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[Dan]

Since when were Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard collaborating on Batman Begins? I swear when the project was initially ramping up it was David Julyan, who worked with Nolan on his previous films. This could have the making of a pretty cool score. Both have done good work in different areas, and together they might be able to do something really special. Hans Zimmer, or at least the scores in his name (more on that below), has done some great action music while James Newton Howard has done some pretty fabulous darker and atmospheric stuff, in my opinion. Just another reason I'm pumped for this movie.

On a semi-related note, anyone know what happened with that lawsuit against Hans Zimmer?

12/6/03 - Composer Hans Zimmer is being sued by former associate and friend, composer Jay Rifkin, ending their 30-year friendship and a 15-year professional partnership that produced the creation of the Media Ventures scoring studio enterprise. According to the $10 million breach-of-fiduciary-duties suit, Hans Zimmer has abruptly withdrawn from his co-leadership of Media Ventures and attempted to lure several composers away with him after finishing work on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. In some cases, this would be a breach of contract for those assistant composers. Furthermore, the suit exposes Media Ventures' "practice of hiring resident composers who 'ghosted' parts of Zimmer's motion picture scores, with Zimmer receiving main-title composer credit and keeping 'the lion's share' of the fees." Rifkin alleges that Zimmer suddenly abandoned their shared Media Ventures business and then smeared Rifkin's reputation while committing "a textbook example of breach of fiduciary duties." In response to claims that Zimmer attempted to isolate Rifkin by tarnishing his professional reputation, Zimmer's attorney has stated that Rifkin is only attempting to steal Zimmer's larger spotlight. A countersuit is expected in the coming weeks. The future of Media Ventures, meanwhile, is in considerable doubt.