Netflix Is Trying To Get in on Snyder Cut Fever With ‘Rebel Moon’

Netflix’s latest film Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire brings fanboy favorite director Zack Snyder into the streaming fold, but it’s not stopping there. Not only is there already a sequel planned, but the first part may yet get some more Snyder flair.

Rebel Moon hit Netflix today, with the second part coming out in April 2024. Snyder seemingly packed every corner of his imagination into the movie to create a space opera with his signature visuals. Between the storyline and his fame, that would be enough to draw in a large audience. However, in a recent interview with the Associated Press, Snyder inadvertently revealed how the streaming giant is trying to capitalize on previous “Snyder Cut” fever.

Back in 2017, the DC superhero team movie Justice League hit theaters. The long-anticipated film didn’t impress audiences, with many blaming the behind-the-scenes troubles. Originally, Snyder wrote and directed the film. During the last stages of the movie, Snyder had to step away from production to handle a family tragedy, and Warner Bros. had Joss Whedon come in to finish the project.

Once Whedon took over, he changed the original vision by reshooting many scenes and cutting certain storylines completely. It became a controversial mess. Fans rallied for Warner Bros. to “release the Snyder cut” of Justice League, and eventually, they convinced the studio to concede. In March 2021, Zack Snyder’s Justice League arrived on Max. Many feel it is a completely different, and much better, movie than the version Whedon was involved in.

Now, Netflix appears to have tried to build in another “Snyder cut” with the deal over Rebel Moon.

Will there be a Snyder cut of Rebel Moon?

During the interview with AP, Snyder said he wanted to make an R-rated epic. Netflix, however, had a hardline stance about making a PG-13 movie to have a wider audience. The compromise: a director’s cut. “We knew it would be a PG-13 movie, but in my heart of hearts I always wanted it to be rated R,” Snyder said. “It was Netflix’s idea who said ‘Why don’t you do whatever you want over here. Here’s the PG-13 version, then go nuts, we don’t care.’ That really was a thing I’ve never experienced before. It was bizarre.”

Rebel Moon – Part One is already out on Netflix. The second half, The Scargiver, will be out in the spring of 2024. Then, at some time after the complete PG-13 Rebel Moon is released, Netflix will debut the R-rated director’s cut of Snyder’s original vision. In an effort to re-create the Snyder cut fever, Netflix just created a confusing mess. Snyder said, “In this case, I almost think the director’s cut of Rebel Moon is an alternate reality version. It’s not an extended cut of this movie; it’s almost like a different movie.”

Yes, there will be a director’s cut of Rebel Moon, but maybe it should have been the original cut to begin with.

(featured image: Clay Enos/Netflix)