Zack Snyder Announces Netflix's Rebel Moon Has Started Filming With An Intense Character Portrait And More

Zack Snyder directing Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot as Batman and Wonder Woman in Justice League
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Following the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, the title filmmaker is moving on with original ideas, namely for Netflix. After last year’s successful release of zombie flick Army of the Dead, the writer/director has been developing an original science fiction film called Rebel Moon for a few years. Snyder has updated fans that he is on the set of the project right now to start filming the mysterious epic. 

Zack Snyder took to his Twitter to share the first three images from the set of Rebel Moon. Check them out: 

What sticks out immediately about the Rebel Moon images is a piercing black and white image of Djimon Hounsou, who will reportedly play a character named General Titus in the movie. He is jacked in an ornate piece of armor and giving an intense stare as he dons a cut on his forehead. Consider our attention held. 

The other two images seem to give Zack Snyder fans a peek at one of Rebel Moon’s set pieces, which looks like some sort of aircraft out of Dune. It’s a massive piece that is standing in the middle of a desert and painted with green, which means some CGI will come in to finish its look. 

Zack Snyder has referenced Akira Kurosawa and the Star Wars universe when speaking about how Rebel Moon came about. When Rebel Moon was picked up by Netflix last summer, the Man of Steel filmmaker said the movie brings out his “love” of sci-fi and giant adventure. He shared the hope that Rebel Moon become sa “massive IP” that can be built out into a bigger universe. 

Rebel Moon boasts a huge cast also including Charlie Hunnam, Sofia Boutella, Jena Malone, Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes and Justice League’s Cyborg actor, Ray Fisher. Snyder came up with the story alongside 300 and Atomic Blonde’s  Kurt Johnstad and co-wrote the screenplay with Shay Hatten, who also penned Army of the Dead and Army of Thieves with him – alongside writing credits in the John Wick franchise. 

Much like the release of Army of the Dead (which has a sequel called Planet of the Dead on the way), I imagine once Rebel Moon is filmed and edited, it may be one of the few Netflix films to hit theaters before arriving on the streaming service. People with Netflix subscriptions around the world will have access to the science fiction epic, and perhaps the filmmaker can bring out his distinct creative vision without the constraints of a studio he ran into working on DC films with Warner Bros. 

Zack Snyder has, of course, amassed a huge following thanks to his SnyderVerse vision for DC, but at this time, it doesn’t seem like movies like Man of Steel 2 are in the works anymore from the director. No matter what happens with DC, Snyder is moving forward with Rebel Moon, and the future looks bright as filming kicks off. 

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.