Zack Snyder announces new Netflix movie based on old Star Wars pitch

Zack Snyder has had one hell of a year so far and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Following the mammoth four-hour recut of Justice League and his zombie megahit Army of the Dead, he's returning to Netflix for his next project, Rebel Moon, a sci-fi adventure he's signed on to co-write and direct.

The basic bones of the plot, as per The Hollywood Reporter, reveal an adventure tale set in space. "The story is set in motion when a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy is threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent named Balisarius. Desperate people dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them make a stand."

That description sounds a little… well, like a Star Wars movie? Funnily enough, Rebel Moon (oh!) started life as one. Inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and in development at Lucasfilm way back in 2013, Snyder's story revolved around a group of Jedi unconnected from the main Skywalker Saga. 

"This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan," Snyder says, going on to discuss the movie's franchise potential. "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."

Initial plans were for a feature-length movie, then a series, but both were considered too mature for Lucasfilm. While batting around the story, earlier this year Snyder confirmed it would no longer be a Star Wars movie but still very much a sci-fi movie.

“I’ve spent the last two or three years building out this universe," he adds. "Every corner has to be painted in. I’ve been doing designs, constantly drawing and really cultivating its fertile ground to make this world fully realized.”

Helping make the world come to life are Snyder's go-to gang of writers and producers. He'll co-write the script with Army of the Dead's Shay Hatten and 300's Kurt Johnstad. On the producing front, he'll be joined on this project by his long-term production partner Deborah Snyder, with the pair co-producing under their Stone Quarry banner. Elsewhere, Dawn of the Dead Eric Newman will also snag the same credit.

Rebel Moon has no set release date as yet but Snyder promises shooting is set to begin in 2022, possibly in concert with his other upcoming Netflix project, animated series Twilight of the Gods. Before then, go deep on his last Netflix outing with our deep dive on the Army of the Dead time loop theory.