It takes a lot of work to build a universe.
Take it fromZack Snyders whiteboard.
And that board only holds the history of a single planet in theRebel Moonmythology.
Sofia Boutella as Kora in ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire’.Netflix
But for all his extensive planning, the one thing Snyder couldnt anticipate or rush was nature itself.
Thus begins a new space saga thats partSeven Samurai, partStar Wars, and pure Snyder.
But the wheat wasn’t growing fast.
Sofia Boutella as Kora in ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire’.Netflix
We would have to scramble and figure out what else we could shoot.
I should have been in charge of the wheat, Snyder sighs.
As if the one thing Snyder was lacking onRebel Moonwas another job title.
The robot Jimmy (performed by Dustin Ceithamer and voiced by Anthony Hopkins) in ‘Rebel Moon’.Netflix
Now, the hard work has paid off.
you’re able to see it on camera, too.
It does something to the eye.
Charlie Hunnam as Kai in ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire’.Netflix
It looks different, especially with a bunch of CGI around.
Tasked with creating a one-line pitch, the future director settled on TheDirty Dozenin space.
Apparently, this idea killed in the room, and Snyder never forgot that.
Doona Bae as Nemesis in ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire’.Netflix
Then, while making 2017sJustice League, the Snyders exited mid-stream.
Their years-long campaign eventually bore fruit withZack Snyders Justice Leaguein 2021.
The four-hour film marked Snyders farewell to superheroes and to existing intellectual property.
Milius (E. Duffy) speaks with Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher) in ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire.'.Netflix
Watch the full video interview withRebel Moondirector Zack Snyder.
I said, We could do anArmysequel, or…
I have this insane sci-fi universe, Snyder recalls.
The shadowy figures known as Kali in ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire.'.Netflix
So if you guys are interested in developing original IP, I’m here for that.
So at first, he and Deborah considered developingRebel Moonas a TV show for Netflix.
Zacks head operates on a film budget, not a TV budget.
Mostly everything right now is based on a book or based on a game.
It’s a remake, or its a sequel, Deborah says.
Creating an original story carries its own challenges along with the freedom, though.
It’s different than, What canon do we have to be mindful of?
That creation element falls solely on you, and it is just a different process.
Now were at the epicenter of a new universe.
One thing that helps is not coming up with every single element yourself.
Dancing taught her how to do that.
You have to learn the choreography very fast, and you have to be resilient.
You have to do it over and over and over and over again.
Thats the dancer mindset, says the Algerian.
It also has to do with how you execute your movements.
Rhythm is really, really important.
I don’t do a count, but I know the rhythm of each move.
Theres a music to it.
If a normal person has learned that choreography for months, that is not really an option.
They’ve just memorized it as it is, he explains.
She performs the fight.
Shes not just doing the choreography, she actually knows what it means.
It resonated closely with my experience, Boutella says.
I had to leave my country when I was 10 years old.
Of course, the circumstances are completely different, but for me, it resonated.
I felt I could access that feeling of not necessarily belonging.
Other actors brought pieces of themselves to their characters, as well.
Nemesis introductory scene, for example, is maybe the coolest fight scene in the film.
But it wasnt until Bae was cast in the role that the character really came into her own.
They were able to use the martial traditions and costumes of Korea, but as a sci-fi version.
Like Boutella, Honsou easily connected with his characters background.
And Djimon was like, Oh, that’s what the French did to me!
Rebel Moons roots in the real world go beyond the characters themselves.
The sound is even earthy at times, asRebel Moonstarts on an agricultural planet.
I used simple instruments to underscore the characters’ humanity and morals.
The characters all share a tragic history but come from different places in the universe.
Both Kora and Titus once served the Motherworld and now fight against it.
The two stayed in touch over the years, and their reunion onRebel Moonwas a happy one.
I talk to him all the time, pretty much every day, Snyder says.
But no one’s seen him like this.
I love Muhammad Ali more than anything, but Ray is definitely more ripped than he was.
In addition to the comic, the Snyders also have extensive plans for otherRebel Moonspinoffs.
It’s a full hour longer, Snyder says of the other cut.
It’s not just slightly different or a little bit more.
There are big chunks of the movie that are different.
A lot more stuff is fleshed out.
Zack is a world-builder, Coller explains.
He loves the layering of a world and the details of a story and the nuances of a character.
The pure, redemptive story that implies is cool.
You could still be a hero, Deborah notes.
Just because youre one way doesnt mean you always have to be defined that way.
People can change, and grow, and learn.
Whether these rebels (both real and imagined) will find redemption is a question for the future.
First comes the fire, then the scars.
Welcome to a whole new world.
Cover Director: Jon Deaton for Netflix
Cover DP: Pierre Habib for Netflix
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