With everything new on Netflix that 2023 has had to offer, it’s wonderful to behold that something as huge as Rebel Moon still looms in the distance. As the two-part epic from co-writer/director Zack Snyder is set to plant its first flag this December, the streaming giant has what could be the next Star Wars in its deck of titles going out through the rest of the year.
That comparison is no mistake, especially when Snyder revealed that George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away influenced his new adventure on a literally planetary scale. More specifically, the Justice League auteur wanted to provide his audience with a universe of worlds that looked vastly different, right down to the outfits characters hailing from those worlds would wear.
Our own resident Snyderologist Sean O’Connell discussed this matter while present on the set of the director’s latest would-be blockbuster last year. In going over the different threads that occupy this new Star Wars-inspired universe, Snyder shared this specific influence with CinemaBlend:
I always laugh that in Star Wars, it just so happens that the native costumes of this weird Tatooine, this weird planet in the middle of nowhere, happen to be the fashion of the entire universe. I thought they were very particular. I guess that's fine. When you make a sci-fi movie, it's like, ‘Okay, well, what is the world? What does the home planet look like? They could all be wearing neon jumpsuits and who knows. There's a million examples. It could be 1984. It could be something. I like the idea of, everything is terrestrially inspired, because I feel like it makes it really relatable.
When you consider the worlds of Star Wars, especially in terms of what everyone's wearing, there are definitely some common threads that present themselves frequently. Varying more along the lines of character type, the outfits you see worn by Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia signal their moral alignment more than where they come from. You can very easily clock a Jedi, a Sith or anyone outside of that world, and it shows.
That's something that Zack Snyder seemed to notice early on, and in doing so worked against copying in his own take that's partially drawn from this landmark sci-fi well. Looking at how stacked the Rebel Moon cast happens to be, the diverse roster of players that includes Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, and Ed Skrein among its members certainly helps shake things up.
Just as the talents of those very actors lend very different skills to the production, the wardrobe and worlds they inhabit promise to stand out in a similar fashion. You can already begin to see this richly designed world playing out in the recent teaser trailer for Rebel Moon.
Whether you’ve already watched it or haven’t laid eyes on this latest Zack Snyder vision, feel free to watch that footage below. Though in the spirit of this discussion, pay close attention to the differences in what’s shown throughout the universe:
Were the Sucker Punch director to have had his way, the story that became Rebel Moon would have been an R-rated Star Wars movie. In that scenario, one could assume that the finished project would have seen its visual ambitions reigned in, as these movies would ultimately have to fit into that pre-existing universe. While that's still something worth thinking over, having a truly fresh take on classic sci-fi tropes coming from Zack Snyder is even more intriguing.
The world will get to see Rebel Moon, impressive duds and all, in the near future, and the distance between both halves is shorter than you’d think. Those with a Netflix subscription can look forward to seeing Part One - A Child of Fire arrive in our streaming galaxy on December 22nd, while Part Two - The Scargiver closes the loop for now on April 19, 2024.
As for those R-rated director’s cuts already on tap for the future, we still don't know when those will arrive. However, that shouldn't surprise anyone who follows Mr. Snyder's work, as it wouldn't truly be one of his worlds without some sort of alternate cut being discussed in the lead up to release day. Who knows, maybe there are some exciting takes on how these stunning costumes handle more mature situations on the way.
