Rebel Moon - Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer, And More Info

Filmmaker and video essayist Patrick H. Willems has some thoughts about Zack Snyder (who will henceforth be known as our "himbo auteur"). He's proposed that the key to understanding the director is his love of John Boorman's 1981 medieval fantasy epic "Excalibur." Snyder has expressed his love of Boorman's film many times over the years, even incorporating it into his version of the Caped Crusader's origin story in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." Snyder's ultimate goal as an artist, Willems reasons, is basically making his version of "Excalibur," a film Roger Ebert once described as "a record of the comings and goings of arbitrary, inconsistent, shadowy, figures who are not heroes but simply giants run amok."

The more you think about it, the sounder this argument becomes. It certainly explains Snyder's tendency to craft brutal, bombastic films that prioritize spectacle over coherent storytelling or political messaging. Indeed, given his love of mythic storytelling, it's no wonder Snyder pitched an idea for a "Star Wars" movie shortly after Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012. When he realized the latter studio wouldn't sign off on his darkly violent vision under Mickey Mouse's watchful eye, he eventually repurposed the project as an original space opera titled "Rebel Moon."

Following their collaboration on the zombie action heist thriller "Army of the Dead" (speaking of brutal, bombastic films), Snyder and Netflix have reunited to bring "Rebel Moon" to the screen with all the bells and whistles its nine-figure budget can buy. Here's everything you need to know about the "Star Wars"-inspired cosmic swashbuckler.

Because studios like Netflix failed to negotiate a fair deal with the striking actors' and writers' guilds, they've been forced to reshuffle their release schedule for the back half of 2023. Still, the company has held steady when it comes to "Rebel Moon." Its intent is to begin streaming the film after a limited theatrical release on December 22, 2023. Suffice it to say, its hope is to replicate the massive viewership success of previous star-studded Netflix original films that rolled out in December, in particular "Don't Look Up" and "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery."

It's confirmed that "Rebel Moon" will be split up into two films, with the second part (which has already been shot) expected to arrive on April 24, 2024. Sickos Genre enthusiasts who prefer their Zack Snyder films on the bloodier side won't be left wanting, either. Snyder has already revealed plans to release two different cuts of "Rebel Moon," one of which will be targeted specifically at adults

Leading the charge in "Rebel Moon" as Kora is Sofia Boutella, herself no stranger to playing in big-budget sandboxes after her roles in "Star Trek Beyond" and Tom Cruise's "The Mummy." That goes double for just about everyone else in the cast, beginning with Michiel Huisman ("Game of Thrones") and Charlie Hunnam ("Pacific Rim"), who co-star as Gunnar and Kai (the Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to Boutella's Kora). As for Snyder's magnificent seven and friends, their ranks include Djimon Hounsou ("Guardians of the Galaxy") as the former Imperium general Titus, Doona Bae ("Sense8") as the sword-swinging cyborg Nemesis, Ray Fisher ("Justice League") and Cleopatra Coleman ("Cobweb") as the siblings Darrian and Devra Bloodaxe, Staz Nair ("Supergirl") as the blacksmith Tarak, Anthony Hopkins as the voice of the aforementioned Jimmy, Jena Malone ("Sucker Punch") as the spider-lady Harmada, and relative newcomer E. Duffy as the refugee Milius.

In the opposing corner, there's Fra Fee ("Hawkeye") as the Mother World's sadistic ruler Regent Balisarius and Ed Skrein as the Imperium's vicious leader, Admiral Atticus Noble. Skrein, in particular, has shown a knack for playing these sorts of diabolical types with his previous roles in "Deadpool" and "Battle Angel Alita" (although, if you want to see him play a truly deplorable character, you should check him out as the racist cop in "If Beale Street Could Talk").

"Rebel Moon" takes place in a galaxy far away (but not far, far away), where the oppressive Mother World and its powerful army, the Imperium, rule with an iron fist. The story follows Kora, a former Imperium soldier who seeks redemption for her past actions, as she takes it upon herself to protect the humble farmers on the moon Veldt from being exploited by the Imperium. Setting out across the universe with her farmboy pal Gunnar and a cocky starship pilot named Kai, Kora attempts to rally a group of seven (well, more like seven-ish) warriors to join her cause before the Imperium attacks again.

As you undoubtedly picked up on, "Rebel Moon" was directly inspired by both "Star Wars" and Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" (itself one of the more famous inspirations for "Star Wars"). Snyder, to his credit, has never tried to hide his influences ... nor has he denied that sure enough, "Excalibur" also heavily informed his approach to the film. Describing one of the warriors Kora recruits, a robo-knight named, er, Jimmy, to Empire Magazine, Snyder stated:

"I'm a huge 'Excalibur' fanatic. He's Lancelot for sure. I was thinking about him, and how Milius [another hero, played by E. Duffy and named after 'Conan The Barbarian' writer-director John Milius, as well as filmmaker Mike Mills] is Percival."

In August of 2023, Netflix debuted the full trailer for "Rebel Moon." (It's officially labeled a "teaser trailer," but with a three-and-a-half-minute runtime, it's safe to say it does a little more than tease.) In addition to selling audiences on the general vibe of the project, the trailer revealed some concrete information about the movie's two parts. Specifically, each half has its own subtitle, with "Part One: A Child of Fire" set for the previously-announced release date of December 22, 2023. "Part Two: The Scargiver" will follow on April 24, 2024.

Narration from Anthony Hopkins sets an austere tone as the trailer shows off sweeping vistas both cosmic and intimate. Spaceships, fantastical creatures, ornate royal halls, and open fields of grain establish the universe of "Rebel Moon," with imperial fascists and rebellious farmers on hand to firmly establish that Zack Snyder's wearing his influences squarely on his sleeve, while also applying his trademark polish and gravitas to the visuals.

Another trailer for "Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire" followed in November, placing particular emphasis on the horrors brought upon citizens by the vicious Imperium, making audiences all the more eager for Kora and her crew to fight for vengeance and liberation.

Zack Snyder is directing "Rebel Moon" all on his own, as he is wont to do. The filmmaker honed his craft as a music video director in the 1980s and '90s, which explains why he tends to prioritize visual stylization above all else. He would go on to make his feature directing debut with the 2004 "Dawn of the Dead" remake, although the Snyder we know wouldn't emerge fully formed until his 2007 follow-up on the very "Excalibur"-esque swords-and-sandals action flick "300."

Snyder has only continued to go bigger and bolder with each new film he's made since then. Sometimes, the results are legitimately spectacular, like the Krypton-set prologue to "Man of Steel." Other times, the results are technically audacious films that get weighed down by their bleak tones and subject matter, like, well, the rest of Snyder's DC filmography. They're also exhausting to realize, yet Snyder can't help but go for the big swing each time he's up to bat — and "Rebel Moon" is no exception. "I'm a glutton for punishment," he told Vanity Fair in an interview to promote the film. "I don't know why I always make an ensemble movie. I can't wait to not do that. But in the meantime, of course ... I love it."

After penning the story for "Rebel Moon," Zack Snyder reunited with his "300" co-writer Kurt Johnstad and "Army of the Dead" scribe Shay Hatten to assemble the film's script. That's as good an indicator as any that the film itself will be very much in line with Snyder's previous work, which should come as welcome news to those who, you know, generally like Zack Snyder films (and the opposite for everyone else). There shouldn't be any funny business when it comes to creative control either (à la Snyder's "Justice League"), what with Zack Snyder also producing alongside his longtime collaborator and wife Deborah Snyder. Not to mention, Netflix is known for being pretty hands-off with its projects in general.

"It has a bit of 'Star Wars,'" Deborah Snyder told Vanity Fair. "It has a bit of everything. It's a little bit like 'Lord of the Rings,' a little bit 'Game of Thrones' with the palace intrigue. And it's really just a lot of what's in Zack's head." We will see if the masses enjoy what the Snyders did with Netflix's buck soon enough.