British composer Harry Gregson-Williams has said there was “plenty of pressure” following in the footsteps of Hans Zimmer to create the Gladiator II soundtrack, but his former boss was “bursting with pride” on hearing the new music.
Gregson-Williams said Oscar-winning composer Zimmer, who wrote the score for the original film, was “one of the first calls” he made after Sir Ridley Scott offered him the Gladiator sequel 18 months ago.
“I was really thrilled to be asked by Ridley, but it was not something I ever expected to do – a sequel to a Hans Zimmer score – him being my old boss and all that,” the composer told the PA news agency.
Gregson-Williams moved to Los Angeles in June 1995 to “learn the ropes” as an assistant to Zimmer, who has remained “very supportive and encouraging” of his career.
While recording the new Gladiator soundtrack at Abbey Road Studios in London, Zimmer appeared virtually to hear the new Gladiator music being performed, featuring many musicians who “played the first score for him”.
“His face appeared up above the orchestra, and we all had a joyful time doing it – that was great,” Gregson-Williams told PA.
They played him the final cue in the film which contains a nod to Zimmer’s original theme music.
“He (Zimmer) was bursting with pride that morning, when he appeared virtually in Abbey Road Studio One in front of the orchestra. He’s never shy of a crowd, I can tell you that much.”
Zimmer appeared on the final day of the career of concert master Perry Montague-Mason, whose first pieces for the London Studio Orchestra included “the original Gladiator 25 years previously”.
“It was a full circle moment that was just a coincidence,” Gregson-Williams said.
The 63-year-old composer spoke about the challenges of taking over from Zimmer, whose original music won an Oscar nod.
“I’ve never done a sequel to a movie that somebody else scored the first one, let alone my ex-boss and (it being) so iconic, and a much-loved score as it is,” Gregson-Williams told PA.
“Really the biggest challenge was in my head, a matter of trying to push aside anxiety, and feeling a bit vulnerable about the fact that his score is held in such high esteem (and) how was I possibly going to deliver something myself.
“There was plenty of pressure, mostly self-imposed, but I got my head around the task at hand, which was to embody the essence of what he played out in the first movie, and what Ridley had done so well with the first movie.”
Zimmer told him “there is no one better placed to do this than you” after Gregson-Williams said “I hope I can do it justice.”
The Gladiator II soundtrack was this week named on the Oscars shortlist for best original score.
“I’m very happy about that. I’m rather surprised, but I’m very happy,” Gregson-Williams told PA.
The historical epic also received two Golden Globe nominations for supporting actor Denzel Washington and box office achievement – but did not land a nod for its music.
The original film won best picture for Sir Ridley and best original score for Zimmer at the 2001 Golden Globe ceremony.
On being snubbed, Gregson-Williams told PA: “I’ve been here long enough to know that you can’t sit around expecting to write music in order to catch the attention of whoever the Golden Globe people are, or anybody else.
“It’s a thrill to work with Ridley Scott on a movie that people really want to see and that’s the bottom line really – I wasn’t surprised at all.”
Gregson-Williams said he counts himself “very lucky” to have worked on many films with Sir Ridley, including The Martian, House Of Gucci and Prometheus, as well as with the director’s late brother.
Filmmaker Tony Scott died by suicide in Los Angeles in August 2012.
“I was so lucky for him (Tony) to ask me to score a film in 1996 called Enemy Of The State. After that, I did Man On Fire, from that, I did Spy Game, Domino, The Taking Of Pelham 123, Unstoppable, on and on and on until the day he died,” Gregson-Williams said.
“I’m very well aware there’s plenty of choice out there.
“If I think too hard about the composers that Ridley has had, I probably wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning.
“We’re talking Hans Zimmer, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, Vangelis – it’s pretty intimidating.
“I’ve learned not to expect anything, and if a call does come then to jump at the chance and do my level best.”
Gladiator II, starring Irish actor Paul Mescal, was released in the UK last month.
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