Hans Zimmer doesn’t just score movies, he defines them – Pirates of the Caribbean, Wonder Woman, Interstellar, all elevated to iconic status by Zimmer’s bombastic contributions. With Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert, he brings many of these blockbuster compositions back to the big screen with a concert movie that’s genuinely breath-taking.
Filmed in part at Dubai’s spectacular Al Wasl Plaza dome, with sweeping shots of the desert and Dubai’s gleaming skyline framing the show, the result is a full-bodied audio-visual experience, captured with exhilarating precision by director Paul Dugdale.
With over 500 scores to his name and an armful of Academy Awards, Grammys, and Golden Globes, Hans Zimmer has done much to shape the sonic landscape of modern cinema – and his most popular work is featured here.
Highlights include the metal attack of The Dark Knight, the drama of Dune, and the joy of The Lion King. And yet, what makes this live event such a compelling watch is not just Zimmer, who is clearly a rocker at heart, but the array of musicians who bring his work to life.
Cellist Tina Guo, guitar virtuoso Guthrie Govan, and vocal powerhouses like Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator) and Loire Cotler (Dune) are just a few of the standout performers here. They don’t merely play these scores, they energise them.
With over 500 scores to his name and an armful of Academy Awards, Grammys, and Golden Globes, Zimmer has done much to shape the sonic landscape of modern cinema…
Despite a running time of 158 minutes, the film’s rapid-fire editing ensures that the momentum never falters.
Adding an extra layer of interest are black-and-white, interview segments with a roster of Zimmer’s collaborators. Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Billie Eilish, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Johnny Marr (among others) offer insights through casual banter.
These moments balance the spectacle with a documentary-like intimacy.
Dugdale, no stranger to capturing live performances, directs with a kinetic energy that matches the music. On stage there’s a band, percussion, an orchestra, flight cases full of synthesisers and a far from grand piano. Dugdale effortlessly weaves his way between them all.
I’m not sure Hans Zimmer & Friends really gets under the skin of the composer, although we do get a fleeting glance at his creative insecurities, and it probably won’t convert non-believers to his oeuvre, but if you’re a fan – and I most certainly am – the result is a euphoric cinematic experience.
Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert is directed by Paul Dugdale. Rated 12A, 158 minutes. Limited screenings begin March 19 in select cinemas.
Sky’s 2026 programme slate is a tantalising mix of recognisable franchises, new originals and returning favourites. Leading the content charge is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new chapter in the Game of Thrones universe set a century before the events of the original series, here swapping dragons strafing armadas for a smaller show…
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey has unveiled Revive Live, a nationwide campaign to support the UK’s independent music ecosystem, from grassroots venues and emerging artists to vinyl culture and local record shops. In partnership with Music Venue Trust, Metropolis Studios and Record Store Day, the initiative will run into 2026, bringing live music back to smaller…
From the vaults of William Grant & Sons comes Ladyburn Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw, a one-of-a-kind single malt created exclusively for The Distillers One of One charity auction. Drawn by hand from a single cask, this remarkable 58-year-old whisky represents the oldest expression ever bottled from Ladyburn, a distillery that operated for less than…
The Luxe Review 
Hans Zimmer doesn’t just score movies, he defines them – Pirates of the Caribbean, Wonder Woman, Interstellar, all elevated to iconic status by Zimmer’s bombastic contributions. With Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert, he brings many of these blockbuster compositions back to the big screen with a concert movie that’s genuinely breath-taking.
Filmed in part at Dubai’s spectacular Al Wasl Plaza dome, with sweeping shots of the desert and Dubai’s gleaming skyline framing the show, the result is a full-bodied audio-visual experience, captured with exhilarating precision by director Paul Dugdale.
With over 500 scores to his name and an armful of Academy Awards, Grammys, and Golden Globes, Hans Zimmer has done much to shape the sonic landscape of modern cinema – and his most popular work is featured here.
Highlights include the metal attack of The Dark Knight, the drama of Dune, and the joy of The Lion King. And yet, what makes this live event such a compelling watch is not just Zimmer, who is clearly a rocker at heart, but the array of musicians who bring his work to life.
Cellist Tina Guo, guitar virtuoso Guthrie Govan, and vocal powerhouses like Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator) and Loire Cotler (Dune) are just a few of the standout performers here. They don’t merely play these scores, they energise them.
Despite a running time of 158 minutes, the film’s rapid-fire editing ensures that the momentum never falters.
Adding an extra layer of interest are black-and-white, interview segments with a roster of Zimmer’s collaborators. Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Billie Eilish, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Johnny Marr (among others) offer insights through casual banter.
These moments balance the spectacle with a documentary-like intimacy.
Dugdale, no stranger to capturing live performances, directs with a kinetic energy that matches the music. On stage there’s a band, percussion, an orchestra, flight cases full of synthesisers and a far from grand piano. Dugdale effortlessly weaves his way between them all.
I’m not sure Hans Zimmer & Friends really gets under the skin of the composer, although we do get a fleeting glance at his creative insecurities, and it probably won’t convert non-believers to his oeuvre, but if you’re a fan – and I most certainly am – the result is a euphoric cinematic experience.
Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert is directed by Paul Dugdale. Rated 12A, 158 minutes. Limited screenings begin March 19 in select cinemas.
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Sky’s 2026 programme slate is a tantalising mix of recognisable franchises, new originals and returning favourites. Leading the content charge is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new chapter in the Game of Thrones universe set a century before the events of the original series, here swapping dragons strafing armadas for a smaller show…
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Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey has unveiled Revive Live, a nationwide campaign to support the UK’s independent music ecosystem, from grassroots venues and emerging artists to vinyl culture and local record shops. In partnership with Music Venue Trust, Metropolis Studios and Record Store Day, the initiative will run into 2026, bringing live music back to smaller…
Ladyburn unveils one-of-a-kind Marilyn Monroe whisky for One of One charity auction
From the vaults of William Grant & Sons comes Ladyburn Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw, a one-of-a-kind single malt created exclusively for The Distillers One of One charity auction. Drawn by hand from a single cask, this remarkable 58-year-old whisky represents the oldest expression ever bottled from Ladyburn, a distillery that operated for less than…
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