Everything You Need to Know About Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon

If you are a fan of fantasy, adventure and science fiction like Star Wars e Duna, then it is guaranteed that rebel moon surprise you. The latest project from the renowned filmmaker Zack Snyder promises to show the grandeur of space and the fight for freedom. The film is an epic intergalactic journey where unbridled action, political intrigue and memorable characters come together to create an unforgettable cinematic experience.

From Snyder's unique vision and the story's connections to the Star Wars to the promises of a new expanding franchise, we've separated everything you need to know to make you even more excited about wanting to explore this universe.

Rebel Moon Story

In a distant and epic universe in its interpretation of a space opera, we follow a peaceful colony called Veldt at the edges of the galaxy that faces a threat from the dictatorial Regent Balisarius of the Empire. In a desperate situation, the colonists make the decision to send Kora, a young woman with a tumultuous past and a fugitive from her role in the oppressive government, looking for warriors from other planets to form a team.

In Snyder's words, the story “It's like David facing Goliath. Mother World (commonly called the planet Toa), who accumulated abundant wealth, political power, and an immense army“. The colony becomes relevant when the rulers decide to take it to be a source of food, which provokes the population's disgust and anger due to the way in which it is approached. Kora is the only one who knows how reckless this can be, precisely because she has a past in the Empire.

Main characters

• Kora (Sofia boutella), a defector from the Empire who leaves the peaceful planet of Veldt to fight back;
• Regent Balisarius (fee), a ruthless tyrant and current ruler of the Empire;
• Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein), a nefarious enforcer of the Empire;
• Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary pilot whose Tawau-class freighter will prove invaluable to Kora's mission;
• Gunnar (Michael Huisman), a farmer from Veldt who knows very little outside his small, quiet corner of the galaxy;
• General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), gladiator who once served the Empire;
• Comb (Staz Nair), a noble servant who shares a bond with a flying creature called Bennu;
• Nemesis (Doona bae), a cyborg swordmaster whose mechanical hands allow her to wield molten metal weapons;
• Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray fisher) to Devra Bloodaxe (Cleopatra Coleman), two insurgents who have harmed the Empire with guerrilla attacks;
• Milius (E.Duffy), a refugee seeking justice for her colony that has already fallen to the Mother World;
• Jimmy (voice of Anthony Hopkins), an ancient robot knight who once defended a dead king, but has now disappeared to a more peaceful existence.

planets

Toa

Toa it is the center of the Empire and the Mother World. In the plot, there is a tension between brutality and harmony, with Toa personifying the former. Although there are traces of a civilization that dominated art and technology, after the death of the Royal Family, nothing is treated in the same way and with the same care as when the king was alive. The appreciation for art faded and brought to the surface something heavier. A violent change of power had an influence on this issue just four years before the events of the first part of the film.

Veldt

Veldt is a moon that orbits around a red gas giant and plays a key role as home to the quiet farming community that serves as the focal point of the conflict. That's where the story begins. Additionally, Veldt is home to Providence, a city that was designed with a Western Japanese aesthetic.

Neu Wodi

Neu Wodi it is where Kora encounters Tarak as she struggles to recruit warriors to Veldt's defense. The planet's aesthetics are inspired by North Africa, with mountainous deserts and scenery reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian.

-Pollux

-Pollux is another planet that Kora visits in her search for her team. The place has an arid climate and is full of remains of an ancient civilization. Based on the concept art and a brief glimpse in the trailer, Pollux may be remembered as the planet jedha de Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Daggus

Daggus has an aesthetic very close to classic science fictions such as Blade Runner. On this planet, technology is structured in different layers, forming a network of social groups that mix.

Sharoan

Sharoan it is a planet with a much more mystical atmosphere and spiritual presence. Statues and representations resembling Buddha heads represent some of this influence.

Gondeval

Gondeval It is potentially the most enigmatic planet of all, given that its existence and the fact that the characters travel there were only revealed in the first part of the film.

Vanna

Vanna, a place where the Empire calls Rebel Moon, is a moon located close to the planet Toa, which is the Empire's Mother World. It is because of this information that Vanna will clearly play an essential role in the plot.

Stretched

rebel moon, inspired by the film Seven Samurai (1954)According Zack Snyder, is a dream of more than two decades. With production from Netflix, recordings began in April 2022 and continued until December of the same year.

It is known that in addition to other productions such as 300 (2006), Sucker Punch (2011) e Army of the Dead (2021), its largest extended versions were Justice League (2017) e Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The big news is that rebel moon will be divided into two parts, with the first already scheduled to premiere in December of this year and the other only in April 2024 on Netflix. But why?

Normally, one page is equivalent to one minute of screen time and the first treatment of the script had 172 pages, according to Deborah Snyder, producer of the movie. This was one of the problems that worried scott stubber, film president da Netflix, as Rebel Moon was shaping up to be approximately three hours long. Deborah explained that less than two hours was unfeasible for the director, since the story involved subjects such as character change, redemption and dilemmas.

rebel moon It was initially conceived as a single film lasting over three hours. However, the Netflix requested the split into two parts, based on the finding that “for some reason, films around two hours perform better on streaming”.

Zack Snyder, director of Rebel Moon

The first part will be the introduction of the story with the introduction of characters, settings and context. Kora will go in search of her team of warriors to defend the community of Veldt so that, in the second part, the war officially begins.

Snyder's Cut

But the question that remains is: why is the film being titled as another of the director's cuts? Many are failing to understand the reasoning behind Snyder's plans this time around.

To understand, you first need to understand what a director's cut. The term designates nothing more than a version of a film that reflects the director's artistic and creative vision, as opposed to the already released version, which may have undergone edits and cuts for commercial, time or content reasons. The objective of a director's cut is to present the film the way the director originally intended, without interference from movie studios or other interested parties, for example.

So, given that a director's cut focuses on a retelling and Snyder has the budget and carte blanche to shoot additional scenes, wouldn't it be easier to release a single version on streaming?

In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, the director said that an extended version will be able to approach the universe and its history in a much more detailed way. It's a much deeper immersion and still serves as an opportunity for fans to watch the ideas that came up, but that, for some reason, weren't officially added. It is, in fact, a director's cut, even if from a film not yet released.

Snyder's cut will have around an hour more extra content.

I don't know how I got into this director's cut thing, but what I will say is, for me, director's cuts have always been something I've had to fight for in the past, and nobody wanted them. It was like this bastard child that I was always trying to raise because I felt like there was a deeper version. And with Netflix, we film scenes exclusively for the director's cut. So, in a way, it's really a revelation, because it gives big fans a second chance, like a real discovery that they wouldn't have had. I'm really excited about this.

Zack Snyder, director of Rebel Moon

In interview with Vanity Fair, the director confirmed that both parts will feature two different cuts: one PG-13 (suitable for ages 13+) and another Rated R (restricted for adults).

A cut is a movie that anyone can watch and enjoy. The other is more explicit and is strictly for adults. I think this second cut will be more fun for my fans and for people who are ready for a deeper, more intense dive.

Zack Snyder, director of Rebel Moon

We are talking about an extensive and complex narrative and development, which already allows for a multitude of elements and material to explore in addition to sequels, spin-off projects and much more. No wonder, the director has already said to see the film as just the beginning of a franchise. For those most interested and eager, two additional films in development have already been confirmed, along with a game, an animated short, and a graphic novel.

Is there a connection to Star Wars?

Trailer and images already prove how rebel moon inevitably evokes memories of Star Wars and this is no mere coincidence.

The idea for the story was initially presented to Warner Bros. before there was even potential for a film. Soon after, she was taken to the Lucasfilm, well-known producer of the film franchise in the universe of Luke Skywalker e Darth Vader with the proposal of becoming an extension of them, the famous spin off. However, with the purchase of the company by Disney, the story of Rebel Moon needed to be independent.

The sale had just taken place. There was a window there where no one knew what was possible, you know? I came to the meeting and said, “I don’t want any of your characters. I don't want to do anything with figures that the public would recognize. I want to make my own story there.”

Zack Snyder, director of Rebel Moon

Furthermore, Snyder made it clear that he expected his film to be an R-rated film, which became a major hindrance to the film. Disney. Now, with the Netflix, a partnership that has become constant, he gained greater freedom to delve deeper into a project that he dared to classify as a Star Wars with violence, sex and swearing.

We've learned a lot in all these years of working with superheroes and creating these worlds, and to do something now that's totally original... We say it's more science fantasy than science fiction, and being able to use all the skills that Zack has been honing to do something in this space seems really exciting.

Deborah Snyder, producer of Rebel Moon

Watch the trailer

In addition to directing, Snyder wrote the script alongside Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) e Kurt Johnstad (300). The production also has Eric Newman e Deborah Snyder, wife of the director.

Rebel Moon: The Fire Girl arrives on December 22nd of this year, followed by Rebel Moon: The Scar Marker on April 19, 2024 at Netflix.

So, are you also looking forward to it? Tell us in the comments!

See also:

Netflix releases in September 2023 has Sex Education 4 and more

Netflix releases in September 2023 has Sex Education 4 and more

Sources: Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, IGN Brazil, Vanity Fair, Screen Rant

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim (05 / 09 / 23)