Director Zack Snyder has shared new images from his sci-fi film Rebel Moon as production officially begins. Snyder is the visionary director behind such films as 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The director released his cut of Justice League on HBO Max last year, after having left the project due to a family tragedy and studio interference; Joss Whedon was the director behind the theatrical cut. Snyder was able to complete his Justice League vision after much fan campaigning. It was a global success, but despite his supporters' best efforts, it was not enough for WB to keep him working in that universe.
Snyder instead shifted his attention to Netflix, where he debuted his latest directorial effort, Army of the Dead, a zombie heist adventure that did well enough for the streamer to offer the filmmaker an exclusive deal. The director chose Rebel Moon as his next outing, which is based on an original pitch he had made to Lucasfilm for a potential Star Wars project many years ago. Snyder repurposed the story to be an original one, casting the likes of Charlie Hunnam, Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes, Jena Malone, Rupert Friend, Bae Doona, and Ray Fisher.
Snyder took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce the production start of Rebel Moon, sharing three new behind-the-scenes images from the film, including a first look at Hounsou's character, General Titus. The other photos reveal what appears to be the inside of a spacecraft and another that shows the set for the ship, which is built outdoors in a desert setting. Snyder noted that it was "Day 1" of the production, saying, "It's begun." Take a look at the images below:
Snyder has already shared some Rebel Moon concept art in social posts, which highlight a number of different settings for the film, as well as various stylized characters and vehicles, including droids. The original Star Wars concept was said to be akin to Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai, but with Jedi instead of samurai. The reworked angle for Rebel Moon will focus on a young woman who recruits warriors from neighboring planets to protect a peaceful colony from a tyrannical despot. Snyder has said that he hopes the film will escalate into a massive IP that can be "built out" for the streaming service.
It's been exciting to watch Snyder pivot from working on big-studio projects and instead invest his time and energy into works where he has the kind of creative freedom he needs. While he's proven to be able to deliver outstanding (and often divisive) work for studios in the past, being in a place like Netflix allows Snyder to fully realize his vision where he's had difficulty in the past. While sometimes this level of freedom can be too much for some filmmakers (and definitely for studios), Snyder is perfectly suited for the responsibility, which makes Rebel Moon all the more exciting a prospect.
Source: Zack Snyder
