What is currently known about the story of Zack Snyder's upcoming sci-fi movie Rebel Moon? Following the success of Snyder's zombie movie Army of the Dead, his first film with Netflix, the director has numerous other projects for the streaming platform in the works as part of the first-look deal for his and Deborah Snyder's production company, The Stone Quarry. Rebel Moon is the first to enter production, and its development history stretches back quite a long time.

A life-long Star Wars fan, Snyder originally conceived of Rebel Moon as a Star Wars movie. Despite this, Snyder was unsuccessful in getting his pitch for Rebel Moon off the ground as a tale told in the Star Wars sandbox. After setting up The Stone Quarry's deal with Netflix, Snyder reworked Rebel Moon into a new universe.

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Filming commenced for Rebel Moon earlier in 2022, with shooting reportedly running until approximately November. The extended production time frame of Rebel Moon isn't shocking, both for Snyder's penchant for grandiose storytelling and known details about the galaxy-spanning adventure Rebel Moon is set to take viewers on. Here's everything that's currently known about Rebel Moon's story and what those details could mean for the film itself and the cinematic universe it is establishing.

Rebel Moon's Overall Story

Rebel Moon will focus on a colony in a distant galaxy that comes under attack by an interplanetary warlord known as Regent Balisarius. To fight the coming invasion, a young woman is tasked with marshaling a defense force to stand against the attack. This leads her to recruit well-known warriors from other planets to help her defend her people. While Rebel Moon's somewhat Rogue One-reflective story could well be envisioned as inhabiting the Star Wars universe, Snyder has also cited Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai as an influence on the film. In terms of clear details on the story, Rebel Moon's basic outline is the only real information on what it will entail at present, though more will likely be revealed as the film continues production. Meanwhile, a number of characters have already been revealed who could shine more light on Rebel Moon's story.

Characters Confirmed For Rebel Moon

Zack Snyder Shares New Images As Rebel Moon Begins Production

Sofia Boutella will portray the warrior heroine of Rebel Moon, who bears the name Kora, with Boutella sharing training videos on social media indicating Kora as a very physical role, as frequently tend to be the case in any Zack Snyder movie. The tyrannical Balisarius, who might have some influences from Street Fighter's M. Bison as seen in Snyder's concept art, has had some bumps in the road of casting, with Rupert Friend initially portraying the warlord before having to back out due to scheduling issues. This would lead to Ed Skrein taking on the role.

Djimon Hounsou will also portray General Titus in Rebel Moon, with a set photo of Hounsou (seen above) showing Titus in full battle armor. Additionally, Ray Fisher, known for portraying Cyborg in Zack Snyder's Justice League, will play a character known as Blood Axe in Rebel Moon. The name alone certainly suggests that Fisher's Blood Axe is a warrior whose reputation precedes him as someone Kora would likely see as a valuable ally. The film will reportedly feature a spider-human hybrid villainess known as Harmada, but it remains unknown who is playing her. While the cast will also include, among others, Charlie Hunnam, Cary Elwes, Doona Bae, and Jena Malone, the other characters of Rebel Moon remain largely unrevealed, though there's been online speculation of Malone playing Harmada. With that said, the template of the film itself could say quite a bit about it.

RELATED: What Rebel Moon’s Concept Art Reveals About Snyder’s Star Wars Re-Invention

Rebel Moon Will Be A Two-Part Epic With Spin-Off Possibilities

Rebel Moon concept art pic

Rather than being a singular film, Rebel Moon is actually two movies being filmed back-to-back. Snyder is known for telling stories with extended run times, especially in his superhero movies, and the advantages of a streaming platform like Netflix seem ideal for that. As a two-part epic, this could suggest numerous possibilities for how the story might be divided, from a cliffhanger ending in Rebel Moon 1 to a more definitive conclusion with Rebel Moon 2 acting as an individualized story. Adding to Rebel Moon's advantageous back-to-back shoot, the future plans for Rebel Moon as an IP could also suggest something key about the story the two-part sci-fi adventure will tell.

Snyder and Netflix have both expressed hope for the universe-building potential of Rebel Moon, while their aspirations based on various comments have suggested spin-offs as Rebel Moon's continuation rather than a more direct sequel. If that's the case, this seems to indicate that Rebel Moon's story is meant to have a clear resolution by the end. If so, that would establish Rebel Moon as the foundation of its universe in terms of potential stories that could be spun out of it, but also a standalone narrative within it. In essence, the two-part Rebel Moon story might have a definitive end, but the universe it sets up will be a vast one with the potential for continued spin-off exploration.

In Rebel Moon's post-Star Wars transformation, the two-part movie has undergone a similar history to the eventual production of Army of the Dead; both movies that had long been stuck in development hell for years, brought to life by the advantages of streaming afforded by Netflix. Undoubtedly, the tweaking process in that period has been far more pronounced for Rebel Moon in order to remove its former Star Wars connections and establish it as a totally new story. In the end, while the majority of the details about the universe and story of Rebel Moon remain under wraps, what has been unveiled shows Snyder's concept for it has huge potential. With Rebel Moon, Snyder's two-part outline teases a vast scope that's also a standalone story. Even still, the spin-off possibilities hoped for by Netflix and Snyder as Rebel Moon's George Lucas-type architect definitely indicate that neither sees it as a two-and-done; exciting news indeed for sci-fi fans and Zack Snyder fans alike.

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