Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon is shaping up to be a truly special space opera epic. Comparisons to Star Wars are easy to make, particularly because Snyder first pitched the movie to Lucasfilm in the late 2000s. His vision was for a more mature take on the franchise focused on a new part of the universe, showing a group of unusual warriors banding together to fight the Empire.
Following the Disney acquisition his pitch was rejected, but it’s now become a Netflix original with an incredible cast set for release at the end of the year. The story and concept have been substantially reworked to distinguish itself from Star Wars, even if you don’t have to squint too hard to spot some parallels.
A major one is the movie’s villain, Admiral Atticus Noble, to be played by Deadpool and Maleficent star Ed Skrein. Netflix has just released a run-down of the cast and characters, and Skrein has given his take on his character:
“When you look at Noble, you see the harshest type of military savageness. You see a ruthless, cold man who has chosen horror over morality for the directness of it. In a world where morality is waning, he has cast morality aside in the name of ambition.”
The above could just as easily describe Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, who renounced the Jedi order for the direct power of the Sith, and acted as Palpatine’s right-hand man and key enforcer. That said, we can also see shades of Grand Admiral Thrawn in Noble, particularly in his ruthlessness and willingness to do what others won’t in battle.
Rebel Moon may have begun as a Star Wars pitch, but all indications are that it’s going to be something quite distinct when it releases in December. Netflix certainly seems confident it has a hit on its hands, as Rebel Moon Part II will follow soon afterwards, and there’s a wealth of multimedia tie-ins in production. We’re very hyped for what Snyder is turning out, especially because he seems to have been given total creative freedom to tell the story he wants.
Rebel Moon lands on Netflix on Dec. 22.