Review by C.J. Bunce
So you like movie aliens and sci-fi makeup creations? It might surprise you that the Rebel Moon movie series, despite its focuses on human lead characters, has its own galaxy of aliens. Fans of the world and characters of Zack Snyder’s multi-film, sci-fi franchise Rebel Moon will soon be able to marvel at a new look at space-bound beings in the second big behind-the-scenes look at the movies, Rebel Moon–Wurm: Ex Materia: Heroes & Monsters. Forget about deciphering that title, writer Peter Aperlo delivers a chronicle that pushes aside the story to spotlight the heroes, the villains, the royal family, the denizens, and some creature creations. The book is available for pre-order now here at Amazon, and we have a look inside for borg readers below.
Forget about the story, the Director’s Cuts, and the very Zack Snyder-styled direction. This book is all about close-up photographs. Everything you want to learn about each key character and background type is covered via marketing photographs, set-up shots, and film stills (there’s even yet another recreation of The Lord’s Supper for the book for the lovers and haters of that trope).
Aperlo gets the actors behind the characters to talk about their work and the characters they inhabited. We’ve seen books like this before in magazine formats, but this is the rare coffee table format book with this kind of content, more of a companion to the film to describe characters who may have been only briefly encountered in the movies. It’s not without some cybernetic influences.
This is not a concept art book, and it’s also not a deep dive into the costume designer or makeup artists’ processes. But anyone wanting good images of some of the latest alien creations Hollywood has come up with will have something to enjoy.
This is the second of two official art and making of books for the Zack Snyder-directed Netflix film looking at Snyder’s worldbuilding vision and his team’s development of sci-fi technology elements. Rebel Moon: Wolf: Ex Nihilo: Cosmology & Technology (reviewed here) is available now here at Amazon.
Rebel Moon–Wurm: Ex Materia: Heroes & Monsters is available for pre-order now here at Amazon. It’s slated for publication August 27, 2024.
The book ends with close-up photographs of the weaponry for all the factions–a great look at props not seen as clearly on the screen. These are all accompanied by the expected cast and crew interviews.
Prime viewing for fans of Zack Snyder, Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon: The Scargiver are now streaming on Netflix. Rebel Moon: Wolf: Ex Nihilo: Cosmology & Technology is available now here at Amazon. The second volume, , is now available for pre-order here, coming in July.
