Netflix might be touting upcoming sci-fi blockbuster Rebel Moon as an original feature, but the two-part extravaganza’s origins aren’t particularly difficult to trace.
Zack Snyder’s latest foray into big budget escapism lifts the broad strokes of its plot directly from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, while the battle between intrepid heroes and what’s effectively space Nazis has more than a few shades of Star Wars thrown into the mix.
Of course, that’s to be expected when Rebel Moon originated as a result of Snyder discussing a potential trip to a galaxy far, far away with Lucasfilm a decade ago, but he seemed to be intent on dancing around the elephant in the room while speaking to Vanity Fair.
“Of course those comparisons are going to be made. Anything that has a spaceship in it is going to be: ‘This is blank’s Star Wars.’ So I understand and sort of welcome the comparisons. But at the same time, I do believe that our thing is really an entirely different experience.”
That being said, he did go on to reveal why his Star Wars movie fell apart before eventually evolving into Rebel Moon.
“I was in post-production on Man of Steel. I had heard there were rumblings about possibly doing another three movies at some point. My take was that, if you just let me have the IP, I’ll make this cool movie, and I won’t get in the way of anything that you guys are doing. I didn’t really have time to do a Star Wars movie. So it kind of worked out.”
“Zack Snyder’s Star Wars” makes Rebel Moon an easy sell to his fans, but a broad intergalactic adventure has more than enough potential to hook the casual Netflix viewer, too.
