Why Hans Zimmer’s Latest Creation Could Be Crucial The Future Of Movie Theaters

Hans Zimmer is famous for scoring movies such as 'Dune: Part Two' but his latest project takes an ... More unexpected turn
Warner Bros
Hans Zimmer has done it all in the movie music industry. Over more than four decades the German composer has produced some of Hollywood’s most memorable and sweeping scores from Gladiator and Interstellar to Dune and Pirates of the Caribbean. The productions he has scored have grossed a combined $28 billion and earned him two Oscars, three Golden Globes and five Grammy Awards. However, his latest project could be even more significant than all of those accolades as it could play a crucial role in getting the movie theater sector back to its pre-pandemic highs.
It's fair to say that the past five years have been more challenging for movie theaters than any other period since the dawn of cinema. First the Covid-19 pandemic brought the curtain down on theaters all over the world and then when their doors finally swung open again they had to tempt an audience which had become accustomed to streaming new releases in their own homes and was wary of being in a crowded room whilst a deadly disease was raging.
Then came a cost of living crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine and governments increasing taxes to cover the cost of furlough payments during the pandemic. This led to a slump in streaming subscriptions and a surge in piracy aided by the studios putting their archives of content online. Some theater chains couldn’t survive this perfect storm and it wasn't a breeze for the ones which managed to navigate these choppy waters.
Just as theaters were righting their ships along came the SAG-AFTRA strikes followed by the devastating wildfires in California at the start of this year. Last month movie industry specialists Gower Street Analytics forecast that this year’s global box office will hit $34.1 billion, 13% less than the average of the last three pre-pandemic years with North America finishing 17% down thanks to its anticipated $9.5 billion haul.
It has caused some commentators to question whether the theater sector has been bruised beyond repair but one company is proving that this is far from the case and it has enlisted Zimmer to shine a spotlight on this. In true Hollywood fashion, there is a twist to the tale as the company is based in one of the most unexpected locations.