Zack Snyder on How EXCALIBUR and CONAN THE BARBARIAN Influenced REBEL MOON
Zack Snyder wasn’t only heavily influenced by Star Wars with his upcoming film Rebel Moon, but the director was also influenced by other films, and in a recent interview with Empire, he explains elements of it were also inspired by classic films such as Excalibur and Conan the Barbarian.
He specifically shared some details on the robot character named Jimmy, who's voiced by Anthony Hopkins. According to Snyder, both that character and another character named Milius (E. Duffy) are heavily influenced by the Knights of the Round Table. He said:
"I'm a huge Excalibur fanatic. He's a Lancelot for sure. I was thinking about him, and how Milius [another hero, played by E. Duffy and named after Conan The Barbarian writer-director John Milius, as well as filmmaker Mike Mills] is Percival.”
This is just a fun little detail that fans of Snyder and these two classic films might appreciate. The director went on to share some details on the character Jimmy: “Jimmy, I see him as a wild card. He’s on a journey of self-discovery.”
The report added: “Jimmy was brought to the peaceful planet of Veldt by the Imperium – the nefarious force hoping to demand all of Veldt’s precious resources, and who get more than they bargained for when the planet assembles a handful of hardened warriors to fight back. (Yes, the inspiration is Seven Samurai.) Once upon a time, Jimmy was one of many identical ‘droids assembled to serve their king in war. Now, he’s been repurposed by the Imperium to do their literal heavy-lifting – and he’s set to undergo a significant transformation over the course of Rebel Moon Part One and Two.”
The story follows a group of ragtag rebels who rise up to fight against a giant, evil Empire. It’s 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.” You can learn several other details about the series here.
This is a two-part film and each part will come with an R-rated edition that fans can watch as well. The movie stars Charlie Hunnam, Ed Skrein, Bae Doona, Djimon Hounsou. Ray Fisher, Jena Malone, Ed Skrein, Stuart Martin, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Michiel Huisman, Anthony Hopkins, and Alfonso Herrera.
Part One of Rebel Moon is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on December 22nd following a limited theatrical release.
