First Look At Netflix’s Star Wars Rip-Off
Netflix has finally released the first look at Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon.
Netflix has finally given us a good look at the upcoming Zack Snyder movie Rebel Moon and it certainly looks dramatic. The shot is still unfinished as evidenced by the green screen visible at the top of the frame, but it seems like it’s shaping up to be an epic franchise. It’ll be interesting to see the movie slowly reveal more as we get closer to a trailer.
Netflix’s Rebel Moon is a film about a young emissary who is sent out to recruit warriors from nearby planets to save her own colony from the clutches of a tyrannical regime. Sofia Boutella is set to play the lead with Ed Skrein playing the evil regent Balisarius. Ray Fisher has been cast in the role of Blood Axe, Djimon Hounsou plays General Titus, and Anthony Hopkins will be voicing a sentient battle robot.
Along with these announced roles, the cast of Netflix’s Rebel Moon is rounded out by Charlie Hunnam, Jena Malone, Corey Stoll, Cleopatra Coleman, Fra Fee, Cary Elwes, Stuart Martin, Alfonso Herrera, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, and Staz Nair in undisclosed roles. Zack Snyder is directing and co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad. Deadline also confirmed that the film will be split into two parts, taking a page from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and the next Mission: Impossible film.
This would line up with Zack Snyder’s earlier statements, where he said he wants to build out the universe and turn it into a “massive IP.” If Netflix gets a good response from the first Rebel Moon movie, Snyder might just get his wish. This franchise could be Snyder’s redemption for his missed opportunity to build out a connected DC universe.
Netflix’s Rebel Moon will be a fresh and original IP from Snyder, so maybe it will fare better than his attempts in the DC sandbox. It certainly seems inspired by the Star Wars franchise and Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (itself an inspiration from Star Wars). With a solid foundation to work from, perhaps this IP could be the massive hit Snyder needs.
Zack Snyder eventually got to release his director’s cut of Justice League thanks to pressure from fans and social media, but it wasn’t enough to make him the primary voice going forward in the DCU. Instead, the reins were handed to James Gunn and Peter Safran, who are taking the DC franchise in a new direction and leaving quite a few casualties in their wake. With Synder freed up from any DC obligations, he’ll likely be fully dedicating himself to Netflix’s Rebel Moon.
In addition to hoping to build a Rebel Moon franchise, Snyder is also busy creating another franchise with Netflix, building off his 2021 Army of the Dead film. He’s currently slated to direct a sequel titled Planet of the Dead and a TV series titled Army of the Dead: Las Vegas, which is set for a 2023 release date. As for Rebel Moon, you can likely expect to see it in 2023, though no official release date has been announced yet.
