The Films That Inspired Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’

Zack Snyder’s latest movie, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire, has finally arrived on Netflix. With a sci-fi epic this vast, there are sure to be questions about its influences.

Now on Netflix, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire is the first half of Zack Snyder’s space opera. (The second part, The Scargiver, arrives in April.) The film takes you to multiple planets across a universe run by a fascist central government on the Motherworld. Each planet has its own culture, story, and troubles, as well as a diverse array of inhabitants. Rebel Moon only scratches the surface of the vast universe.

The story unfolds around Kora (Sofia Boutella) who once was a skilled soldier of the Motherworld. Now she lives the quiet life of a farmer in a peaceful, fertile place called Veidt. Peace never lasts, and Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) brings demands from the Motherworld to Kora’s door. The only way to protect the farming community is to hire a group of fighters to stand against the invading forces. It feels like a very deep story that has even more to explore in a sequel, which has some wondering if Snyder based his new film on existing intellectual property.

The inspiration behind Rebel Moon

Rebel Moon is an original story by Zack Snyder. However, he drew inspiration from several places, including influential filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa and George Lucas. “It was Seven Samurai in space,” Snyder told Empire magazine. Since Kurosawa made Seven Samurai in the 1950s, it has inspired generations of filmmakers. The basic story is close to what we see in Rebel Moon: a small Japanese farming village hires rōnin to defend its harvest against invaders. It’s a story that has become a cinematic mainstay.

Originally, Snyder envisioned Rebel Moon as being a new offshoot of the Star Wars universe. Snyder told Empire, “The sale [of Lucasfilm to Disney] had just happened. There was that window where, you know, who knows what’s possible? I was like, ‘I don’t want any of your characters. I don’t want to do anything with any known characters, I just want to do my own thing on the side.'” After trying to make things work within the Star Wars umbrella, Snyder realized he was better off building his own universe. With Netflix, he can flesh out a universe that matches his vision. The final product keeps the vibes of both Seven Samurai and Star Wars while also establishing something unique. It will be interesting to see if Snyder expands his world after the Rebel Moon duology is complete.

(featured image: Netflix)