When Zack Snyder‘s two-part sci-fi epic “Rebel Moon” hits Netflix in December, the streaming giant hopes it will launch an original space opera franchise on a scale not seen since “Star Wars.” But regardless of how the film is ultimately received, Snyder fans can take solace in the fact that, yes, a director’s cut is already in the works.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Snyder explained that he is preparing to release R-rated versions of both “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” and “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” with an hour of additional footage. He made it clear that the existence of extended cuts has nothing to do with the theatrical cuts’ quality, but his desire to introduce an R-rated sensibility to a mainstream sci-fi franchise.
“I’m super proud of the PG-13 version, the broader audience version, because I would say it really satisfies an awesome, timeless, mythological scope,” Snyder said. “What we’ve done with the other version is fun and subversive because an R-rated sci-fi movie at this scale shouldn’t exist.”
Snyder’s history of creative clashes with studios is well-documented, leading his rabid fans to clamor to see director’s cuts of his critically maligned films. The phenomenon culminated in an extensive fan campaign for Warner Bros. to release the so-called “Snyder Cut” of “Justice League,” which streamed on HBO Max in 2021 after Snyder re-shot portions of the DC film in his backyard. But this time, things are different. The director explained that his relationship with Netflix is positive and collaborative, with both parties supporting the idea of releasing both a PG-13 and an R-rated version of “Rebel Moon.”
“This was the first time I had ever been able to make a movie and plan for that,” he said. “The cut was not me fighting with them like, ‘OK, you won’t do what I want. Can I at least release it on DVD?’ It was us going together.”
“Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” premieres on Netflix on Friday, December 22. “Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver” will follow soon after, streaming on April 19, 2024.
