Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, Which Was Originally a Star Wars Film, Looks a Lot Like Star Wars

Zack Snyder’s upcoming Rebel Moon, which was originally pitched as a Star Wars movie, still looks a lot like a Star Wars movie.

Empire has shared a handful of first look images of Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi film, and while they all are reminiscent of Star Wars, its one in particular that stands out: a woman wielding two blades of red light.

This, of course, looks like a Sith from Star Wars, and given the film’s Akira Kurosawa influence, could bear a striking resemblance to the upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte, which is also inspired by Kurosawa.

EXCLUSIVE :crescent_moon:

Zack Snyder talks about why #RebelMoon didn’t become a Star Wars movie: “I knew it was a big ask,” he tells Empire.

READ MORE: https://t.co/6kDp5gcKFg pic.twitter.com/7RdKV7kwEd

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) July 3, 2023

Snyder insisted Rebel Moon wouldn’t have worked as a Star Wars film though, telling Empire there were many reasons it didn’t come to be. “The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened. There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible?,” he said.

“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.

EXCLUSIVE :rotating_light:

Anthony Hopkins voices mysterious robot Jimmy in @ZackSnyder’s #RebelMoon – a character set to undergo a major transformation across the multi-part story.

“He’s on a journey of self-discovery,” Snyder tells Empire.

Read more: https://t.co/FhFq6xljAZ pic.twitter.com/ZF9WZx6rt8

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) July 2, 2023

“The deeper I got into it, I realised it was probably never going to be what I wanted,” he said. This sentiment was shared by Logan director James Mangold, who recently said his attempt at making an R-rated Star Wars film fizzled out too.

A handful of other images were released too, showing a buff man with a big gun, a space ship driving through explosions, two characters standing in a ship, and a girl and a robot (played by Anthony Hopkins) sitting on a sleepy planet.

Rebel Moon will apparently just be the first film in an new sci-fi epic that even includes a “ridiculous scale” video game adaptation, according to Snyder. The film is due to premiere on Netflix on December 22, but a Snyder cut version, meaning a longer one with more R-rated themes, is also on the way.

EXCLUSIVE :crescent_moon:

Epic scope. Massive action. Ambitious world-building. @ZackSnyder’s multi-part sci-fi epic #RebelMoon is “an accumulation of everything he’s done thus far,” producer Deborah Snyder tells Empire.

Read more and see exclusive new images: https://t.co/SZ3HCkwkfq pic.twitter.com/HvdxyuYWV2

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) July 1, 2023

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.