It goes without saying that Blade Runner 2049 has big shoes to fill. Not only is it a follow-up to what has, over the past 35 years, grown into a cult classic, but it also has to recapture the spectacular imagery and tone of Ridley Scott’s future noir. Then there’s the music: Blade Runner‘s composer, Vangelis, created a dreamy, hypnotic soundscape back in 1982, and coming up with a score that can compare favourably to it must be a daunting task for any musician.

This might explain why, if a new report is correct, there might have been a changing of the guard on Denis Villeneuve’s forthcoming sequel. Originally, Villeneuve’s longtime collaborator Johann Johannson was working on the soundtrack; it’s now being reported that Johansson has moved onto other projects, and that Hans Zimmer – among the most in-demand composers currently going – has taken over.

It’s a surprising development, given that Johansson brought us the booming, monumental scores to Villeneuve’s most recent films – most memorably Sicario and Arrival. Then again, Zimmer’s a master of loud, electronic and percussive soundtracks – check out the nerve-shredding sonic assault in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk – so if the story’s correct, then he’s a logical replacement.

The report hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we’ll keep you updated as and when we hear more. Blade Runner 2049 opens on October 6.