Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder has revealed why he doubled down on fascist iconography for the oppressive government of the Motherworld in his new Netflix blockbuster.
The action auteur’s new epic follows Kora (played by Sofia Boutella), a former soldier hiding out with a community of farmers on the moon of Veldt.
Her new home is soon threatened when forces of the Imperium led by Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) take control of the village, and she’s forced to flee to find a band of warriors and make a stand.
Inspired by Star Wars and other science-fiction classics, Snyder explained why he felt other depictions of evil galactic Empires have been watered down when Express.co.uk sat down with the director.
“This concept of space fascists is always… not to say it’s dealt with delicately, but it’s always under the lens of sci-fi that kind of knicks the edges off the concept,” he said.
Read more: Rebel Moon trailer – First action-packed footage of Zack Snyder’s two-part epic
“It makes it not quite as ruthless. I said, ‘Let’s just go for it’. We’re not gonna pussyfoot around, we’re going to let them be really bad.
“There’s no bureaucracy, per se, that’s the enemy, it’s just clean, expansionist bad guys who want to devour all the resources and everything they come across.”
Unlike the stormtroopers led by Darth Vader, Admiral Noble’s soldiers are utterly ruthless, even threatening Veldt’s villagers with violence and sexual assault when they first arrive.
Their uniforms and battle armor are also far more reminiscent of what’s worn by militaries on Earth, so it’s impossible to ignore Rebel Moon’s inspiration from real historical events.
“Basically, there was a Royal Family devouring the universe,” Snyder explained.
“Then, once [Regent] Balisarius (Fra Free) comes to power, it’s more of a Napoleonic concept, as he was afraid of the Motherworld’s Empire.
“And I just think that those things are so easy to relate to in our history and mythology. And it’s incredible how humans just keep doing the same thing over and over.”
Before Part Two: The Scargiver comes to screens next April, fans will also be treated to an extended, R-rated director’s cut.
In addition to a longer runtime and more thrilling action, Snyder promised a much deeper look into Skrein’s Admiral Noble.
He teased: “It’s, like, an hour longer and has a whole other opening that’s all Ed. It’s really crazy.”
Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire will be released on Friday, December 15 on Netflix.