For a good while now, Zack Snyder has been teasing his harder-edged cut of Rebel Moon – a more uncompromising version of his Seven Samurai-inspired sci-fi saga, filled with the sort of blood and gore that has characterised much of his other works (ok, maybe not Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga’Hoole). The filmmaker was open with his plans on Netflix – to first release a family-friendly-ish Part One and Part Two, before delivering a new version for older audiences that lets his darker instincts fly. Now, we’ve got our first proper look at exactly what that means – and the trailer for Rebel Moon – The Director’s Cut (aka Chapter One – Chalice Of Blood and Chapter Two – Curse Of Forgiveness) certainly doesn’t hold back on the slow-mo blood splatter. Watch it here:
Whether or not you got your fill of Rebel Moon from the initial versions, it has to be said that Zack Snyder’s redux cuts of his movies can tend to offer improvements – whether that’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the ‘Ultimate Edition’ of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, or one of the myriad versions of Watchmen. But notably, as well as the R-rated material being included here, this trailer promises substantially different versions of the films, with all-new scenes included – early reports indicate that the new versions will run significantly longer, so there’s more than just extra sex and death here. Though, clearly, those are both abundant – the MPAA warning for Director's Cut promises “strong bloody violence and gore throughout, strong sexuality, nudity and some language”. So, don’t watch this version with your parents.
We’ll find out if Rebel Moon – The Director’s Cut is an upgrade on the previous versions when it streams on Netflix, with both chapters arriving on 2 August.