The violence of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon has been compared to that of Star Wars. Rebel Moon was originally pitched as a Star Wars feature, but was ultimately rejected by Lucasfilm. Not just Zack Snyder drew inspiration from other planets, though. Rebel Moon was inspired by a wide variety of different films.
More than 15 years have been spent developing Rebel Moon. Snyder originally had the concept while he was studying cinema. He received inspiration for improvements to Rebel Moon from discussions with friends and business associates. He envisioned something along the lines of Seven Samurai, but set in outer space. His buddy and fellow filmmaker Eric Newman has remarked that Heavy Metal was a major influence on him. Snyder couldn’t stop thinking about Excalibur, the John Boorman film.
On the surface, Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon appears to be little more than another science fiction film. It’s a compilation of all the films that have inspired Snyder. We’d be happy to show you how these films served as inspiration for Rebel Moon.
The Seven Samurai and Extreme Metal
Zack Snyder originally envisioned making Rebel Moon in the style of Seven Samurai, but set in outer space. Since George Lucas had been influenced by several classic samurai films like this one, it looked like a good notion to propose to Lucasfilm. Every cinema buff is familiar with Akira Kurosawa’s classic black-and-white film The Seven Samurai. Amazing storytelling and thrilling action will have you on the edge of your seat.
In Seven Samurai, a rural community is plagued by a band of opportunistic bandits who continually riding into town to rob the farmers of their harvests and other valuables. The town’s inhabitants are taught self-defense by a group of samurai led by a seasoned warrior, despite the fact that the men are from diverse regions and some of them have been out of the samurai fold for quite some time. It’s a great film in every way and a true classic of Japanese cinema. Snyder was influenced by both classic samurai films and obscure science fiction flicks, according to Eric Newman.
For example: “I remember [Zack] calling me at some point, and this must have been 15 years ago, and saying, ‘I’m thinking of doing Seven Jedi in the Star Wars universe.'” And I reflected, “That’s a fantastic notion.” […] Some time later, he gave me a call and said, “You know, I think it could be a TV show.” As for me, I reply, “Yes, let’s do it!” We all know that “Star Wars” is utter garbage. Let’s turn this into a reality show! We spent a lot of time discussing films like “Heavy Metal,” which I assume most of you have seen. In my opinion, that factor contributed to the development of our friendship. We were blown away by an R-rated science fiction/fantasy film, and when you watch this movie, you’ll discover that it draws heavily from a wide variety of sources.
In 1981, a cartoon film titled Heavy Metal was released. There were plenty of scantily clad women, exciting events, and excellent tunes. It was a classic among fans of science fiction and fantasy, but it has fallen into cliche status. But if you’re looking for some big magic and over-the-top grandeur to transport you back to the 1980s, this is the film for you. Snyder’s desire to blend science fiction with other genres is understandable in light of this.
Author John Boorman’s Excalibur
Snyder was also influenced by the 1980s film Excalibur by John Boorman. Rebel Moon’s director has repeatedly stated his intention to blend fantastical elements with futuristic ones. He appears to have accomplished this in this film by fusing elements of science fiction and fantasy.
‘Excalibur’ (by [John Boorman]) and the concept of courtly love are constant sources of inspiration for me. I find it fascinating that someone might have such a profound religious devotion to a concept that may not be grounded in reality. The world in your view is a moral one, but when you probe the “why,” you find nothing. And I believe that much of his journey is about him figuring out who he is and what his purpose in life is.
If we investigate Rebel Moon further, we may discover myths that are analogous to the Excalibur stories. Snyder will likely have the backdrop of Rebel Moon hint to a religion he made up for the people of this made-up world, much like how many Arthurian legends were portrayed in a stylized way with stories about monsters and fairies. It can be a fascinating topic for research.