REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Explains Why Pitching His Idea As A STAR WARS Movie Didn't Pan Out

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Explains Why Pitching His Idea As A STAR WARS Movie Didn't Pan Out

Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder has confirmed that he originally pitched his idea for the upcoming Netflix sci-fi epic to Lucasfilm as a Star Wars film. We also have a first look at Ray Fisher's character.

By MarkCassidy - Jul 05, 2023 07:07 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: Via SFF Gazette

When we first heard about Zack Snyder's plans for his Seven Samurai-inspired sci-fi adventure, Rebel Moon, it sounded a lot like a Star Wars project, and the Justice League director has now confirmed that he did originally envision his story playing out in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Snyder tells Empire Magazine that he pitched Lucasfilm on the idea shortly after the Disney acquisition in 2012, but they were hesitant to move forward because the filmmaker didn't want to use any previously established characters, and felt that his film should be R-rated.

“The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened,” Snyder explained. “There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters, I just want to do my own thing on the side.’ And originally I was like, ‘It should be rated R!’ That was almost a non-starter.”

“I knew it was a big ask, to be honest,” he added. “But the deeper I got into it, I realized it was probably never going to be what I wanted.”

Snyder has expansive plans for Rebel Moon which extend way beyond two movies, and reportedly turned in a 450-page "bible", detailing various lore and backstories relating to the evil Imperium and beyond.

Rebel Moon will debut on Netflix in two family-friendly parts (the first of which releases this December), before being made available in R-rated form at a later date.

You'll find a first look at Ray Fisher's character, Darrian Bloodaxe, and an updated synopsis below.

From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making. 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.

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Fares
Fares - 7/5/2023, 7:49 AM
Bold of him to even try, but at least it panned out in a different form. Ya keep doing your thing, Zack.
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 7/5/2023, 7:53 AM
Zack's visuals are beautiful. It's his writing and editing that are horrible. I'll be looking for this during the holidays.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 7/5/2023, 7:56 AM
@WEAPONXOXOXO

Army of the Dead was the first movie of his where I've hated the aesthetic.
DannyDischarge
DannyDischarge - 7/5/2023, 8:42 AM
@regularmovieguy - You know, for a “acclaimed visual director,” I don’t know how or why he was able to release “Army of the Dead” on Netflix without noticing all of those dead pixels on the screen.
Cap1
Cap1 - 7/5/2023, 7:54 AM
Says it all that they said no cos he had no old characters. Disney are terrified of new SW characters
DerekLake
DerekLake - 7/5/2023, 7:55 AM
Amazed he thought that pitch would ever work. He may be a “visionary director” but he certainly doesn’t have anywhere near the clout or reputation to be able to ask for money for a project with no strings attached. Certainly not from Disney or Lucasfilm. But it’s not surprising he walked up to Star Wars with as little understanding of it as he has of DC.
FrankieDedo
FrankieDedo - 7/5/2023, 8:06 AM
So he basically saw the Clone Wars episode and thought "i am going to direct my own Star Wars Seven Samurai with blackjack and hookers"

( ͡ ° ͜ʖ ͡ °)
BeNice123
BeNice123 - 7/5/2023, 8:08 AM
At this point with where atar w ars is going, (trash/Garbage) they should have let him have a go.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/5/2023, 8:08 AM
Who would pitch a rated R Star Wars film? To Disney no less!
EnergyVamp
EnergyVamp - 7/5/2023, 12:35 PM
@Forthas - Tarantino pitched a R-rated Star Trek movie, Aronovsky pitched a R-rated Batman, and James Gunn and Margot Robbie were able to get R-rated DC movies. You have to be bold, but you are right about Disney being the toughest to budge.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/5/2023, 8:14 AM
Zack Snyder should direct films other people write! He has an amazing visual style but his proclivity toward violence and adult subject matter for the shock value (which he confuses for good writing) is his downfall.
EnergyVamp
EnergyVamp - 7/5/2023, 12:36 PM
@Forthas - I dont think he does things for shock value because I dont find his tendencies to be cheap like a jump scare in movies. He has his reasons, I wish there was someone who could balance him out towards more tender and smaller character moments.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/5/2023, 12:51 PM
@SafeSpace - I don't know...when you look at his body of work...Batman v Superman for example, he has Bruce Wayne coming to rescue people during the Metropolis fight....without his Bat gear? WHY? Or Luthor blowing up the Capital Building to frame Superman (which it was never clear if he was blamed for that)...WHY? Or Superman being killed in his second film? WHY? These things seem like they are all randomly thrown into the film for the shock value instead of a build up to it that connects to a braoder theme or plot point.
EnergyVamp
EnergyVamp - 7/5/2023, 10:39 PM
@Forthas - Bruce Wayne was driving to a Wayne Tower meeting and happened upon the invasion. Luthor framed Superman to make the public distrust Superman because conveniently the people testifying and blaming him get blown up to seed more distrust. Its more fleshed out in BVS: Ultimate Cut.
Superman dying in part two was to set up his resurrection and make him transition from the moody and dour Superman to the symbol for hope. He also wanted to set up Bruce Wayne and Lois falling in love and grieving over Superman. I dont like his choices but dont act like it was for shock.

It is literally in the movie and he explained the last part in interviews lmao.
Cmon man, you are literally making shit up now. If you dont like his decisions just say that, dont say it was random or had no rhyme or reason.
Forthas
Forthas - 7/6/2023, 12:41 AM
@SafeSpace -

"Bruce Wayne was driving to a Wayne Tower meeting and happened upon the invasion."

Bruce Wayne arrived in a helicopter!

"Luthor framed Superman to make the public distrust Superman because conveniently the people testifying and blaming him get blown up to seed more distrust. Its more fleshed out in BVS: Ultimate Cut."

OK! But that did not lead to anything. The public did not attack Superman after the fact. ONLY Batman and when Superman died the whole word mourned his death meaning the set up was pointless. Members of Congress were killed, yet there is no other mention of that event after Superman leaves the scene. So I ask again, what as the point of that scene?

“Superman dying in part two was to set up his resurrection and make him transition from the moody and dour Superman to the symbol for hope.”

When Superman is resurrected the firt thing he tries to do is kill the Justice League! What exactly made him supposedly transition from dour to hopeful? That is NEVER addressed. He has one conversation with Lois lane and one with Alfred and then suddenly he decides he should just go help the Justice League. The writing is just terrible and I think you can see that.

“He also wanted to set up Bruce Wayne and Lois falling in love and grieving over Superman. I dont like his choices but dont act like it was for shock.”

But that is EXACTLY the emotion it provokes...Shock! leaving aside the fact that Superman is dead, the idea that Lois Lane would fall in love with the man who litearlly was about to stab the love of her life is ridiculous! That is what makes it shocking!

Look, I am not one of these people who want to throw stones at Zack Snyder. I am on record stating I think Man of Steel is the greatest Superman film ever made and one of the top 20 best super hero films. I will defend Snyder when it comes to that. But Batman v Superman extended cut or not is a whole other issue. I think that film was atrocious for many of the reasons given above and then some. In my opinion it was BvS that started WB in this spiral out of control and Zack Snyder is the one responsible for that film. WB certainly exacerbated the situation after Snyder was no longer with the organization and made things far worse than it had to be, but at the end of the day it started with Snyder and BvS.
EnergyVamp
EnergyVamp - 7/6/2023, 12:56 PM
@Forthas - I didnt bother reading any of your replies.
But looks like you wasted a lot of time trying to respond to me because of how triggered Zack Snyder made you. Point at the doll, where he touched you. Thanks for lulz ;p
Forthas
Forthas - 7/6/2023, 2:21 PM
@SafeSpace - Glad to see you have such an open mind and respect views that you might disagree with. We need more people on this site like you!
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 7/5/2023, 8:23 AM
I'm actually glad he got to make this into it's own thing. And honestly, I think he should've done the same with superheroes. He could've had a The Boys-type thing on his hands before The Boys became a show. Don't need the IP to try and deconstruct it imo
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 7/5/2023, 8:24 AM
Really? In 2012, hot on the heels of Sucker Punch, Disney/Lucasfilm didn’t jump at the chance to have an all-original Zach Snyder film enhancing their brand-new acquisition?

Hard to believe.
Alucard28
Alucard28 - 7/5/2023, 8:32 AM
I hope is good.
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 7/5/2023, 8:32 AM
Just think, Disney wanted to do a movie with Trank, but they turned down Zack Snyder. AAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!
MartianManHuntr
MartianManHuntr - 7/5/2023, 8:34 AM
Zack I really like your movies but collaborate with writers for story part.
marvel72
marvel72 - 7/5/2023, 8:42 AM
#ReleaseTheRebelMoonTrailer

GhostDog
GhostDog - 7/5/2023, 8:49 AM
Wild that he would even attempt this
bobevanz
bobevanz - 7/5/2023, 8:49 AM
He's making it seem like Rebel Moon is going to be his magnum opus, and I'm here for it. Aside from a few really good adaptations, his original movies are pretty bad. He's all in on this, after Army of The Dead his back is against the wall. Hit a homerun champ haha sincerely, someone who only rewatches Watchmen and 300 once in a blue moon lol
philinterrupted
philinterrupted - 7/5/2023, 10:29 AM
It’s gotta be dark, gritty, rated R and loads of sloooooooooooow moooooooooootion.
TJJones96
TJJones96 - 7/5/2023, 11:21 AM
Like Disney would want to work with him after his messy DC movies
DocSpock
DocSpock - 7/5/2023, 12:25 PM


Release the Snyder cut of the Star Wars movie he didn't make!!!!!!!!!!
EnergyVamp
EnergyVamp - 7/5/2023, 12:39 PM
I'm excited about Rebel Moon trailer. Kinda going for that adult space opera feel from comics. I hope there is more hand-to-hand or weapon fights than gun fights. Guns are [frick]ing boring unless you are John Wick.
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