The official trailer for Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon movie has been unveiled, and it looks like it could be the epic sci-fi franchise Netflix has been searching for.
Snyder's latest feature film, which arrives on Netflix on December 22, closed out the streamer's packed Geeked Week 2023 lineup with a special virtual presentation yesterday (November 12). As part of that 30-minute online event, Snyder revealed the full-length teaser for Rebel Moon's first installment, aka Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire. And, in our view, it might just be the big-budget, visually arresting, and barnstorming multimedia series Netflix has longed to call its own.
Check out the three-minute-long trailer for the first entry in Snyder's new Netflix-exclusive universe below:
Rebel Moon's first teaser, which we called Snyder and Netflix's surprisingly interesting answer to Star Wars, didn't give too much away about its story when it was released in August. Indeed, it was full of typically beautiful shots, grandiose action-heavy sequences, and Snyder's signature slow-mo camerawork. Apart from a brief plot synopsis that dropped alongside said teaser, though, fans weren't entirely sure what Rebel Moon's deal was.
Thanks to A Child of Fire's official trailer, we have a clearer idea of what to expect from the first of two new Netflix movies co-written and directed by Snyder. In it, we see Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past who finds a new home among a settlement of farmers on a moon known as Veldt. However, Kora and her newfound friends' peace is disturbed when forces from the tyrannical Motherworld – a universal powerhouse akin to Star Wars' Galactic Empire – arrive with an axe to grind.
The autocracy's leaders Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein) seek retribution against Veldt after its people unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes, a group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld. Resolving to protect her new home at any cost, Kora sets out across the galaxy to round up a team of warriors to defend Veldt against seemingly insurmountable odds. You can read even more details about the movie's development, cast list, and story beats in our Rebel Moon guide.
Buckle up and take @ZackSnyder's hand as he *literally* immerses you inside the Rebel Moon trailer.Meet the characters ✅Behind-the-scenes tidbits ✅Easter eggs galore ✅#GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/TbXhoF5d1JNovember 13, 2023
On the surface, Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire may seem to be the first act in a two-part film event that'll make its debut on Netflix. However, Snyder has big plans to turn Rebel Moon into a multi-pronged franchise on the world's best streaming service.
Speaking to Total Film, the former DC Extended Universe (DCEU) writer-director revealed his ambitions to develop a animated series, a narrative podcast, animated comic book, and even a video game within the confines of Rebel Moon's universe. This, then, is just the beginning of a new potentially huge IP for Netflix to rally behind if its first film proves to be a success.
Even if Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire doesn't do enough to be seen as one of the best Netflix movies and subsequently spawn its own franchise, there's lots to look forward to from Snyder's new universe. Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver will launch on Netflix on April 19, 2024, before R-rated cuts of both movies hit the service later next year.
Snyder is also planning to make a director's cut of Rebel Moon that'll test your runtime limits. Indeed, by stitching the two films together and adding in plenty of new material left on the cutting room floor first time around, Rebel Moon's Snyder Cut is expected to clock in at a ridiculous four and a half hours – 30 minutes longer than his director's cut of 2019's Justice League. Plan your bathroom breaks accordingly, everyone.
