Movies Science Fiction Movies

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon Director's Cut Is Coming To Netflix (If That's Your Thing)

Rebel Moon Clay Enos/Netflix
By Jeremy Mathai

Everywhere I look these days, I see the masses consumed by "Rebel Moon" fever. People just can't get enough of Sofia Boutella's eponymous "Scargiver" and her epic crusade against the mighty Imperium. The streets are filled with cosplayers paying homage to fan-favorite hero Jimmy, the greatest robot character ever voiced by Sir Anthony Hopkins. After the release of "A Child of Fire" and "The Scargiver" over the last year and change, the promise of even more footage in the form of two director's cuts overseen by filmmaker Zack Snyder has constantly kept this new franchise at the forefront of every pop-culture conversation.

As you might have figured out by now, none of this really ever happened in the real world (although I'm sure this is probably true on Snyder Twitter, where they've likely talked about literally nothing else). Although the eye-popping visuals and expansive world-building would've been a feast for the eyes on the big screen, the fact that only Netflix stepped up to provide funding for this original blockbuster meant that most viewers had to settle for catching these in their living rooms — a key factor that, along with the awfully tepid reviews (yours truly reviewed "Part One" and Part Two" for /Film), undoubtedly contributed to the fact that these movies pretty much vanished from view after their respective opening weekends.

So, in a prime example of what might very well be too little and too late, Netflix and Snyder have finally announced the release date for the longer and definitive cuts of both "Rebel Moon" films along with, confusingly enough, brand-new subtitles for each respective chapter. Is this precisely what the world needs to fall in love with the rebels of Veldt all over again? I ... have my doubts, somehow. Read on for more details!

Rebel Moon director's cuts coming soon — this time, with even more wheat

Rebel Moon Chris Strother/Netflix

Mark your calendars for August 2, 2024. That's when Netflix subscribers can prepare to settle into their couches, throw on their "I Survived the Battle of Veldt and All I Got Was This T-Shirt" paraphernalia, and get their first taste of both "Rebel Moon" films exactly as Zack Snyder intended. The director announced as much in a tweet earlier this morning on Twitter (or in a post on X, if that floats your boat), revealing the premiere date along with new chapter subtitles for both parts: "Chapter One: Chalice of Blood," and "Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness." He also included a few official stills teasing the never-before-seen footage, which you can glimpse below:

Having watched both movies, I can honestly say I have no idea what either of these phrases are supposed to be referring to (and I suspect I'm not alone in that), which is to be expected when the streaming platform makes viewers wait this long after the hype has died down to try and get us excited in a few extra scenes for movies that we already saw and moved on from by now. Teased as a "viciously sexier, bloodier world" than the one we previously experienced, fans who've been through this song and dance before with "Watchmen," "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and, of course, "Zack Snyder's Justice League" can just imagine all the gory and titillating imagery that remains in store, for better or worse.

There's no word on how much longer these versions will be than their original cuts (I was about to say "theatrical" but, well, you know), but those willing to revisit these movies will find out this August.

Recommended