Zack Snyder’s space opera, Rebel Moon, bows on Netflix at the end of 2023. Snyder intended his 172-page Rebel Moon script to be one movie, which worried Netflix chairman Scott Stuber, who wanted the movie to be under two hours. After a conversation with Stuber, Snyder offered to split the material into two movies.
“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,” Deborah Snyder, Zack’s wife and producing partner, explained to Vanity Fair. 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?’”
Snyder even shared how there will be “more explicit, harder-edged cuts” of the two movies. Snyder said that anyone can enjoy and watch” the first version of Rebel Moon. However, the second cuts will be fun for Snyder’s dedicated fanbase looking to take a “deeper, harder dive” into the material.
Who is Involved in Rebel Moon?
Sofia Boutella stars as Kora, a young woman aiming to rally warriors across the galaxy to take down an oppressive government. The large ensemble cast includes Djimon Hounsou, Charlie Hunnam, Michiel Huisman, Ed Skrein, Staz Nair, Ray Fisher, Doona Bae, Jena Malone, Corey Stoll, Stuart Martin, Cary Elwes, and Anthony Hopkins.
The official synopsis reads: “When a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past named Kora to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.”
Snyder directed Rebel Moon from a script he co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad. Zack and Deborah Snyder will produce, alongside Wesley Coller and Eric Newman. Rebel Moon is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on December 22, 2023. The film will receive a limited theatrical release beforehand.
Rebel Moon Part 2’s release date is not specified, but Snyder said it “won’t be long after” the first debuts on Netflix.