Hans Zimmer Composing ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Was a ‘Complete Accident’
With such an iconic vibe, fans turn to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack to reminisce about the Disney theme parks and the harrowing tales of Jack Sparrow. Here’s what we know about Hans Zimmer’s musical involvement.
Hans Zimmer composed the soundtrack for Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’
It’s a pirates life for Disney fans. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl tells the story of Jack Sparrow and his infamous Black Pearl. However, it was somewhat inspired by the Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme park attractions of the same name.
After finding box office success, these films then inspired changes to the Pirates of the Caribbean rides, with Disney’s theme parks adding Jack Sparrow and other characters to the attraction.
This film is also known for its unique soundtrack, somewhat informed by the theme park ride. The production was composed by Zimmer, the Grammy Award-winning artist behind the Interstellar and Dune soundtracks.
Hans Zimmer thought working on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ was ‘the worst idea’ he ever heard
Zimmer wasn’t the first choice to compose the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack — the feeling was mutual. With Disney’s last theme park ride-turned feature film (The Country Bears) flopping, this artist was less than excited to hear about Verbinski’s project.
“Pirates was a complete accident,” Zimmer said during an interview with Cinema Blend. “I was working with [director] Gore [Verbinski] on something, and I said to him, ‘So, what are you doing next?’ He’s going, ‘Well, I’m thinking of doing this Pirates movie.’ Ok, Pirates movie… really? Seriously? This is the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
“I got a phone call from Gore on a Sunday going, ‘Come over, have a look at this thing,’” he continued. “He showed me a movie that I couldn’t possibly have imagined when he was talking about it. And I loved how wrong I was and how right he was.”
Because he was replacing Alan Silvestri as the film’s composer, Zimmer had less time than usual to create music. Still, the soundtrack is partly why this Disney film succeeded. Fans shared their appreciation for “The Black Pearl,” “The Medallion Calls,” and “Will and Elizabeth.” “He’s a Pirate” from this original soundtrack has over 115 million Spotify plays.
Hans Zimmer appeared as the composer for other Disney projects, including ‘The Lion King’
Hans Zimmer returned to compose music for other Pirates of the Caribbean movies, including Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End — both are available on the subscription service Disney+. He then passed the composing torch to Geoff Zanelli for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise wouldn’t be the only time Zimmer worked with Walt Disney Studios, as this composer also appeared on the soundtrack for The Lion King and its 2019 remake.
