Rebel Moon producers glad it isn’t in the Star Wars universe: “F*** Star Wars”
By Ashley Hurst
It can occasionally feel like every movie and TV show that comes out nowadays is part of a larger cinematic universe: Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Star Trek…Originally, Zack Snyder planned for his upcoming sci-fi epic Rebel Moon to take place in the galaxy far, far away. He intended it as a more mature take on the Star Wars universe. However, Lucasfilm didn’t go for his pitch, and now Rebel Moon will air as its own entity on Netflix later this year.
Being set within the Star Wars continuity would have numerous benefits, mostly name recognition. However, the more the team thought about the connection, the more they wanted to move away from it. “Once, it was a ‘Star Wars’ film, and I never wanted it to be,” Zack Snyder’s wife and producing partner Deborah Snyder said, per SlashFilm. “I remember, I said to Zack, ‘I just feel like your hands are going to be tied so much in what that IP is,’ even though it kind of lived outside of it.”
Once talks with Lucasfilm broke down, the team felt liberated. No longer would they be bogged down by having to deal with the ongoings of the wider Star Wars universe. They could craft something completely new.
"We learned so much with all our years working with the superheroes and creating those worlds, and to do something now that’s wholly original… we say it’s a science fantasy more than science fiction, and to take all those skills that Zack has been honing, and to do something in this space, just seemed really exciting."
Rebel Moon producer Eric Newman: “F*** Star Wars!”
Other producers were more direct. Take Eric Newman, who rhapsodized about getting to be a part of a wholly new cinematic universe. At first, Rebel Moon was set to be a TV show before Snyder turned his attention to the big screen. There were even mumblings of video games.
“I remember [Zack] calling me at some point, and this has got to be 15 years ago, saying, ‘I’m thinking of doing Seven Jedi, in the Star Wars universe.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a cool idea,’” he remembered. “Then, a few years later, he calls me and goes, ‘You know, I think it could be a television show.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, let’s do this! Fuck Star Wars! Let’s do this as a TV show.’”
Rebel Moon will premiere on December 22 on Netflix. A sequel, Part Two: The Scargiver, is slated for release on April 19, 2024.
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