Zack Snyder's sci-fi epic 'Rebel Moon' will apparently hit Netflix in two different parts

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon is apparently so ambitious, that it can't be contained in just one movie. During a recent sit-down with Netflix's studio chiefs, Kira Goldberg and Ori Marmur, Variety confimed that the director's cinematic follow-up to his undead casino heist, Army of the Dead, will be broken up into two parts (the first of which premieres at the very tail end of this year).

"Zack came in with so much passion. This is a film that he’s had in mind for decades," Marmur said. "As you know, he’s spent so much time working on other people’s IP at other studios. We worked with him on Army of the Dead and we did things that others couldn’t do. We made a film and then a prequel and launched a live experience. With Rebel Moon, he wanted to push the envelope again. When we saw how big the world he created was, we thought it would be better served as two pieces versus one film. It’s the kind of story that can continue to grow. He thinks of it as his take on making something like Star Wars."

Heavily inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, Rebel Moon centers around a pacifistic colony in the farthest reaches of outer space, whose citizens must take up arms against a tyrannical invading force known as the Regent Balisarius.

"It's been a pretty great year just filming this giant sci-fi epic that we've been really having a great time with," Snyder remarked last month during a guest appearance on Preston & Steve's Daily Rush. "It's an original IP and so, there's no strings attached."

Written by Snyder, Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter Four) and Kurt Johnstad (Atomic Blonde), the film boasts a sizable ensemble cast made up of Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond), Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place Part II), Ed Skrein (Deadpool 2), Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones), Bae Doona (Sense8), Ray Fisher (Zack Snyder's Justice League), Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim), Anthony Hopkins (Armageddon Time), Cary Elwes (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One), Corey Stoll (Ant-Man), Jena Malone (Inherent Vice), Fra Fee (Hawkeye), Cleopatra Coleman (James vs. His Future Self), Alfonso Herrera (Ozark), Stuart Martin (Army of Thieves), Staz Nair (Supergirl), Sky Yang (Tomb Raider), Rhian Rees (For All Mankind), E. Duffy, and Charlotte Maggi.

Rebel Moon: Part 1 arrives on Netflix Friday, Dec. 22.

Looking for more sci-fi content? Check out shows like Resident Alien, Brave New World, Project Blue Book, Eureka, Heroes, Intergalactic, and more streaming now on Peacock. Looking ahead, SYFY has the new series, The Ark— from original Stargate film producer Dean Devlin and Stargate SG-1 producer Jonathan Glassner — debuting Feb. 1.