2015's film output had one fascinating anomaly: composer Hans Zimmer, whose work is almost ubiquitous in any given year, didn’t score a single blockbuster. He did compose some scores, but it was for smaller films like Woman in Gold and Freeheld. And also Chappie, but the less said about Chappie the better. The “dry spell” for Zimmer-scored blockbusters ends early this year, though, with Kung Fu Panda 3 and, more notably, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Zimmer reunited with Man of Steel director Zack Snyder for the superhero follow-up, but he found a fix to prevent him from having to create a new Batman score following his work with Christopher Nolan, and that was bringing in former protégé Junkie XL to co-compose the score.
And now, a little over two months out from release, Zimmer has released a preview of a track from his and Junkie XL’s soundtrack called “Their War Here.” It’s an incredibly bombastic and propulsive piece of music, which I guess shouldn’t be too much of a surprise given that this is a Batman vs. Superman movie. I’ll be honest, I’m not over the moon about this first track—but it’s just that, a first track. I’m withholding judgment until hearing the full score in the context of the film, and as a fan of Zimmer’s work on Man of Steel and Junkie XL’s Mad Max: Fury Road score, I remain optimistic about the final product.
In addition to unveiling this soundtrack preview, Warner Bros. has also released the full details on the complete soundtrack, which will be released on March 18th and will be available digitally, on CD, 2-disc deluxe CD, and on Limited Edition 3-disc deluxe vinyl. The vinyl set features over 90 minutes of music, five bonus tracks, an exclusive poster and liner notes from the composers, so if you’re a Zimmer/Junkie XL superfan, that appears to be the way to go.
Listen to the soundtrack preview below, followed by the full tracklist and more details on the soundtrack release via press release. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in theaters on March 25th.
Here’s the tracklist:
Beautiful Lie
Their War Here
The Red Capes Are Coming
Day Of The Dead
Must There Be A Superman?
New Rules
Do You Bleed?
Problems Up Here
Black and Blue
Tuesday
Is She With You?
This Is My World
Men Are Still Good (The Batman Suite)
Blood Of My Blood (Bonus Track)**
Vigilante (Bonus Track)**
May I Help You, Mr. Wayne? (Bonus Track)**
They Were Hunters (Bonus Track)**
Fight Night (Bonus Track)**
** On deluxe versions only
And here’s the full press release:
JANUARY 15, 2016 – Los Angeles, CA - WaterTower Music announced today the March 18 release of the soundtrack to the upcoming feature film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” a collaborative effort by film composers Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL (aka Tom Holkenborg). Available digitally, on CD, 2-disc deluxe CD, and on Limited Edition 3-disc deluxe vinyl, the first public sample of the music has been made available HERE, and the album is now available for preorder. The 2-CD deluxe package, the digital deluxe version, and the 3-disc deluxe vinyl set feature over 90 minutes of music, five bonus tracks, an exclusive fold-out poster and liner notes from the composers. Additionally, the vinyl set features etched vinyl art and an album download card.
“Junkie XL is an incredibly insightful film composer. It was a perfect idea for us to work together on the ‘Batman v Superman’ score,” explained Academy-Award-winning composer Zimmer. Grammy nominee Junkie XL showed equal excitement at the pairing, saying, “Hans has an incredible legacy, and I was extremely thrilled when he approached me to work on ‘Batman v Superman’ with him.”
The composers discussed their close working relationship with director Zack Snyder. “Zack allows us to try things we haven’t tried before. He’s very supportive of the eccentricities that we bring to this,” says Zimmer. Junkie XL concurred. “He’s very open and accepting of our ideas, and infuses the creative process with an energy that inspires you.”
"Hans and Tom (Junkie XL) created an incredibly compelling and interesting new musical world for Batman, while continuing to expand on the amazing world and themes Hans had previously created for Superman,” noted director Zack Snyder. “By aligning their vision with my perspective and seeing the characters anew through the lens of the film they were able to support the visual aspects of movie in a way that elevates the film to another level. In so many ways, they become the final texture, the final note in the process of creating the world.”
“This electrifying collaboration brings us such brilliant new character themes,”
commented WaterTower Music head Jason Linn, “While we've been fortunate to work several times with both composers individually, this experience has been uniquely thrilling.”
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released March 18. It is now available for pre-order at iTunes, at Amazon, and can be preordered on Vinyl.
