(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
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 all different worlds who share a common need for redemption & 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.Rebel Moon is directed by the American producer / filmmaker Zack Snyder, director of the movies Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch, Man of Steel, Warner Bros’ Justice League and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Army of the Dead previously. The screenplay is written by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Shay Hatten. It’s produced by Deborah Snyder, Eric Newman, Zack Snyder, Wesley Coller. (courtesy First Showing)
As a child of Star Wars – I saw it on first release in 1977 and I have always felt like it’s my franchise in a way I relate to few other series – and in inveterate lover of sci-fi, the very idea Rebel Moon is exciting.
Grand and epic and imaginatively derivative in the way that all great stories are, it sounds like the kind of immensely immersive story that seizes the imagination, stokes the heart and takes you across the galaxy and back again to enthralling effect.
There’s no absolute guarantee it will do that of course but certainly this first official teaser trailer, and heady phrases like “The King is a man. And a man can fail. But a myth is indestructible” and the dulcet narrative tones of Anthony Hopkins as “Jimmy”, combined with Zack Snyder’s directorial style, suggest we have a better than even chance of this being the case.
If nothing else, we can lose ourselves in a story where tenacious people refuse to let fascist-tinged fate decide their destiny for them and that is always good for the soul!
Rebel Moon: Part 1 – A Child of Fire debuts on 22 December 2023 with Part 2 – The Scargiver following on 19 April 2024.