As far as genre-designation goes, where does Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon fit? From an outsider perspective, it might seem like the easy answer is “science-fiction,” but those folks might want to take heed of making assumptions. Within the movie itself, as Netflix subscribers learned this past weekend, there is a mythos established that suggests magic may be real in the canon. So that does mean that the franchise is leaning more fantasy than sci-fi?
According to the co-writer/director, he’s aiming at what he calls the “ultimate genre.”
I spoke with Zack Snyder earlier this month during the Los Angeles press day for Rebel Moon: Part 1 – A Child Of Fire (along with the members of the expansive ensemble cast), and one of the questions I asked was in regard to genre. Surprising me, he explained that while magic is a small piece of the puzzle in the now-streamable blockbuster, fans can expect to see a lot more of it in Rebel Moon Part 2 – The Scargiver (which just launched its first trailer this morning). Said the filmmaker,
There's a large magical element in the movie that actually I think, as we go forward, will be stronger; you'll see more of it. And it has a lot to do with even just when you start to learn the details of how the Dreadnaughts are powered and sort of backstory on how the Motherworld got it's... what was the tradeoff it made for the great expansion that it did? It was probably a powerful planet within like the confines of the near systems, but when it really went like big, what happened? What was the trigger?
It’s an aspiration balance with which movie-fans are already well-versed. After all, blending sci-fi and fantasy is what Star Wars has been doing since 1977 – with advanced technology and space travel paired with the mystical energy known as The Force. That said, it’s not altogether surprising that Zack Snyder would target something along those lines given that Rebel Moon originated as a project for the Star Wars canon.
Continuing, the filmmaker said that it is his goal to strike an equal balance between sci-fi and fantasy with his latest creation:
It's those kinds of details that when you start to go, 'Oh, that's cool,' and 'How is that gonna play?' and all those things. I think that's fun for us, because that ends up being story and that ends up being sort of mythological and that ends up being magical. In the end, I really want the fantasy and the sci-fi to really be in equal measure. I feel like that's sort of the ultimate genre – like the ultimate, ultimate genre if you're a genre filmmaker, which I am, as sort of a genre lover, is science fantasy at the highest level.
He also only sees the blend of science-fiction and fantasy as a starting place. Those details can simply provide a backdrop for any other kind of story. Said Snyder,
I think sci-fi fantasy at the highest level, anything could fit under the umbrella of that. There could be a horror movie in there. There could be anything you can think of. Action. All of it.
Following up, I pointed out that beyond just the potential for genre, there is a whole lot of freedom. While science-fiction can be used to ground a wild story, throwing fantasy in the mix means that storytellers can do whatever they want. This was an idea that Zack Snyder fully embraced, and he’s excited for the wide variety of corners in the universe to be explored with that in mind. Said the writer/director,
You literally get to make your own rules. You literally can just say, 'You know what? If they can fly, you know, whatever.' I'm not gonna do that, but you could. That's really the fun to me, that's really the funnest [sic] part of making a world like this and a world for sci-fi fans that get to go down rabbit holes wherever they want and explore different corners of the universe, which is kind of how I really see this IP evolving, you know?
He did add a caveat, however. While Rebel Moon is just getting on its feet as a franchise, he has reined in things at the start just to make sure that everything being produced makes sense within the established continuity:
I've been really careful with the other material that we're making that supports the movie, that it'd all be super in canon. Nobody's taking a run right now. Maybe in the future you could do that, but right now, I want everything... Like if you read the comic book, all the history, everything in the comic book is canon to the movie. There's nothing that breaks it because I think that it's important now for fans to be able to go other places for information about the world because there's just so much you can put in the movie.
As of this past Friday, Rebel Moon: Part 1 – A Child Of Fire is now streaming on Netflix, and those excited to see the conclusion of the story will be able to do so when Rebel Moon: Part 2 – The Scargiver premieres on April 19, 2024. Those awaiting the unrated, extended versions of the two blockbusters will find their needs satiated in the summer.
