Zack Snyder revealed at the start of 2023 that his Netflix space epic “Rebel Moon” would be split into two movies. But Snyder is actually making four movies, sort of. In a Vanity Fair first look at “Rebel Moon,” Snyder announced that each “Rebel Moon” movie is getting two separate cuts. One cut is a movie that “anyone can enjoy and watch,” and one cut will be more explicit and strictly for adults.
“I think for fans of mine and people who are ready to take a deeper, harder dive, that’ll be fun for them,” Snyder said of the harder cuts.
“Rebel Moon” was written as one movie, but Netflix became hesitant after Snyder delivered a 172-page draft. At that length, “Rebel Moon” would’ve clocked around three hours.
Snyder’s wife and longtime producing partner Deborah Snyder told Vanity Fair, “[Netflix film chairman Scott] Stuber was like, ‘On the service, under-two-hour movies really do better for some reason,’ even though you’ll binge-watch a series of eight episodes. Zack said, ‘If you ask me to make this less than two hours, I’m going to lose all the character. You won’t care about these people. It’s a character story about how people can change, and redemption, and what are you willing to fight for…’ So he said, ‘What if I give you two movies?’”
“Rebel Moon” is a grand fantasy adventure that follows an enigmatic young woman living in a peaceful colony on the outskirts of the galaxy. She’s given the task of finding warriors who can fend off an impending invasion by the despotic Regent Balisarius. The cast includes Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, Ray Fisher, Doona Bae, Jena Malone, Staz Nair, E. Duffy and Michiel Huisman.
Snyder first developed the project as a pitch for the “Star Wars” universe that pre-dated Disney’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. He refashioned it into an original propertywhen talks with Lucasfilm didn’t advance.
The first “Rebel Moon” movie will be available to stream December 22 on Netflix. The streamer has not yet announced a release date for the second one, although Snyder said, “It won’t be long after. Netflix can do things that a traditional studio can’t do as far as how close together the movies are released.”
