‘Dark Knight’ Score is Oscar Eligible Again

Published by Jeff Leins on: December 9th, 2008

The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences has reversed its November 10 decision, allowing the musical score for The Dark Knight to be eligible for an Oscar.

The original decision by the executive committee was to disqualify the movie based on the cue sheet, which listed an over-the-limit five collaborators on the music.  After consideration, they have ruled that Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are the two main composers.

The ballots haven’t been printed or mailed, so it does not affect the nomination voting.

On the 2-disc DVD (released today), Hans Zimmer talks about the unsettling Joker theme music that plays anytime the villain is on screen.  “I wanted to write something people would truly hate,” said Zimmer.  According to the DVD, he compiled about 90,000 bars of experimental music, including hitting piano strings with razor blades.  In the end, he decided to go with a single note drawn painfully slow over a cello string.

Director Christopher Nolan said he listened to the score while flying to Hong Kong to scout locations.  He said hearing the score “was a pretty unpleasant experience, frankly.”