When Zack Snyder moved on from the DC Universe, after dropping the mother of all DC movies in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he set up shop at Netflix and began working on original IP. He launched a zombie franchise with Army of the Dead, which spun out (so far) to Army of Thieves, and will extend into an animated series. And then, in between Army projects, Snyder waded into a sci-fi thriller that he has been working on for decades… and even pitched to Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm before finding a home for it at Netflix. In a teaser trailer revealing everything new this year at Netflix, we got our first official look at the upcoming Rebel Moon, and its hero, Sofia Boutella.
Get ready to explore the epic new universe from director Zack Snyder. REBEL MOON stars Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Staz Nair, with Charlie Hunnam and Anthony Hopkins and more. Premiering December 22 #NetflixSaveTheDates pic.twitter.com/egKQDkQDNQJanuary 18, 2023
As part of a sizzle reel released by Netflix, which included a full slate of anticipated films starring major Hollywood talent, the final spot was reserved for Rebel Moon, with the reveal that the sci-fi thriller would arrive on the streaming service on December 22. That’s one hell of a Christmas gift for Zack Snyder fans, even though this confirms that we’ll basically have a full year to wait to see the latest adventure from the director of Man of Steel, Watchmen, and 300.
There was also something missing from the title reveal on Rebel Moon. There had been rumors circulating that the movie that will now arrive in December will be the first part of a two-part saga. We know a few facts about Rebel Moon for certain, and were really hoping to see the Part One aspect of the movie confirmed. For now, we’ll have to continue guessing if Snyder has more story left to tell in this universe, or if Rebel Moon is a one-and-done.
The ship and Sofia Boutella weren't the only reveals in the brief Rebel Moon footage. We know from the official Rebel Moon cast list that Djimon Hounsou will be playing General Titus in the movie. Boutella's character is named Kora, and we got a glimpse of Charlie Hunnam's character, whose name we don't yet know, but he looks like this:
It’s worth following Zack Snyder on social media. He has been teasing looks into Rebel Moon for some time now. Like in this video, shot in the cockpit of a Rebel Moon ship, which also features an incredible RED camera colored pink for Breast Cancer Awareness.
#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth @RED_Cinema @JarredLand pic.twitter.com/3P5vOHc6kkOctober 11, 2022
Here’s my next question about Rebel Moon: Will it also receive a theatrical release? Netflix does make exceptions for certain filmmakers. Snyder’s Army of the Dead got a theatrical run, and Rian Johnson recently negotiated that for his Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion. Looking at the list of Upcoming 2023 movies, a December 22 release date would put Rebel Moon in competition with an untitled Ghostbusters sequel, and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Lost Kingdom. The irony of that can not be lost on Snyder.
