Finally, the first trailer of one of the most anticipated movies of this year, Rebel Moon, has been released online and has managed to capture the attention of viewers worldwide in a short span of time. Over the years, director Zack Snyder has amassed a cult following, especially after his rocky tenure in the director’s chair at DCEU, and it would be an understatement to say that his fans were waiting with bated breath to get a first look at his upcoming space epic. And if the trailer is any proof, Zack is going all out to challenge biggies like Star Wars and Dune, among others. The movie is going to be released in two parts, the first of which, Rebel Moon: Part One: A Child of Fire, is going to be released later this year.
Rebel Moon is important for Snyder’s filmography for a couple of reasons. First, the movie is only the second original screenplay adaptation in the director’s career. Secondly, despite being one of the most divisive directors in recent times, the grandiosity of Snyder’s visual stylization and the scope of his vision are acknowledged even by his worst critics, and it goes beyond saying that a space epic of this proportion matches the director’s strengths. Also, just like how his Army of the Dead franchise is thriving on Netflix with multiple spin-offs and sequels across different mediums, Rebel Moon, another of Zack’s franchises shaping up on Netflix, has a massive potential for universe-building without being hindered by studio interventions. Let’s discuss some of the noteworthy points we found out in the trailer for Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire to give you guys an idea about the possible course of the narrative in the movie.
The Myth Of Princess Issa
The trailer opens with the solemn narration of Sir Anthony Hopkins, who plays the role of Jimmy, an ancient robot. Jimmy alludes to the in-universe myth of Princess Issa the Redeemer, who is said to bring an end to years of warfare and initiate an age of peace. The myth solidifies the notion of the ‘chosen one’ prevalent in epic narratives, of which fictional characters like Superman, Neo, Muad’Dib in Dune, and Anakin Skywalker are prime examples. In the Rebel Moon franchise, the chosen one seems to be Kora, the character played by Sofia Boutella.
Issa is also the name of Jesus Christ in one of the Abrahamic religions, and we can’t help but feel Snyder’s affinity for religious symbolism might have influenced him to include the name in the Revel Moon mythology.
The Imperium
Any space opera narrative requires an all-powerful, colonial intergalactic empire ruled by tyrants, and in Rebel Moon, the role goes to the Imperium. Gaining absolute control over the habitable, resourceful planetary systems is Imperium’s only mission, and to attain that, no act is off limits. The face of the Imperium is a seemingly noble, traditional royal house that was stationed in the Mother World, the center and pinnacle of the Imperium. A tragedy in the royal house leads the megalomaniac despot Regent Balisarius to take the power in his hands, dialing up the evils of the Imperium manifold. As the trailer suggests, Kora used to operate as one of the elite Imperium soldiers, doing their bidding by wiping out resistance. Perhaps the atrocities of the dictatorship gradually caused Kora to feel disenchanted, which is the reason we later see her trying to turn the page and join forces with a bunch of ragtag crew to stand up against the cosmic imperialists.
There are other characters associated with the Imperium as well, like General Atticus Noble, who acts as the instrument that the Imperium uses to showcase its capability of violence and dominance.
Key Characters
Viewers come across a number of characters during the almost four-minute trailer, and a significant number of them are Kora’s associates who join her side to take a stand against the Imperium. We meet Djimon Honsou, who plays the role of General Titus, a former war hero who starts questioning his morality after witnessing the level of tyranny under the reign of Balisarius and quits the force. Ray Fisher joined the cast as Darrian Bloodaxe, a rebel warlord who, along with his sister Devra, leads a group of insurgents against the Imperium. Charlie Hunnam plays Kai, the quintessential charming pilot/smuggler figure, and we also meet the character Tarak, a warrior with proletariat roots who shares a bond of friendship with a black griffin. The characters who appear to be most eye-catching are Nemesis, a dual-sword-wielding warrior whose traumatic past has sent her on a path of vengeance, and Harmada, a half-human, half-arachnid named—both of whom square off against each other as shown in the trailer.
Aside from these humanoid characters, the robot Jimmy, voiced by Anthony Hopkins, appears a couple of times and will perhaps play the role of a chronicler of sorts.
What’s The Basic Premise Of ‘Rebel Moon’?
The trailer itself doesn’t reveal much about the plot points, as viewers are taken through a number of worlds and battle sequences in quick succession. The official updates reveal that to protect the sovereignty of an agrarian planet from the Imperium aggressors, Kora seeks the help of some of the best fighters across the galaxy, who join thanks to their mutual hatred against the authority. The movie will establish each of the characters and their personal stakes, as well as delineate how each of them are unique in their struggle against the Imperium—so basically, Snyder doesn’t seem to have strayed too far from his superhero team-up days after all.
This is only a part of the larger world-building, as more related content is in the production. Like a game, graphic novel, and non-sequel spin-off, all based on the Rebel Moon universe. From the trailer, at least, the movie kind of resembled Rogue One, and understandably so, as much inspiration has been taken from Dune, Star Wars, and Valerian in the movie. Hopefully, the creative freedom Snyder was given has helped him create a worthy venture that can kickstart a new space mythology for a new generation.
