Why the Future of Zack Snyder’s ‘Rebel Moon’ Series Remains Uncertain

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver recently arrived on Netflix, and its ending has viewers curious about the franchise’s future.

Serving as the continuation of Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, the second Rebel Moon movie sees a team of warriors, led by Kora (Sofia Boutella), prepare the moon of Vledt for an attack from the Imperium. The moon was once a humble farming planet until the Imperium, the brutal military of the oppressive Motherworld, arrived and shattered the peace as it demanded grain and custody of Kora, an ex-Imperium soldier. However, Kora and her skilled crew organize a rebellion, hoping to defy all odds and beat the Imperium’s forces.

Unfortunately, like the first movie, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver received abysmal reviews from critics, earning a 15% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Both audiences and critics panned the film, giving it even worse reviews than its predecessor. Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire did earn stellar viewership on Netflix, though. Naturally, it was believed that if Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver could replicate those results, the franchise would have a good chance of continuing.

Is there going to be another Rebel Moon movie?

As of now, Rebel Moon 3 has not been officially greenlit by Netflix. However, Snyder has already confirmed interest in making another movie. He has revealed that he plans to make four more movies, technically two movies, each divided into two parts. Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver ended on a major cliffhanger, paving the way for the story to continue. The next movie already has a plot, as the rebellion on Veldt inspires further planets throughout the galaxy to rebel and follow the warriors’ mission to find a character previously thought to be deceased.

So, there is room for the franchise to expand and interest from the cast and crew to return. However, it’s unclear if that will be enough to earn a greenlight from Netflix. As mentioned above, the poor reviews were a little concerning, but since streamers tend to care more about views, the franchise could continue regardless of its reception so long as it did well ratings-wise. The problem is that Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver also received less viewership than the original.

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire debuted with 54 million viewing hours during its first week, whereas the sequel debuted with 44 million views. Additionally, in its second week, The Scargiver dropped to 38 million views, going from the top of Netflix’s U.S. Top 10 Movies chart to seventh place. As of now, the title has dropped entirely from the U.S. movies chart.

Given that the sequel received worse reviews and fewer views than the original, it does raise the concern that reception will further deteriorate with additional movies. However, Snyder is still preparing to release R-rated director’s cuts of both films on Netflix, which could bring in additional views. The movies may get better reviews, as his director’s cut of Justice League did. So, it’s too early to say whether Rebel Moon 3 will or won’t happen. Although things don’t look good, the director’s cuts could change things up.

(featured image: Netflix)