Following the reveal of a behind the scenes look at director Zack Snyder’s upcoming science fiction epic Rebel Moon, which came as part of this weekend’s Netflix TUDUM event, the first poster for the highly anticipated movie has now been unveiled. Snyder took to social media share the poster, which finds lead star Sofia Boutella preparing for war. You can check out the first poster for Rebel Moon below.
Sofia Boutella is best known for roles in the likes of The Mummy, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Star Trek Beyond, and Atomic Blonde, and takes the lead in Rebel Moon as Kora, a former member of an oppressive governing force known as the Imperium who rallies warriors from across the galaxy to fight against the Imperium and find redemption for her past. The plan is for Rebel Moon to spark a franchise for Snyder and Netflix, with the director saying in the past that he hopes the movie “becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out."
“The movie’s about a planet not in our...it’s a space fantasy so there’s no Earth necessarily," Snyder revealed regarding the world of Rebel Moon. "But there’s a community on a planet, a farming planet, and there’s a bunch of bad guys from other worlds armies are in the area and they need to be fed so they come to the village and ask for the village to feed them while they’re doing their war in that area of the galaxy. And of course, they are not kind about asking and the result will probably be the obliteration of the village itself. The villagers decide to fight and so they have to go out into the galaxy and collect warriors to help them.”
Rebel Moon taking major inspiration from legendary director Akira Kurosawa and his masterful 1954 classic Seven Samurai should come as little surprise, with Snyder having previously mentioned the filmmaker’s name when revealing details of the Netflix 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,” Snyder said of Rebel Moon last year. “My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out... 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.”
A Rebel Moon Sequel Has Already Been Greenlit
Following the release, and subsequent expansion, of Snyder’s Army of the Dead franchise, the streaming giant is clearly very happy being in the Zack Snyder business. The platform has reportedly already greenlit a Rebel Moon sequel, with both Rebel Moon Part 1 and Rebel Moon Part 2 scheduled to be shot back-to-back. Much like with Army of the Dead, the plan is for Rebel Moon to not only be split into two epic movies, but also for the two-parter to spawn a massive new sci-fi franchise for Snyder and Netflix.
Directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, Rebel Moon will be led by The Mummy star Sofia Boutella as Kora. The supporting cast, meanwhile, will be made up of The Gentlemen star Charlie Hunnam, Justice League’s Ray Fisher, and Gladiator star Djimon Hounsou. Additionally, Jena Malone, Corey Stoll, Ed Skrein, Cleopatra Coleman, Fra Fee, Cary Elwes, Stuart Martin, Alfonso Herrera, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, and Anthony Hopkins will also feature.
Rebel Moon is scheduled to be released on December 22, 2023, by Netflix, with a limited theatrical release being planned.