Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon Plans Revealed - But Will They Happen?
Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver" has arrived, delivering the concluding chapter of the first story in what the director hopes will be a much larger franchise. The two films currently available on Netflix were conceived as one, but were split up due to an extended run time. Snyder has also said that R-rated extended cuts are on the way now that "Part Two" is officially out, but that isn't the end of his plans for "Rebel Moon."
"I guess four makes sense," the director told Radio Times when asked about the possibility of additional films. "Four or six movies, depending ... I guess it's whether or not every time we make one of these movies we make two, that's the question." No future films have been officially greenlit at this time, but tie-in comics and novelizations are already out, and more projects are supposedly on the way — a video game and an animated series among them. If these plans are to continue, "Rebel Moon" sequels could indeed be in the cards. "We were talking about it the other day and I was like, would an audience be disappointed if they only got one movie now from 'Rebel Moon'?" Snyder said to Radio Times. "Would they be like, 'Oh, it's one now? Great.'"
Regardless of the exact plans, a six-film franchise is incredibly ambitious. Could it actually happen? Given Netflix's track record and the critical responses to the first two "Rebel Moon" movies, the odds may not be great.
Snyder's Rebel Moon plans may be too big
Like the first film, "Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver" has been widely panned by both critics and fans online. The first film occupied the top spot on Netflix for about a week, but its overall success on the streamer isn't entirely clear one way or the other. Snyder is a big name, but he hasn't yet produced the kind of smash hit for Netflix that his fans may have been hoping for.
Even under the best of circumstances, stretching a franchise out to four, five, or six films is a tall task. Of course, it always helps to have a plan in mind, which Snyder seems to — at least for a third movie. "We absolutely have the story all set, we did all that work," the director told Radio Times. "We wrote a treatment for the movie so we'll see how we go ahead."
The larger obstacle may be Netflix itself, which has built up a reputation over the years for canceling projects before they reach a natural end. This has mostly come up in regard to TV shows, but a six-film saga in the style of "Star Wars" might be even more expensive and too complex to pull off. It would be a long-term commitment, which is something that the modern streaming landscape is rarely kind to.
The future of Rebel Moon
Though only a small corner of it is shown in the first two "Rebel Moon" films, Zack Snyder and his collaborators have clearly envisioned a massive universe for their story. Future films could explore more of the history of that world, the magic that's glimpsed throughout "A Child of Fire" and "The Scargiver," the widespread resistance against the Imperium, and the many alien worlds that surely occupy the far reaches of space.
Ultimately, "Rebel Moon" is a space opera with tinges of grimdark fantasy — a classic Zack Snyder combination. The tone of the films is intentionally pulpy, and that kind of retro "Heavy Metal" universe has endless possibilities. The question is whether or not Snyder can channel his love of the genre into a movie that really gets fan momentum moving. Aside from his usual contingent of loyalists, "Rebel Moon" has yet to establish itself as a major cultural force to a larger audience.
With today's ever-changing streaming industry, anything could happen. It's also likely that, as has happened in the past, Snyder's R-rated "Rebel Moon" director's cuts will garner more acclaim and excitement when they're released later this year. For now, though, we only have two "Rebel Moon" movies and the promise of more — should Netflix decide to continue with the project.