“Rebel Moon: Part One: Child of Fire,” this year’s big-budget Netflix Christmas epic, wants to rekindle nostalgia for the neglected genre in both its fans and the general public, director Zack Snyder tells HotNews. .ro.

Since 2020, the American streaming platform has accustomed its subscribers to the release of a “blockbuster” movie on or shortly before Christmas Eve, precisely at a time when most people do not have to go to work and can enjoy a feature film from the comfort of their own. own house

This trend started 3 years ago when Netflix launched on December 23rd The midnight skya post-apocalyptic sci-fi film starring George Clooney as a scientist living in isolation in the Arctic trying to warn astronauts on a space mission not to return to Earth after a mysterious global disaster wipes out most of humanity.

A year later, the film Netflix released before Christmas aimed to explore what could happen on Earth before a global cataclysm. Given the heated debate this has sparked on our social networks (perhaps only comparable to the launch of streaming Team buildingalso on Netflix), I don’t think so Don’t look up needs other representations.

Last year, the streaming platform’s Christmas movie was Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, a feature-length detective/mystery film in which Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc and Edward Norton plays the antagonist Miles Bronn, an eccentric and unscrupulous tech billionaire. The Rian Johnson-directed film also won the coveted award for last year’s most pirated Christmas movie.

In 2023, Netflix is ​​going back to its roots in a way, Rebel Moon being a sci-fi film, but belonging to the more distinct subgenre of space opera (or space epic, depending on which term you prefer).

Zack Snyder describes Rebel Moon as a love letter to fans of the sci-fi genre, but not only

Snyder, one of Hollywood’s most popular directors in recent years, has directed or produced superhero films throughout his career (Watchmen, Suicide Squad,An amazing woman,Justice League, Aquaman), zombie movies (Dawn of the Dead since 2004, Army of the Dead), fantasy films (Sucker), historical action films (300, 300: Rise of the empire), as well as others.

But Rebel Moon it is also a first for him, being the first sci-fi film he has directed. In addition, he also wrote the script for the feature film, was its producer, as well as the cinematographer. Snyder was an “all-around good guy” in just one feature film in his career, Army of the Dead from 2021 (the HotNews.ro interview with him about this film can be viewed HERE).

So we asked him what he wants to bring to this sci-fi genre with a generally pretty demanding fan base.

“I think in a lot of ways I really wanted to bring my love of the sci-fi fantasy genre to this audience that I don’t think usually gets a lot of IP (no original content). This audience, which is practically the widest audience in a way, because this movie is made for everyone, if you can think of it in those terms,” Snyder told HotNews.ro.

“Yes, I want the film to appeal to sci-fi fans, but my dad would also like it, and he’s not a big sci-fi fan, take my word for it. But I guess the point is that I made this film as a love letter to the films that shaped my aesthetic [regizorală] and the way I see this space opera is definitely in terms of the films that shaped me aesthetically,” he explained.

“Rebel Moon: Child of Fire” comes with a distinctive cinematic image from the American director

And speaking of films that “made it aesthetically,” as Snyder himself puts it, some influences from other space epics (such as star Wars) are very noticeable in Rebel Moonincluding in terms of the story.

Considering that even the specialized press often likes to simplify things with descriptions like “E star Wars who meets with lord of the rings“, we asked Snyder about the cinematic influences in his new film, as well as his biggest “trademark” that he believes his fans will immediately recognize in Rebel Moon – Part One.

“By the way, that’s nice to say. I don’t think anyone would think, “What? I don’t want to see star Wars meeting with lord of the rings. It sounds silly to me.” I don’t think anyone would say that,” he joked.

On a more serious note, the director said he wasn’t quite sure what Zack Snyder’s “trademark” would be. Rebel Moon as for him “the whole film is very specific in many ways” in relation to his cinematic vision.

“I mean, sure, there’s great slow-motion fights and stuff. But I still think overall it’s very specific to the way I like to create images. So that’s it,” explained Zack Snyder.

“With that being said, I hope that when fans see the movie, they’ll be able to immerse themselves in a world where they don’t know 100% what’s going to happen because it’s original content that’s going its own way. We don’t have any… we actually have a lot of rules, but they impose themselves. But as far as history is concerned, anything is possible,” he continued.

The film, offered by Netflix this Christmas, will be the start of a franchise

One of the things that excites me Rebel Moon it’s that, unlike other big-budget Christmas movies that Netflix has released in years past, Snyder’s new film doesn’t have a big-name Hollywood cast.

for The midnight sky since 2020, Netflix has included George Clooney, Felicity Jones and David Oyelowo in the cast Knives Away 2 last year we had Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista, and for Don’t look up the American streaming company gathered a real constellation of stars, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Ron Perlman and Sir Mark Rylance, among others.

The reason why Netflix did not come up with a high-profile Christmas movie this year is probably because the directors of the American company suggested that Rebel Moon to become a feature film franchise if we’re still in space epic territory and they didn’t want actors who were heavily associated with other roles. Moreover, the first title was originally conceived as a two-part feature film, just like the new film Dunes directed by Denis Villeneuve.

But unlike Dunes and Villeneuve, Snyder filmed two parts simultaneously Rebel Moon and Part twowhich will be called Scargiveralready has a release date and will hit Netflix on April 19 next year.

Anthony Hopkins, a surprise name in a new Netflix feature film

Rebel Moon There is one notable exception to the lack of big names in the cast: Sir Anthony Hopkins. Although he doesn’t actually appear in the film, he voices Jimmy, a battle robot who lays down his weapon after killing the emperor he swore allegiance to.

The character of Hopkins appears in the first part Child of fire and even in the final sequence, so we asked Snyder what it was like working with such a movie legend, whether he’ll play a more prominent role in Scargiver and if this last frame Part one this is a “teaser” of what’s to come.

“Yes and yes. We will definitely be seeing more of Jimmy Part two. He plays the lead role in the second film and we see a lot more of him in the director’s cut [a Child of Fire]”, the American director confirmed.

Then I would say that Hopkins was a great joy. We were talking about who we were going to get to play Jimmy, to do Jimmy’s voice, and I think Scott (Holbert, from the film’s costume department—no) or Stubert (President of Netflix Films) or someone who said, “What with Anthony Hopkins? and I said, “What about Anthony Hopkins?” What do you mean?’ “Obviously, I thought ‘sure,’ but I didn’t think Anthony Hopkins would want that, let’s be serious,” Zack Snyder said.

Hopkins obviously wanted to, and the director reports that filming began and ended with him (more on this at the end of the video interview).

Rebel Moon – Part One: Child of Fire was released on Netflix on December 22. Judging by the reviews on the specialized site Rotten Tomatoes, Snyder’s film did not confuse film critics at all.

Although it enjoyed a warmer reception among fans, the second part Rebel Moon will have to raise the bar to create a successful franchise.