In the world of filmmaking, Zack Snyder has often proven to be a divisive figure. Some love the edginess and stylized violence he brings to the table, especially with comic book movies like Watchmen and 300; others hate him for exactly that reason.
After facing backlash for DC films such as Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, Snyder seems to finally be getting the respect he deserves. In 2021, HBO Max released the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League to much critical and audience acclaim. That same year, his zombie flick Army of the Dead was a smash hit on Netflix, even earning the first ever Oscars Fan Favorite award, voted on by fans on Twitter.
Now, Zack Snyder is working on an ambitious new sci-fi movie for Netflix called Rebel Moon, and with Netflix’s blessing he can make it as dark and edgy as he wants. This could be the beginning of the next great sci-fi franchise. Here is everything you need to know about Rebel Moon.
What is the plot of Rebel Moon?
Rebel Moon is set in a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy that finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius. Its only hope is a young woman with a mysterious past who seeks out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.
The film is written by Snyder himself along with co-writers Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) and Kurt Johnstad (300). Snyder has cited the classic film Seven Samurai as an influence on this movie. This sounds quite interesting, and we can’t help but be intrigued by which colorful characters are going to clash with which mustache-twirling villains throughout the course of this movie.
Rebel Moon began as a pitch for a Star Wars film
From the plot to the name, Rebel Moon might make you think about a familiar galaxy far, far away. After all, it has plucky rebels fighting off a powerful space empire. And Zack Snyder would be the first to agree with you. That’s because he originally envisioned his film as a Star Wars movie!
As reported by What’s On Netflix, Snyder actually pitched his film as a more mature Star Wars movie set in a more grounded universe. However, his chances of getting approved tanked as soon as Disney acquired Star Wars, though the success of movies like Rogue One and spinoff series like Andor prove that Snyder was right: the public is hungry for more mature Star Wars stories.
Long story short? We expect that Star Wars fans are likely to enjoy this movie. And they are also likely to recognize a few locations. Rebel Moon is being shot in Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California, the same park that was used for filming scenes in both A New Hope and Return of the Jedi!
Who is cast in Rebel Moon?
So far, we only know a few of the characters that will definitely be in this movie. But what we do know sounds very exciting.
For example, Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) will play the protagonist, Kora, a feisty hero not afraid to get her hands dirty. Ed Skrein (Game of Thrones), will play her foe, the evil warlord Balisarius.
Ray Fisher, who gave a standout performance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League as Cyborg, plays a character with the awesome-sounding name Blood Axe.
Djimon Hounsou (Amistad) plays the intimidating General Titus, who looks resplendent in the above photo showcasing his intricate battle armor.
Meanwhile, two-time Academy Award-winning acting legend Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) is lending his distinctive voice to the CGI character Jimmy, a sentient battle robot who once defended a slain king.
Other big names in the cast include Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Jena Malone (Sucker Punch), Cory Stoll (Ant-Man), and Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy).
Rebel Moon will be split into two films
At this point, there is no way of telling how successful Rebel Moon will be. Nonetheless, one thing is guaranteed: you can expect a sequel. Rebel Moon has been planned as a two-part film, with both parts filming back-to-back. Filming began in April 2022 and is expected to end on Nov. 4. The budget for part one is reportedly $90 million.
The most obvious question is, what is Rebel Moon‘s release date? While no release date has been announced, we can probably expect part one in 2023. It’s currently unknown if Netflix will want to release part two in the same year or spread them out a year apart.
But will Rebel Moon stop at two movies? Snyder has indicated he might turn Rebel Moon into its own cinematic universe, à la Army of the Dead, which spawned a prequel film (Army of Thieves), a planned sequel (Planet of the Dead), and an anime prequel series in the works (Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas). So, it may not be too long before Netflix has its own Star Wars-type franchise to help them compete with Disney+.
One thing’s for sure, never underestimate Zack Snyder!
Great article!