Zimmer at the May premiere of DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda 2."
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesThe latest summer tentpole to feature a Hans Zimmer score is Disney’s upcoming The Lone Ranger.
And while the famed composer relied on a dozen drums to help him create the Man of Steel score, for this movie, he used a less conventional, more authentic instrument: a train.
PHOTOS: ‘The Lone Ranger’ Character Posters Send Johnny Depp to Wild West
Locomotives are featured prominently in the movie, and Zimmer used an old train on the property of his neighbor, X-Files creator Chris Carter, to create a programmable drum kit that he used for the score’s rhythm and bass line.
“I said, ‘Chris, do you mind if I come over with a tape recorder and a sledgehammer, and we do some unspeakable things to your train?’ ” Zimmer tells LA Weekly.
“I don’t care what my instruments are. I like when they bleed into what you see on the screen. Trains have great rhythms and grooves, and all I wanted to do was order the chaos a bit so that, maybe a little like Mussolini, ‘the trains would arrive on time.’ ”
STORY: ‘Lone Ranger’ Premiere Brings Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and the Wild West to Disneyland
Zimmer replaced musician Jack White as The Lone Ranger‘s composer after the latter had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
He previously worked with the film’s director, Gore Verbinski, and star Johnny Depp on the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Rango.
The Lone Ranger hits theaters on July 3.
