director Zack Snyder creates a “Star Wars” in his image for Netflix

For the streaming giant, the director of “300” and “Watchmen”, Zack Snyder, is launching a new science fiction film, “Rebel Moon”, starring Sofia Boutella, Michiel Huisman and Ed Skrein.

Glowing swords, supernatural creatures, spaceships, fight scenes in a distant galaxy: Zack Snyder’s new science fiction film, Rebel Moon – Part 1: Child of Fire, available on the Netflix platform on December 22, the universe of Zack Snyder’s new film bears a striking resemblance to the legendary saga of George Lucas, Star Wars.

A mythological universe of its own

And no wonder: it was first designed as such. But when about ten years ago Zack Snyder presented his idea to the production company Lucasfilm, it was refused. The director of 300, Watchmen And Batman V Supermanthen decides to create his own mythological universe. “When it became clear that this wasn’t going to work, my wife and production partner Deborah said to me: This is the best news you could have had.”remembers Zack Snyder.

He then embarks on a creative process “exhausting and very long” but “incredibly rewarding because it gives you the opportunity to deconstruct icons and clichésés science fiction that we are used to”. The result could be the most daring work of a career as popular as it is controversial, with a remake of the classic Zombie by George Romero and world-famous superheroes revisited, like Superman and Batman in the films Man of Steel And Justice League.

Three languages, cultures and beliefs

The film follows Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger whose spaceship crashes at the edge of the universe. She then finds herself defending the villagers who took her in and forms an unlikely duo with a farmer. Kora will build an army of fighters to protect them, ranging from insurgents to an arrogant mercenary. While some characters may seem familiar, the actors insist that they do not belong to any known universe. “I don’t think anyone said the words Star and Wars on set,” quips Ed Skrein, who plays the villainous Admiral Atticus Noble. “We never talked about it.”

For the film, Zack Snyder designed detailed personal stories for each of the characters, each planet and even the ships. Three languages, cultures and beliefs were also created for the film universe. “From the beginning, we understood that Zack had a whole world and a universe that he wanted to create and that he had been working on for decades”said actor Michiel Huisman. “It’s Zack’s new world.”

A more adult tone

One of the big differences between Rebel Moon and Star Wars is the more adult tone of Zack Snyder’s film, between violence and sexuality, like the first scene which takes place in a brothel. These themes will be even more present in another version of the film made by the director and which will be released next summer. “Right now, in the current version, it’s more of a glimpse of danger or an exotic item”explains Zack Snyder.

To accompany the film, which cost $160 million, Netflix has already announced the release of a video game, a comic book and an animated film. The director hopes that his universe will live for a long time, like the Star Wars. “My dream is to follow the story to the end. That’s what motivates me the most.” A second part has already been announced for April.