Two-time Oscar winner and Thor: Ragnarok star Anthony Hopkins has joined the cast of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon.
According to Netflix Tudum, the actor will voice Jimmy, a sentient battle robot who once defended a slain king, in the upcoming science-fiction epic, which originally began development as a pitch for a potential Star Wars movie. The project, which is also inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai, was revamped in 2021 as a standalone film on Netflix.
Snyder plans to turn Rebel Moon into an expansive franchise similar to his Army of the Dead series. "My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out," Snyder said in July 2021. "I've spent the last two or three years building out this universe. Every corner has to be painted in. I've been doing designs, constantly drawing and really cultivating its fertile ground to make this world fully realized."
The acclaimed writer-director recently unveiled a new look at one of Rebel Moon's alien characters as a part of Netflix Geeked Week 2022. The creature's design appears to have been achieved through practical effects, but the identity of the actor is currently unknown. The reveal follows previous images Snyder had shared on the film's first day of production in April. The photos highlight what appears to be the cargo bay of a spacecraft and Djimon Hounsou's character General Titus, adorned in ornate armor. Filming is currently planned to wrap in November 2022.
Rebel Moon focuses on a peaceful colony settled at the edge of space whose world is turned upside down went they are attacked by the armies of the dictator, Belisarius. For their own survival, the colonists send Kora, played by Sofia Boutella, as an emissary to seek help from neighboring planets.
Although unconfirmed at this time, Netflix is allegedly looking to release Rebel Moon as two feature-length films.
Along with Hopkins, Boutella and Hounsou, Rebel Moon features a large ensemble cast consisting of actors Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Charlie Hunnam, Doona Bae, Jena Malone, Staz Nair, E. Duffy, Charlotte Maggi, Sky Yang, Stuart Martin, Cleopatra Coleman, Fra Fee and Rhain Rees. Ed Skrein has been cast as the film's main antagonist, replacing Rupert Friend who had to drop out to due to scheduling conflicts. The film will also reunite Snyder with his Justice League star Ray Fisher.
Rebel Moon does not yet have a release date but it will stream on Netflix.
Source: Netflix Tudum