Netflix Is Giving Zack Snyder A New Movie, Which Sounds Better Than ‘Rebel Moon’

by · Forbes
Rebel MoonNetflix

Zack Snyder may have produced a rather spectacular failure for Netflix in the form of his two movie (technically four movie) Rebel Moon sci-fi epic. But his other ventures with the service have been more productive like Army of the Dead, and the recent series Twilight of the Gods. So, he’s doing another movie with them that sounds like it could be pretty good.

Zack Snyder’s next project with Netflix is going to be an action film based on the LAPD. No, not aliens or zombies fighting the LAPD, just the LAPD and is said to be his first “grounded” feature. First grounded feature? Well, looking back at his entire film catalogue uh, yeah, that’s actually true. Everything else is superheroes or sci-fi or graphic novel adaptations. So this would be a big change. It also does not appear to be an adaptation. Here’s how it’s described via THR:

“Specific details are being kept in lock-up, but the action thriller is being described as being set in the high-stakes world of life and death and centered on an elite LAPD unit that is relentlessly confronted with the unforgiving collision of law and morality.”

QUEENS, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Zack Snyder attends Netflix's "Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver" ... [+] album release party at Knockdown Center on April 03, 2024 in Queens, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)Getty Images

This article points out that 20 years ago, he was making SWAT for Sony, and when he wanted it to be rated R and they wanted it to be PG-13, he quit. It ended up being directed by Clark Johnson, and to this day, Snyder is still pushing for R-rated cuts when studios want PG-13. It stands to reason that this LAPD film will probably be R-rated as a result. One of the problems with Rebel Moon is that those movies should have been R-rated in the first place, as its horrible, obvious cuts to avoid that absolutely made the first two PG-13 movies worse.

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I think Zack Snyder gets a bad rap, honestly. Yes, he’s produced some bad films, and the OG Rebel Moon movies are a truly terrible movie duo, but people forget even critics like a good chunk of his movies. Here’s the list based on critic score:

  • Zack Snyder’s Justice League - 75%
  • Dawn of the Dead – 75%
  • Army of the Dead – 67%
  • Rebel Moon: Part 2 Director’s Cut – 67%
  • Watchmen – 65%
  • 300 – 61%
  • Man of Steel – 56%
  • Rebel Moon: Part 1 Director’s Cut – 53%
  • Legend of the Guardians – 51%
  • Batman V Superman – 29%
  • Sucker Punch – 22%
  • Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire – 22%
  • Rebel Moon: The Scargiver – 16%

I think the lesson here is certainly that if Zack Snyder wants his R-rated cut, give him his R-rated cut. I did not realize the Rebel Moon director’s cuts reviewed so much better than the originals (albeit with way less reviews in), and fans felt the same way if you look at audience scores. So yes, just let him do what he wants for LAPD.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.