Zack Snyder Says Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead Are in the Same Shared Universe

Snyder reveals the Army of the Dead anime series tied the two sagas together.

By Jenna Anderson

Zack Snyder's work is entering a new era, with the fan-favorite creator working on a number of new original projects on Netflix. The next title on that slate will include Rebel Moon, a two-part sci-fi movie saga that is poised to bleed into a number of spinoffs. To the surprise of some fans, it sounds like Rebel Moon will have ties to another Snyder title. In a recent interview with Total Film, Snyder revealed that there were some connections between the two universes of Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead, his zombie franchise which is also on Netflix. Although, on paper, those franchises might not seem able to be connected, it sounds like the lynchpin was the now-stalled Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas anime series. 

"Army of the Dead has a pretty vast mythology that never made it into the movie." Snyder explained. "There's actually a character from Rebel Moon in the Army of the Dead animated series that we never did... At one point in the show, they go through a portal into another dimension, and there are characters in that other dimension that they come across. In Rebel Moon, they're in this bar, and one of the aliens is one of the characters from the animatic. So it's definitely a shared universe." 

"We did all the scripts and the animatics, and all the voices are recorded," Snyder continued about the Lost Vegas series. "So you could watch it, even in its crazy animatic form – you can watch the whole run."

What Is Rebel Moon About?

In Rebel Moon: Part One: A Child of Fire, when a peaceful settlement on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Motherworld, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a new army of heroes is formed.

"This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan," Snyder said in a statement when the film was first announced. "It's my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out... 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."

What Is Zack Snyder Making for Netflix?

Snyder's collaboration with Netflix, which began with 2021's Army of the Dead, has inspired multiple film and television projects. This includes several Army of the Dead spinoffs, as well as Twilight of the Gods, an animated series for the streamer inspired by Norse mythology.

Related:

What do you think of Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead being set in the same shared universe? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Rebel Moon: Part One: A Child of Fire will be released exclusively on Netflix on Friday, December 22nd.

Trending Now: