While fans have not yet quite given up calls to “restore the Snyderverse,” filmmaker Zack Snyder has moved on from the DCU with some new and exciting projects. In addition to revisiting his Dawn of the Dead concept in 2021’s Army of the Dead, the filmmaker is preparing to build a whole new universe with Rebel Moon. Snyder has not tried to hide the role that Star Wars played in inspiring his latest project, a space opera that will likely pique the interest of fans of the franchise.
How Star Wars shaped Rebel Moon
The Star Wars influence may be particularly strong in Rebel Moon, considering it was initially developed as an actual Star Wars film. It’s unclear when the Star Wars story would’ve taken place in that universe’s timeline. Snyder had pitched his more “mature” take on the Star Wars universe to Lucasfilm before it was acquired by Disney in 2012. However, the film didn’t become a reality before the acquisition, and as a result, Snyder decided to redevelop the project. Drawing inspiration from Japanese filmmaker and painter Akira Kurosawa, he refashioned his Star Wars project into Rebel Moon and sold the rights to Netflix.
Even though the film is still in development, Snyder has already expressed interest in expanding on Rebel Moon. He stated that he wanted the film to turn into “a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.” He already has the beginnings of a universe as Rebel Moon has been confirmed to be a two-part saga, and Super Evil Megacorp is already partnering with Netflix to develop a Rebel Moon video game. For the film, Snyder will be taking on the roles of director, writer, producer, and director of photography. From the sound of it, Rebel Moon seems to be taking the shape of a true passion project that allows Snyder to show his love for sci-fi and his knack for meticulous world-building. Here’s everything we know about Snyder’s new space opera so far.
Rebel Moon‘s release date
On January 18, Netflix released a teaser revealing a slew of release dates for its upcoming 2023 films. Rebel Moon was among the 2023 projects to receive an official release date of December 22, 2023. Additionally, on August 22, the titles and release dates of both parts were confirmed. The first part is titled Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire and is still slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix on December 22. Meanwhile, a follow-up film, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, will arrive on the platform on April 19, 2024.
Rebel Moon trailer
Rebel Moon‘s first official teaser trailer was released by Netflix on August 22.
The trailer is narrated by Anthony Hopkins, who also stars in the film, and gives viewers a look into the grand cinematic flair of Rebel Moon. Hopkins’ character speaks of the legend of Princess Issa, who was prophesied to end the war and spark a new age of peace. It seems he was created to protect and serve the Princess but failed in his duties when the girl was killed. The trailer then shifts to the present day and sees the people revolting against an oppressive ruler and his armies, as the narrator points out that the king is just a man and can fail.
Rebel Moon’s trailer teases an unusually grand scale for a streaming film. It boasts the signature grand and inventive style of Snyder and is packed with gorgeous visuals and action. The trailer teases elements of both sci-fi and fantasy, as well as strongly resembles Star Wars with its lightsaber-like weapons, aliens, and spaceships. Viewers will get a good sense of the scale and vision of Rebel Moon from its trailer, and it certainly appears very ambitious and grand, but it remains to be seen how well the seemingly straightforward plot will serve the two-part saga.
The cast of Rebel Moon
Starring as the film’s lead protagonist, Kora, is Algerian actress Sofia Boutella. Boutella is known for her roles in The Kingsman, The Mummy, and Atomic Blonde, and purportedly “wowed” Snyder with her audition for Rebel Moon. Her character is a mysterious woman tasked with rallying warriors to save her world from invasion by the tyrant Regent Belisarius, played by Les Misérables and Hawkeye star Fra Free. Djimon Hounsou, known for Amistad and his roles in both the MCU and DCU, will play one of Belisarius’ former generals, General Titus, who switches to the rebel side.
The film has also reunited Snyder with Ray Fisher, who portrayed Cyborg in the DCU. In Rebel Moon, Fisher is playing a character named Darrian Bloodaxe, who appears to be a warrior, and Cleopatra Coleman will portray his onscreen sister, Devra Bloodaxe. Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins will also appear in the film as the voice of Jimmy, a sentient robot. Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam is Kai, a mercenary who gives off serious Green Arrow vibes in the trailer. Meanwhile, Deadpool star Ed Skrein is portraying the antagonist Admiral Atticus Nobel, a member of the Imperium Army who is staunchly loyal to Belisarius.
Rebel Moon also features Michiel Huisman as Gunnar, Starz Nair as Tarak, Doona Bae as the cyborg Nemesis, E. Duffy as Millius, and Jena Malone as Harmada. All of these characters are various warriors and friends who are recruited by Kora to support the rebel cause. Rounding out the cast in undisclosed roles are Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes, Stuart Martin, Alfonso Herrera, and Ray Porter.
The crew
In addition to reuniting with some of the actors he’s worked with over the years, Snyder is reuniting with some of his fellow screenwriters and producers for Rebel Moon. Joining Snyder on the screenplay are Army of the Dead and Army of Thieves writer Shay Hatten and 300 co-writer Kurt Johnstad. Longtime Snyder collaborators Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller are credited as producers. Needless to say, Snyder has a lot of close confidants and like-minded filmmakers, writers, and producers on his team, which bodes well for making his Rebel Moon vision a reality.
The plot of Rebel Moon
The official Netflix synopsis for Rebel Moon reads:
A peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy is threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent named Belisarius. The desperate civilians dispatch a young woman who has a mysterious past to seek out warriors from nearby planets to help them challenge the regent.
Rebel Moon will largely focus on the formation of a rebellion by a young woman named Kora against an oppressive regime known as the Imperium. It has also been revealed that Kora was a former member of the Imperium herself before she escaped to the quiet farming community on the moon Veldt. However, it seems the regime following her to Veldt and disrupting the community may be her breaking point and inspire her to start a rebellion.
While there aren’t a lot of details in the synopsis, it is expected that Rebel Moon will be a rather complex story. After all, Snyder expects it to lay the foundation for an entire film universe. Hence Rebel Moon may serve as more of an origin story to introduce viewers to its main cast of characters and their universe. In addition to a very large cast, the special effects are expected to be pretty elaborate, with the trailer and concept footage showing multiple different worlds, armies of soldiers, robots, and even a character who looks a lot like Hellraiser‘s Pinhead. As in Star Wars, there will likely be many different planets, species, and droids in Rebel Moon.
Teasing his expansive world-building, Snyder stated, “I’ve spent the last two or three years building out this universe. Every corner has to be painted in. I’ve been doing designs, constantly drawing and really cultivating its fertile ground to make this world fully realized.”
Rebel Moon first-look footage
Before Rebel Moon‘s trailer arrived, it received a very brief teaser in Netflix’s 2023 films preview. The teaser starts at 2:01 in the below video.
The brief clip shows a ship landing on a deserted-looking planet, before cutting to Hounsou’s frightening General Titus, who urges his men to “show them no mercy.” Both Boutella and Hunnam’s characters can also be glimpsed. They are seen wielding guns and getting in on the action as a war seemingly breaks out. The clip is just enough to give us a sense of Rebel Moon‘s world-building, special effects, and action-packed premise.
(featured image: Netflix)
