'Wonder Woman 1984': Patty Jenkins explains why Hans Zimmer replaced Rupert Gregson-Williams as composer

Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins has shed some light on why the original film’s composer, Rupert Gregson-Williams, was replaced by Hans Zimmer for the sequel.

Talking to Arab News, Jenkins paid tribute to Gregson-Williams saying that, although she’d had an ‘incredible’ experience working with him on the previous film, it made more sense for Zimmer to take the reins for 1984, because the score relies heavily on his Wonder Woman theme.

Zimmer wrote Diana’s stirring, guitar-driven ‘battle cry’ theme for the score of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which introduced Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman on screen for the very first time.

Read more: Positive reviews for Wonder Woman 1984

“Hans really is, I think, the greatest composer of our times,” Jenkins tells Arab News.

“Getting him to take on his own theme and this new shape of the world was just something I couldn’t pass up. We had a great time. He’s a genius. When he puts his spirit onto something, what comes out of him is pretty incredible. What a thrill!

“Watching him, he took the Wonder Woman theme that he had written, which is very ‘battle cry’, and he actually morphed it into this grand heroic superhero theme.”

Gregson-Williams later went on to score Aquaman for James Wan, and regularly composes music for Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison-produced films including Hubie Halloween and Murder Mystery.

Zimmer is one of the most in-demand composers in Hollywood, with his most recent scores appearing on The Lion King, SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On the Run, and Hillbilly Elegy.

Read more: Hans Zimmer is bringing big John Barry energy to his James Bond score

Alongside Wonder Woman 1984, his work will next be heard on Top Gun: Maverick, Dune, and No Time To Die. The title theme from his Bond film, performed by Billie Eilish, has been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Wonder Woman 1984 is in UK cinemas now. Watch the opening scene below.