Zack Snyder has announced a temporary departure from his Rebel Moon franchise to focus on new creative endeavors. The director revealed he's currently developing an LAPD SWAT film for Netflix during an interview with Variety.
Rebel Moon's Rocky Reception
Netflix's heavily-promoted space opera Rebel Moon debuted in December 2023, introducing audiences to a galaxy dominated by the oppressive Motherworld. The story follows rebels fighting against the Imperium military forces threatening a moon colony. Despite high expectations, the film received largely negative reviews.
IGN's assessment was particularly harsh, awarding just 4/10: "Zack Snyder's cosmic saga suffers from an unoriginal screenplay, uninspired action sequences, and shallow storytelling." The April 2024 sequel, Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver, fared no better with critics, earning another 4/10 from IGN for its "underdeveloped conclusion to a predictable narrative with weak character arcs and mediocre action sequences."
Taking a Creative Breather
Snyder described his pivot to new projects as a necessary change of pace: "I'm temporarily stepping away from the Rebel Moon universe to pursue this LAPD SWAT movie for Netflix - it'll give that sci-fi world some time to simmer."
The veteran director, known for his work on Man of Steel and the former DC Extended Universe, referenced the grueling process of simultaneously developing multiple Rebel Moon films: "Creating two movies back-to-back was incredibly demanding. While I'm deeply passionate about this universe, I needed this creative respite."
Future of the Franchise
When pressed about potential future Rebel Moon expansions, Snyder remained cautiously optimistic yet noncommittal: "The storytelling potential is virtually limitless in this universe. We're currently evaluating how - and if - we'll proceed with more content."
The franchise's extended potential became clearer with the recent announcement of Blood Line, a video game set in the Rebel Moon universe, suggesting Snyder's cosmic vision may continue evolving across different media formats.
