Who was the #1 action movie actress of the last decade? You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone more worthy than Sofia Boutella, who dazzled in front of the camera in more box office wins than any actress not part of a major franchise. Just look at Atomic Blonde, Star Trek Beyond, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Hotel Artemis, Fahrenheit 451, and The Mummy. It’s always exciting to see Boutella immerse herself into a role. The actress who gained early fame as a dancer in Madonna and Michael Jackson music videos seems to easily take on the physical coordination required for roles where her contemporaries call for a stuntperson. So leading what looks like a big-budget knock-off of Star Wars? Where do we sign up?
Netflix. After bungling the DC Universe, Zack Snyder proved making his own ideas into movies is better in Army of the Dead. His first trailer for his next project, the multi-film franchise beginning with Rebel Moon, looks epic, sweeping, bigger than Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise–that title is meant to tug on the nostalgia strings of Star Wars fans–it just sounds like Star Wars. And the cast list is just as epic–joining Boutella is Anthony Hopkins (Thor: Ragnarok, RED 2), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko, Sucker Punch), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Psych), Djimon Hounsou (Shazam!, Captain Marvel), Corey Stoll (Ant Man, Transatlantic), Bae Doona (Kingdom, Jupiter Ascending), Ed Skrein (Deadpool, Alita: Battle Angel), and Charlie Hunnam (Crimson Peak, Pacific Rim).
Look at the strange, new world of Rebel Moon:
It looks a lot better than the trailer for Gareth Edwards’ effort to make a new Star Wars, The Creator.
You have a bit of a wait. Rebel Moon, the first movie in the series, doesn’t arrive until December 22, 2023. Look for it streaming on Netflix.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
