Zack Snyder is teaming up with Netflix once again to produce and direct two major sci-fi movies: Rebel Moon Part 1 and Part 2. The new movie(s) is described as an epic sci-fi adventure compared with Star Wars in terms of scope and scale. Here’s an updated look at what we can expect from Rebel Moon and everything we know.
Zack Snyder will direct and co-write the film and will reunite with many of his colleagues from past projects. The script for Rebel Moon will be co-written by Shay Hatten, who co-wrote Army of the Dead, and Kurt Johnstad, who worked on 300 with Snyder.
The Stone Quarry is the main production company behind the movie with Grand Electric also listed, which is Eric Newman’s production company that has an overall deal with Netflix.
Snyder commented on the inspiration for Rebel Moon in his THR interview:
“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.”
Snyder will produce Rebel Moon with his wife and producing partner Deborah Snyder via the duo’s Stone Quarry along with longtime principal Wesley Coller. Eric Newman, who produced Snyder’s 2004 feature debut, Dawn of the Dead, is producing via his banner, Grand Electric.
Ori Marmur is the Netflix executive working on the project.
Here’s everything else we know about Zack Snyder’s and Netflix’s Rebel Moon:
What’s the plot of Rebel Moon?
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed the story synopsis for Netflix’s Rebel Moon:
The story is set in motion when a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy is threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent named Balisarius. Desperate, the colonists dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them make a stand.
As revealed, the movie is heavily inspired by Star Wars and used to be a Star Wars pitch a decade ago.
Additional plot information for the movie was released in November 2021:
“The film is set in a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy that finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius. They dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand the Tyrant.”
Since the movie was first announced, numerous concept art pieces have been released and we’ve embedded some of them below:
— Snyder Netflix Updates ⚒️ rebel moon era (@SnyderNetflix) February 9, 2022
The main cast in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon includes:
Sofia Boutella as (Star Trek Beyond)
Doona Bae (Sense8)
Ray Fisher as Blood Axe (Zack Snyder’s Justice League)
Djimon Hounsou as General Titus (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim)
Jena Malone (Sucker Punch)
Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Saw)
Michiel Huisman (The Haunting of Hill House, Game of Thrones)
Alfonso Herrera (Sense8, Ozark)
Corey Stoll (West Side Story, Billions)
Ed Skrein as Balisarius (Deadpool) – this role was previously going to be Rupert Friend.
Patrick Luwis as Ivar (The Dropout)
Tomm Voss as Kullen (I Wanna Dance with Somebody)
Claire Liz Phillips as Reaper (Second Chances)
Here are some of the character descriptions for the upcoming Rebel Moon roles:
“Kora – Bold, confident, and self-possessed. Kora is on a path of redemption, she faced unbelievable traume in her childhood and is on a journey to discover her self-worth.
Noble – Charasmatic and imposing, commanding and brutal to the point of being sadistic
Gunnar – Handsome and physically fit. Serious, earnest and dependable.
Balisarius (Ed Skrein) – A ferocious cunning warrior.
Aris – A new soldier, he still holds some innocence and compassion despite the brutality he has witnessed.
Devin – A new soldier – sensitive, and conflicted about what he’s being asked to do by his commander.
Sam – Scandinavian/Northern European. She is a kind, gentle-spirited, hard-working farm girl. Even though she’s not worldly, she is welcoming to the foreigners who arrive in her village.
General Titus (Djimon Hounsou) – Retired general past his prime. Everyone underestimates him
Nemesis – Asian female with martial art and sword fighting skills.
Tarak – Super muscular and an athletic warrior.
Millius – Trans woman in her 20s and a rebel warrior.
Harmada – Deadly, ageless, giant half-woman, half-spider who preys on vulnerable children in revenge for losing her own. A FX/posthetics role.”
On June 8th, it was announced that Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes) would feature as voice talent in the movie playing the role of Jimmy, “a sentient JC1435 mechanized battle robot and one-time defender of the slain King.”
First look at Anthony Hopkins in Zack Snyder’s ‘REBEL MOON’.
Kristy Carlson serves as the casting director for Rebel Moon.
What’s the production status of Rebel Moon?
Netflix’s Rebel Moon entered production on April 18, 2022 and is expected to wrap on November 4 of the same year. Zack Snyder shared the first behind-the-scenes images from the very first days of filming, including the first look at Djimon Hounsou’s character:
We first got word via ProductionWeekly that filming will span from March 1, 2022, until August 31, 2022. However, a recent update from ProductionWeekly has revealed that the filming dates have been pushed forward by over a month, got underway on April 18th, 2022, and will come to an end by November 4th, 2022.
Recent entries suggest that a sequel of Rebel Moon has already been greenlit on Netflix. In issue 1284 of ProductionWeekly, they state that Parts I and II are set to be filmed back-to-back.
Production will take place in Inyo County, California in the United States. The popular tourist destination has been a popular filming destination, with over 400 Hollywood films reportedly filmed here over the years. It boasts that it’s the “largest Western backlot located in Lone Pine, CA.”
The budget for Rebel Moon hasn’t officially been announced, although our sources tell us the budget for part 1 is between $81 and $90 million.
Rebel Moon is being shot in Death Valley National Park, which is in Inyo, California. Notably, this was the filming location used for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi.
On June 7th, 2022, Snyder released some footage for a makeup test featuring some incredible costume designs.
On July 26th, Zack Snyder posted that they were on “Day 68” of filming alongside a clip of some behind-the-scenes. Snyder posted on the same day, saying they had custom-made lenses produced specifically for Rebel Moon.
In late August 2022, it was revealed by California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program that Rebel Moon Part 2 had been awarded $16.6M in tax credits (on its budget of $83 million).
What’s the development history of Rebel Moon?
About a decade ago, Rebel Moon was originally a Star Wars pitch developed by Zack Snyder. It would be a more mature take on the universe created by George Lucas and didn’t move beyond meaningful conversations after The Walt Disney Co. acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. Ironically, as we saw years later, a slightly more mature take on the universe would be the very thing to revitalize the franchise in The Mandalorian.
At one point, Snyder and Newman, who was behind Narcos and Narcos Mexico, went down the path of making it into a series. Still, it was ultimately decided to make Rebel Moon a feature film, on which Snyder was actively working the past few years:
“I’ve spent the last two or three years building out this universe. Every corner has to be painted in. I’ve been doing designs, constantly drawing and really cultivating its fertile ground to make this world fully realized.”
Will Rebel Moon become a cinematic universe too?
As Snyder has already launched multiple Army of the Dead projects for Netflix, the question is, will Rebel Moon be the same? Snyder’s answer to that is “hopefully.”
“My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.”
With multiple parts reported above, it’s certainly set to receive the cinematic universe treatment.
What’s the Netflix release date for Rebel Moon?
Netflix hasn’t set a date for Rebel Moon yet, but considering the potential scope of the production, we shouldn’t hold our breath as films of this scale tend to take a few years to make. We would expect 2023 at the earliest.
For a look at everything Zack Snyder and his team are bringing to Netflix over the coming years, check out our Zack Snyder guide.
As a fansite, we love highlighting fan accounts that often do a great job at diving into everything known about a specific project.
Snyder Netflix Updates (@SnyderNetflix) is the best account for tracking all things Rebel Moon, Army of the Dead, and more.
Are you looking forward to Rebel Moon on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
2023 has kicked off with a couple of big cancelations, which signals a potentially rough year coming up, which many other players throughout Hollywood will share. Here’s a look at the 2023 cancelations!
1899
The big-budget series from the creators of DARK had big expectations and big shoes to fill.
The mystery sci-fi show was one of Netflix’s most ambitious shows in years, using state-of-the-art technology and featuring an impressive ensemble cast.
Why was 1899 canceled?
Data provided to What’s on Netflix from European SVOD analytics company Digital i suggests that the completion rate was ultimately too low and likely wasn’t growing substantially. Their data suggests only around a third of people who started the show went onto finish the title.
Inside Job
The animated series Inside Job had been initially given a season 2 renewal order back in June 2022. Still, in January 2023, the creator confirmed rumors that Netflix had reversed the decision to renew.
In a statement on Twitter, the show’s creator Shion Takeuchi said:
I’m heartbroken to confirm that Netflix has decided to cancel season 2 of Inside Job. Over the years, these characters have become real people to me, and I am devastated not to be able to watch them grow up. Reagan and Brett deserved to get their ending and finally find happiness. And I would have loved to been able to share what was in store with you all.
He added, “To everyone who watched, thank you for coming along on the ride. Even though I’m sad, it helps to know that there’s people out there who cared just as much about these characters as me.”
This weekend is going to be quite the eventful one for Netflix subscribers! Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, Tudum officially returns this Saturday with a day that promises to bring with it a lot of exciting new reveals about Netflix’s biggest shows and movies!
The 24-hour event will bring fans the scoop on over 120 fan-favorite shows and movies including Bridgerton, Emily in Paris, Shadow and Bone, Wednesday, Manifest, You, Outer Banks, The Witcher, Heartstopper and more!
From first looks at upcoming titles, casting news, renewals and release date confirmations, there’s no telling what could be coming our way this weekend. The only thing that is certain? Fans won’t want to miss the event, but how exactly can you follow along from home?
Where to watch Tudum 2022
If you’re hoping to be able to watch this year’s Tudum event online, you’re in luck! While some events such as San Diego Comic-Con and D23 take place in-person with only select presentations from the event available to stream online, Tudum takes place exclusively online as a virtual event.
This Saturday, fans across the globe will be able to head to Netflix’s official YouTube account to watch the event online with the event set to be made available in 29 languages worldwide!
Do you have to pay for Tudum?
If you’re hoping to watch Tudum this weekend, don’t worry about having to break out your wallet or credit cards to pay for the event. The virtual event is free to Netflix fans worldwide as there is no cost to stream the event which can be viewed free of cost on the Netflix YouTube channel!
Allison Janney and Jurnee Smollett are the main attraction of the Netflix movie Lou as the two leading ladies. Janney plays a John Wick-esque character (complete with a beloved dog, but don’t worry, Jax makes it out alive!) while Smollett plays her neighbor, Hannah.
Lou is a hardened recluse living on the fringes of their secluded island, while Hannah is a single mother struggling to make ends meet to take care of her daughter, Vee.
A horrible storm hits the island, and someone kidnaps Hannah’s daughter in the midst of it, forcing her to turn to Lou for help. While searching for Vee, the two women are forced to confront some of the dark secrets from their past.
Even though Smollett and Janney are the stars, Lou has a great cast of actors that also includes Logan Marshall-Green and Greyston Holt (remember him as one of the hot werewolves from Bitten?).
Netflix movie Lou cast list
For those unfamiliar with Allison Janney, the powerhouse actress is a Hollywood staple. Throughout her many decades in the business, Janney has won countless accolades, including seven Primetime Emmy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. She has also secured two Tony nominations.
Janney first rose to prominence playing C.J. Cregg on The West Wing. More recently, she starred as Bonnie Plunkett for nine seasons in the CBS sitcom Mom. Janney won her Oscar for I, Tonya, and has also appeared in projects like Masters of Sex, The Help, Juno, and many others. Next, she’ll star in the comedy miniseries Mrs. American Pie, the comedy film The People We Hate at the Wedding, and the sci-fi drama True Love.
Jurnee Smollett has been acting since she was a kid, with recurring roles in shows like Full House and On Our Own. But most people probably know her as Jess Merriweather in Friday Night Lights. The last few years have really helped cement Smollet’s status as a superstar. She played Dinah Lance/Black Canary in Birds of Prey and is reportedly going to reprise her role in a spinoff standalone movie at HBO Max.
Smollett also delivered an incredible performance in the short-lived but acclaimed HBO series Lovecraft Country and she recently starred opposite Miles Teller and Chris Hemsworth in the Netflix thriller Spiderhead. Next, she’ll star in the courtroom drama film The Burial with Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.
Completing the cast trifecta is Logan Marshall-Green, who plays the film’s primary antagonist, Philip. You might recall Marshall-Green playing Trey Atwood in The O.C. He also recently completed a stint on the ABC series Big Sky.
Here’s the complete cast list for the Netflix movie:
Allison Janney as Lou
Jurnee Smollett as Hannah
Logan Marshall-Green as Philip
Ridley Asha Bateman as Vee
Matt Craven as Sheriff Rankin
Greyston Holt as Chris
Daniel Bernhardt as Tony
RJ Fetherstonhaugh as Gerry
Andres Collantes as Deputy Torres
Marci T. House as Agent Lee
Toby Levins as Agent Hampton
Netflix movie Lou starts streaming on Friday, September 23.
