Though an R-rated versions of Rebel Moon and its sequel are expected to be released at a later date, the version of Zack Snyder's sci-fi epic that's set to debut on Netflix this December will be PG-13, and the official MPA rating breakdown has stirred up quite a bit of controversy online.
Rebel Moon has been rated PG-13 for: "sequences of strong violence, sexual assault, bloody images, language, sexual material and partial nudity."
Some violence and partial nudity is usually par for the course with these more teen-friendly ratings, but this is the first time we've ever seen a movie that includes strong violence and sexual assault avoid an R.
We don't have any context yet, but we have no idea how any sequence involving sexual assault could possibly be "toned down" enough to be deemed suitable for a PG-13 cut.
Snyder will be answering questions about the film during Netflix's "Geeked Week," so we can probably expect him to be asked about this... a number of times!
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.
The heroes of Rebel Moon are: Kora (Sofia Boutella), an Imperium deserter who leaves the peaceful Veldt to fight back; Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary pilot whose Tawau-Class freighter will prove invaluable to Kora’s quest; Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a Veldt farmer who knows little of the galaxy outside of his small, quiet corner of the galaxy; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a hardened gladiator who once served the Imperium; Tarak (Staz Nair), a noble indentured servant who shares a bond with a flying creature called a Bennu; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a cyborg sword master whose mechanical hands allow her to wield molten-metal weapons; Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher), an insurgent who has been harrying the Imperium with guerilla attacks; and Milius (E. Duffy), a refugee who seeks justice for their home — a colony that has already fallen to the Mother World.
Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire hits Netflix on December 22. The sequel, Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver, will debut on April 19, 2024.