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Zack Snyder is officially heading to space within his newest cinematic endeavor with Netflix. The versatile director has tapped into several different subject areas, bringing material from beloved comic books to life while exploring the chaos rooted within a zombie apocalypse.
His zombie thriller Army of the Dead generated a tremendous amount of buzz, leading to a spin-off with Army of Thieves, which led to a new deal with the streaming service. His first film under the new agreement will be an epic sci-fi adventure entitled Rebel Moon, which he will co-write, direct, and produce for the platform.
The film's synopsis is relatively ambiguous, but what has emerged reveals a bit about the road the Rebel Moon will take. Snyder indicated that the story would center around an amicable colony on the edge of the galaxy threatened by the armies of the oppressive regime. A young woman with a cryptic past from the settlement is responsible for finding warriors who can fend off the looming invasion. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder disclosed the following about the project, "This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan. It's my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out."
Snyder's concept art is pretty simplistic, but it does showcase a Star Wars-like atmosphere coated in darkness. One can see an impending doom approaching, possibly depicting the authoritarian regime coming to invade the peaceful colony. The idea of the film originated from a Star Wars pitch the director made to Lucasfilm about a decade ago. The thesis focused on a more mature take on the George Lucas universe, but the concept discussions had fallen between the cracks after The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. Snyder indicated that he had spent about two to three years building out the universe, painting out every corner of the world to ensure that his vision could fully come to life.
Rebel Moon has been an ongoing project Snyder has been working on for years with the hope of establishing a franchise-based atmosphere on the streaming platform. In November, Snyder confirmed that The Mummy star, Sofia Boutella, was cast to star in the sci-fi adventure. It's unclear what role Boutella will play, but one can awesome that she will take the lead as the mysterious young woman tasked with finding warriors to help defend the endangered colony. Boutella enthralled Snyder, which motivated him to act fast to bring her into his cinematic universe. The menacing presence revealed in the concept art is nightmarish, so it will be interesting to see how Boutella will combat and eradicate their haunting arrival.
Snyder has done some pretty ambitious projects in this past, but this leap into space will be a tremendous path to travel. The director noted that elements of the film would resemble pieces instilled within his first DCEU film, Man of Steel. The beginning of his far-reaching take on the Superman narrative focused on the scientific foundation of Krypton, but also its inevitable destruction. Snyder hopes to replicate this with Rebel Moon, but with more intensity and ferocity. The concept art doesn't reveal much, but the intensity is there, which one can only hope will translate equally onto the screen. If done so within the manner Snyder envisions, the film will undoubtedly open up avenues for the aspired franchise to grow.
Rebel Moon hopes to begin production within the early stages of 2022, but Netflix has confirmed no official release date. Sofia Boutella is the only official name attached to the cast, but more should materialize soon. The concept art is an indication that the wheels of production are beginning to turn, which means footage of the anticipated sci-fi adventure should start to surface in the upcoming months.
Source: Zack Snyder|Vero