Zack Snyder's partnership with Netflix got off to a rousing start with Army of the Dead, and THR has reported that the director's next film for the streaming service will be similarly epic. The outlet has announced that Snyder will be co-write, direct, and produce Rebel Moon, an epic sci-fi fantasy that began life as a Star Wars pitch a decade ago.
In what sounds like a sci-fi spin on Seven Samurai, Rebel Moon takes place on a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy which finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent named Balisarius. The desperate colonists dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them make a stand. "This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan," Snyder told THR. "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." Snyder will be co-writing the script with Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead) and Kurt Johnstad (300).
As I mentioned above, Rebel Moon started out as a Star Wars movie idea that Zack Snyder pitched to Lucasfilm prior to Disney acquiring the company. It didn't wind up going anywhere, and Snyder consider transforming the project into a series before deciding it should be a feature-film. Although by the sounds of things, it seems that Snyder it hoping Rebel Moon has major franchise potential. Zack Snyder is hoping to kick off production early next year, but added that he's "been working on this on the side for so long [that] it's pretty far along." Army of the Dead is already setting up a bigger franchise, as a prequel film – Army of Thieves – is on track to debut on Netflix later this year and an anime series – Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas – is on the way as well.