Behold the ambitious worlds being built by Zack Snyder in our first look at Rebel Moon Part 1: A Child of Fire. Netflix is doubling down on its own Snyderverse with two movies shot back to back, inviting audiences along for a ride beyond the stars in a new original galactic franchise.
Check out the trailer for Rebel Moon Part 1, starring Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) as Kora, a mysterious warrior in hiding, who defends a peaceful colony when it’s threatened by the tyrannical rule of the Mother World, led by the Imperium’s Admiral Noble (Deadpool’s Ed Skrein).
“It has gone through a lot of iterations,” Zack Snyder shared at a recent screening event to introduce the trailer for Rebel Moon. After Army of the Dead, he presented the idea to Netflix as a follow-up, explaining “it was an extra-long idea.” It was also one he and his team were very excited about.
While Rebel Moon was once meant to be a Star Wars film retrofitted from Snyder’s long-gestating concept, fate had other plans—and now it seems all involved are glad that it did. As producer Deborah Snyder put it, “We never wanted it to be [a Star Wars film].” Referring to their experience working with DC on Batman v. Superman and Justice League: The Snyder Cut, she said, “We learned so much working with superheroes. [Rebel Moon] is more science fantasy than sci-fi.”
From the looks of it, Rebel Moon quickly lets you know this movie goes full Snyder, free to build his own mythology in his own playground. We follow Kora as she assembles a team of fighters from different worlds united against the Imperium, played by the likes of Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim), Djimon Hounsou (Shazam), Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House), Bae Doona (Sense8), Ray Fisher (Justice League), Staz Nair (Supergirl), and Anthony Hopkins (Westworld).
It’s bloody, surreal, and action-packed, with gorgeous cinematography that reaches a new scope for the filmmaker. There’s definitely some Heavy Metal and Warhammer 40K vibes from this, along with Snyder’s signature style from 300 and Sucker Punch—but in space.
Rebel Moon Part 1: A Child of Fire hits Netflix on December 22; Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver will be released April 19, 2024.
This io9 article, which includes reactions for a major studio project, was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of writers and actors currently on strike, the films and TV celebrated here by fans wouldn’t exist.
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