Posted in: Movies, Netflix | Tagged: interview, netflix, Rebel Moon, zack snyder

Zack Snyder On Why The Rebel Moon Director's Cut Should Be Released

Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder explains why he believes the director's cut, which features an hour of extra footage, is essential.

Published Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:02:08 -0500

by Kaitlyn Booth

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Director's cuts used to be off-brand things that would be shown at specialty screenings or in film classrooms, but ever since home releases, the concept of the director's cut has become much more well-known to the general public. There is this idea, from some, that a director's cut is always the superior version of the film because that is the movie at its most "pure," but that isn't always the case. No matter how much someone might love what they are making, there are always places that can be cut. A good editor is just as essential to making a good film as a director, cinematographer, or talent. Zack Snyder has really leaned into the concept of the director's cut even before the whole Justice League thing happened, with the director's cut of Watchmen and the extended cut of Sucker Punch both being things that Snyder's fans push hard as the superior versions. Snyder is working with Netflix on Rebel Moon, which is being released in two parts this December and this coming April. The movie isn't even out yet, and Snyder is already talking about alternate cuts, including an R-rated cut and a director's cut. He spoke to TUDUM, Netflix's official PR site, about why the director's cut for Rebel Moon is essential.

"The director's cut is close to an hour of extra content, so I think it's a legitimate extended universe version," Snyder explained. "You really get to see a lot. It's just more painted-in all the way. The director's [cut] is a settle-in deep dive, which I have notoriously done throughout my career. I don't know how I got into this director's cut thing, but what I will say about it is that, for me, the director's cuts have always been something I had to fight for in the past, and nobody wanted it. It was this bastard child that I was always trying to put together because they felt like there was a deeper version. And with Netflix, we shot scenes just for the director's cut. So, in that way, it's really a revelation because it gives that second kick at the can for big fans, like a real discovery that they would not [otherwise] get. I'm really excited about it!"

The thing is, this doesn't really make a lot of sense. Many director's cuts exist because studios need to cut films down to specific times so they can screen them more times in theaters per day. Rebel Moon is going to be on Netflix, which doesn't have that problem, and it sounds like if Netflix is willing to release the director's cut, then they are willing to release a movie that is however long Snyder wants. The PG-13 versus R-rated cuts make sense; you can expand your audience, but will the director's and R-rated cuts be the same thing? It's unclear now how many versions of Rebel Moon will appear on Netflix when all is said and done.

Rebel Moon: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes Rebel Moon, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making. When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants, and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed. It will stream to Netflix on December 22nd, 2023.

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