(Image courtesy of Netflix)
Co-written, produced and directed by Zack Snyder, Netflix’s original "Rebel Moon" film series began with sky-high ambitions. Snyder hoped to create a "Star Wars" for a new generation, splitting the story into two movies and releasing extended director’s cuts of both. Plans were also laid for video game, animated and live-action TV spinoffs. The filmmaker even said the movie saga could run for at least six installments as he set out to build a full-fledged multimedia franchise.
But the first movie was buried under an avalanche of negative reviews as soon as it arrived. By the time "Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver" and the director’s cuts debuted, audience enthusiasm had already cooled dramatically. Social media chatter plunged, while viewership fell well short of the first installment. Before long, updates on the once rapidly expanding "Rebel Moon" universe dried up entirely.
Some fans are still wondering whether the saga could continue. When The Direct recently attended the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Snyder’s new movie, "The Last Photograph", the outlet asked the filmmaker for an update on "Rebel Moon 3." Snyder replied: "I don’t know. I said in another interview recently that I made director’s cuts of both movies, and where we are now is... I really think the director’s cuts need to become more popular, or more people who haven’t seen them need to discover them. That would have to create a groundswell of demand for another movie." In other words, the response so far has not been strong enough to convince investors to finance another installment. Much like theatrical movies that found cult audiences only after leaving cinemas, "Rebel Moon" may need a second life before the franchise gets another shot.