visit Zimmer for a chat. As reiterated in the interview, the composer responded, “Absolutely not.”

Recalling the incident on the reel, Hans Zimmer stated that the reason for the rejection had been his live tour, which was scheduled to occur the next day. He claimed:

“Denis Villeneuve phoned me, and I was supposed to go on tour the next day. I said to him, ‘No way will this ever happen.’ … I said, ‘Absolutely no way.’ And he, I promise you—within ten minutes—he opened the door, came in, and showed me the film. I came up with something … It was an adventure in one night.”

Zimmer’s rejection could’ve nearly ruined Blade Runner 2049! Credit: Vanity Fair/YouTube

Now, many would think that the soundtrack was created overnight. While that would be a miraculous feat, it wasn’t the case. In the Fact Magazine interview, it is mentioned that Denis Villeneuve suggested getting British composer Benjamin Wallfisch, who had collaborated with Zimmer numerous times, on board.

This became one of the additional catalysts for Hans Zimmer’s agreeing to the endeavor. The two would soon begin their musical concoction of what would eventually become the soundtrack, with the guiding element being a chord progression played by the German music producer.

Hans Zimmer’s Chord Progression Became The Backbone Of The Blade Runner 2049 Score

Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Fact Magazine mentions that after the four creatives assembled in Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions, described as a campus of studios, they watched the Villeneuve film the night before the composer departed for his first-ever live tour.

It’s said that while viewing the film in his studio, Zimmer felt influenced to experiment with a chord progression on his keyboard. This ultimately grew into a theme that served as the primary foundation for the Blade Runner 2049 score.

With him having to go on his musical tour the following day, the responsibility of carrying forward the soundtrack was momentarily transferred to co-composer Benjamin Wallfisch. “Ben, you’re on,” Hans Zimmer remembered saying before he was off to leave.

Hans Zimmer and Denis Villeneuve. Credit: NYFF59

When Zimmer was given ten days off in the middle of the tour, he returned to formulating the score alongside Wallfisch instead of resting. Reminiscing the effort, the former stated, “I’ve never worked harder than I did in those ten days.”

It’s impossible to imagine what would’ve been of the score if Zimmer had been firm on his rejection. On working with Villeneuve, which resulted in an experience that was enjoyable and worth loving, the Grammy-winning talent stated, “I’d never met Denis, [but] within moments, I felt [he was] a long lost brother, someone I’ve had life-long conversations with.”

Their collaboration wouldn’t stop at the Ryan Gosling starrer. Hans Zimmer bore the scoring duties for Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune, released in 2021. Not only that, but he came back to write the soundtrack for the upcoming 2024 sequel, too!

Here’s to hoping this outstanding partnership will endure into future undertakings.