Zack Snyder describes Rebel Moon as “The Dirty Dozen meets The Magnificent Seven in space

In the new issue of Total Film, which hits shelves next week, legendary director Zack Snyder reveals that his upcoming movie, Rebel Moon, is like a mash-up of the classic Western movie The Magnificent Seven and the beloved World War II film The Dirty Dozen. "I said it was like a cross between The Dirty Dozen and The Magnificent Seven set in space,” the director says.

That's quite the mixture. John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven, released in 1961, then later remade in 2016 starring Chris Pratt, follows a gunslinger who forms a team with six other men to save a Mexican village from a group of bandits. Alternatively, The Dirty Dozen (1969), directed by Robert Aldrich, sees twelve condemned soldiers sent on a dangerous mission in Nazi-occupied France.

The filmmaker continues: “Part of the conversation was: ‘Why would Hollywood say no to your idea?’ And no one could think of a reason. It always stuck in my mind.” If Snyder could pull off such an idea, then indeed, why would they say no?

Snyder’s new brainchild Rebel Moon, which he wrote, directed, and co-produced, follows a small colony on the edge of a galaxy threatened by a tyrannical ruling force, who rely on the help of a mysterious stranger to build an army and protect their home. Just from that description alone, we can see the direct influences from the classic movies that inspired it.

The science-fantasy flick, which Snyder dreamed up while he was studying film in college, stars The Gentlemen’s Charlie Hunnam, The Mummy’s Sofia Boutella, and Justice League’s Ray Fisher.

Rebel Moon Part 1 lands on Netflix on December 22nd 2023. Rebel Moon Part 2 will follow soon after, streaming on Netflix on April 19th 2024.

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For much more on Rebel Moon, pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves on November 9.

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