The first trailer for Rebel Moon, Zack Snyder's new Netflix movie, has been released – and, frankly, it's an impressive albeit surreal first look at the Star Wars-inspired flick.
Set to release in two parts (Part 1 in December and Part 2 in April 2024), Rebel Moon is Snyder's second Netflix film following 2022's Army of the Dead. Unlike that action-horror heist movie, though, Rebel Moon is entrenched in sci-fi and fantasy genre sensibilities. And, for diehard Snyder fans, there's plenty of stylized slow-mo camerawork and novel world-building to wrap your eyeballs around.
Take a look at the thrilling four-minute-long trailer for one of 2023's final new Netflix movies below:
Given it was originally pitched as a Star Wars film, the fingerprints of Lucasfilm's legendary franchise are all over Rebel Moon's first trailer. As the teaser, well, teases, its story, which focuses on a small band of warriors who attempt to protect their village from a tyrannical empire's invading forces, and visuals have clearly been influenced by that iconic galaxy far, far away.
But there's far more to Rebel Moon than just its Star Wars-inspired aesthetic and narrative. From its beautiful Gladiator-esque shots of sun-drenched fields of wheat, to its magically fantastical universe building that has shades of Harry Potter – is that a black hippogriff-like creature we spotted? – Snyder's latest feature film appears to be more than a mere Star Wars clone.
Anyway, enough of the comparisons. What is Rebel Moon about, apart from a) what we teased above and b) the fact it's telling another David versus Goliath-type story that Snyder really seems to dig? Here's the official plot synopsis, courtesy of Netflix: "When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
"Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors – outsiders, insurgents, peasants, and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Snyder's space opera-action epic has an ensemble cast of heavy hitters and rising stars among its roster. Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Charlie Hunnam, Michiel Huisman, Ray Fisher, Jena Malone, Ed Skrein, Corey Stoll, and Sir Anthony Hopkins are nine such actors who'll feature across Rebel Moon's two movies.
Speaking of Rebel Moon's two-part story, it was initially conceived by Snyder before its screenplay was penned by the former DC Extended Universe (DCEU) director alongside frequent collaborators Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) and Kurt Johnstad (300). Deborah Snyder, Eric Newman, and Wesley Coller join Snyder on Rebel Moon's executive producing team.
Each film's subtitle was revealed alongside the release of its trailer, too. Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire will debut on the world's best streaming service on December 22, with Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver launching on April 19, 2024. You'll be able to watch different cuts of Rebel Moon's two installments, too, as a director's cut is also being produced.
Will one or both movies join our best Netflix movies list? Based on their teaser, they could, but we'll have to see the finished article before we make that call. Keep your eyes fixed on TechRadar for more when we have it.
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