Zack Snyder Goes to Space in “Rebel Moon” Trailer

Now that the seemingly unending Justice League saga has ended, Zack Snyder has moved into his Netflix era. After the zombie heist movie Army of the Dead in 2021, the leading streamer invested heavily in Snyder's new space opera Rebel Moon. The sprawling sci-fi adventure - based on an original story by Snyder - is so massive it will be split in two parts. The first entry, subtitled A Child of Fire, drops in December. The follow-up, called The Scargiver, arrives in 2024.

The films will tell the myth of Kora (Sofia Boutella), a warrior who raises up an army to fight the Imperium (this tale's version of Space Fascists). If that sounds a little like Star Wars, it's not surprising. Snyder originally pitched the story to Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, but the project never came to fruition. It certainly would have been fascinating to see his take on the galaxy far, far away. But they almost certainly wouldn't have let him make it his way, especially with a planned R-rated cut down the road.

Loaded with strong actors, including Djimon Hounsou, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam and Doona Bae, Rebel Moon also includes villains played by Ed Skrein and Fra Free. And yes, that is the distinct voice of Anthony Hopkins you hear in the trailer. He lends his vocal talents to Jimmy, the last remaining android knight in the galaxy. There are also parts for great characters Corey Stoll and Cary Elwes.

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire premieres exclusively on Netflix on December 22. Part Two - The Scargiver, is currently scheduled for April 19, 2024.

About Kip Mooney

Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.