We've known for months that Netflix will release a director's cut of Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire, but we didn't know exactly when that would be.
Now, we have a clearer picture of when one of this year's new Netflix movies will be released, because Snyder has revealed the R-rated version's launch window: mid-2024.
Speaking to the DGA Director's Cut podcast, Snyder waxed lyrical about the longer version of Rebel Moon – Part 1: A Child of Fire, whose PG-13 cut was released on Netflix in late December 2023.
"What Netflix has done, and they said to me from the beginning – and I’ve never had this experience – [was] 'Why don’t we give you some extra money and set scenes aside and allow you to have the director’s cut run parallel and not be a reaction?'," Snyder said. "Because all my other director’s cuts are me just reacting to the studio like getting noted and then freaking out and then running to home video to save me.
"And so, that’s going to be later on. In the summer, you’ll get to see what I [first] pitched them, basically. And then you’ll get to pretend to be the studio executive and go, ‘Oh geez, I see what they mean. So that’s the full odyssey.'"
So, there you have it: the director's cut of Rebel Moon's first installment will debut on the world's best streaming service this summer (or winter, for those of you in the southern hemisphere). If you've been waiting for the 18-plus version of Snyder's sci-fi epic to take flight on the streaming giant, you've got a few months left until it's released.
In the meantime, read our spoiler-free thoughts on Rebel Moon Part 1. Alternatively, find out how the cast reacted in real-time to news about the Rebel Moon Part 1's director's cut runtime.
What's the difference between Rebel Moon's original cut and Snyder's director's cut?
According to Snyder, his original 200-page script was "problematic" for Netflix, although it's unclear whether he means that was to do with the original runtime or because it was too adult. My view? It was probably both, especially if Netflix wanted a PG-13 movie it could release for viewers (of a certain age, anyway) to stream over the 2023 festive season.
"There was a conversation about 'should we just cut it?'", Snyder continued in his DGA Director's Cut podcast chat. "The studio wanted a two-hour movie... [so we] cut the 200-page script and cut it in half, and we made the final [scene of Part 1] a little bigger."
Previously, Snyder teased that he wanted Rebel Moon's director's cut to really test your runtime limits. Combined, the movie's two PG-13 installments – Part 2: The Scargiver will arrive on April 19 – would clock in at around four hours. However, with the director's cuts running close to three hours apiece, you'll have to set aside a whopping six hours to stream them back-to-back. He's also said they're effectively a completely different films than the PG-13 editions.
It'll be interesting to see how Snyder fanatics, casual viewers, and critics react to the new cut, because one thing missing from A Child of Fire's reviews is people wishing Rebel Moon was longer. Indeed, it's clear to many critics that Rebel Moon Part 1 is self-indulgent, so the promise of a longer and less focused version is probably not going to have them excitedly rushing to Netflix to stream it.
So, your reaction to the director's cut is likely to mirror your reaction to the initial release: if you liked it, then you'll probably like the longer version, too. If you didn't think it was one of the best Netflix movies ever made, give this one a miss. Anyway, if you're planning to watch The Scargiver at the very least, you may be pleased to hear Rebel Moon Part 2 will be "action-driven" and come packaged with lots of "heavy backstory".
