Deadline and other trades took to social media to break the news that actress Sofia Boutella has been tapped to star in “Rebel Moon.”
Director Zack Snyder is helming the film, as well as co-writing it with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, which is based on a story by Snyder and Johnstad. Deborah Snyder, Wesley Coller and Snyder will produce for The Stone Quarry along with Eric Newman for Grand Electric. Sarah Bowen for Grand Electric is executive producing.
Following the success of his first film with the streamer, “Army of the Dead,” Zack and Deborah Snyder’s The Stone Quarry signed a first-look deal with the studio and soon after named “Rebel Moon” as Snyder’s next big feature.
To note, Synder has been meeting with a wide range of talent for months to find the lead role and recently cut it down to a small group of actresses, which included Boutella. According to Deadline, “Insiders say Boutella wowed Snyder and a decision came fast to make her the lead.”
Boutella is recognized for her break-out performance in the hit franchise film “The Kingsman” which led to starring roles in Universal’s “The Mummy” with Tom Cruise, “Atomic Blonde” alongside Charlize Theron, Ramin Bahrani’s “Fahrenheit 451” for HBO, and A24’s “Climax for Gaspar Noé”. She can currently be seen in Wyatt Rockefeller’s feature debut “Settlers” for IFC. She is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, and 42.
A synopsis for the film reads “Rebel Moon is set in a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy that finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius. They dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand against the Tyrant.”
Rebel Moon also marks a reunion for Newman, Snyder, and Netflix Film Head Scott Stuber. One of Netflix’s most prolific producers, Newman drafted Snyder to direct his first film, Dawn of The Dead, in 2004, a film that Stuber oversaw in his then role of vice-chairman of Universal.
The Stone Quarry brand recently produced an “Army of the Dead” spin-off, “Army of Thieves”, which was released globally on Netflix this past weekend and is currently the number one film in 90+ countries. They are also producing the anime spinoff “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas” and Norse mythology series, “Twilight of the Gods.”
“Rebel Moon” is currently in development with no release date as of this moment.
