Per an exclusive in The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder, who will co-write and direct the upcoming film, has set the movie at Netflix, which was also home to the director’s zombie action-adventure film, “Army of the Dead.” Snyder has long had an interest in creating a film inspired by Kurosawa and “Star Wars.” News broke in 2013 that Snyder was developing a Kurosawa-inspired “Star Wars” film that would’ve been loosely inspired by the classic 1954 film “Seven Samurai” where Jedi Knights and lightsabers would be used instead of ronin and samurai swords. Though the project never came to fruition, Snyder is moving forward with its core story and themes for “Rebel Moon,” albeit without any “Star Wars” connections.
Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter that he had spent the last several years building the world of “Rebel Moon” and aims to turn the film into a franchise.
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“This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a ‘Star Wars’ fan,” Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.”
“Rebel Moon” will be co-written with Shay Hatten (“Army of the Dead”) and Kurt Johnstad (“300”). Deborah Snyder, Zack’s producing partner and wife, will produce the film via Stone Quarry along with Wesley Coller, while Eric Newman (“Dawn of the Dead”) will produce via Grand Electric. Grand Electric’s Sarah Bowen will serve as an executive producer.
The “Rebel Moon” news follows an especially busy several months for Snyder. “Army of the Dead” premiered on Netflix in May, while the director’s much-discussed “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” premiered on HBO Max in March. Netflix touted “Army of the Dead,” which starred an ensemble cast including Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, and Matthias Schweighöfer, among others, as a viewership success; the streaming giant stated that the film was viewed by 72 million people within four weeks of its release, though those figures aren’t able to be confirmed by an objective third-party.
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