MOVIE NEWS – Actor legend Anthony Hopkins has become the latest name to join the epic cast of Zack Snyder’s sci-fi film Rebel Moon.

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon continues to add to his impressive cast with the addition of Anthony Hopkins as the voice of the battle robot Jimmy. The sci-fi film is part of a first-look partnership between Snyder and Netflix. After delivering the monster hit Army of the Dead and its prequel, big things are expected from the director’s foray into Star Wars territory. After releasing a few brief teases of what to expect from the epic film, it’s already looking like Snyder fans will be happy.

Rebel Moon is based on an old idea that Snyder pitched to Lucasfilm years ago to consider for their Star Wars universe. The film is set on “a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy, threatened by the regent armies of the tyrannical Balisarius, and then a young woman with a mysterious past is sent to seek out warriors from neighbouring planets to help them confront their oppressors.” Since the idea hasn’t been taken seriously before, Snyder now has the opportunity to make a single film and potentially build his own franchise at Netflix if all goes according to plan.

According to Deadline, two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins joins the film as Jimmy, a “strangely emotional JC1435 mechanised battle robot and the former protector of the slain king”. He is now the latest star to join a cast that includes Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, Djimon Hounsou, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Stuart Martin, Cary Elwes, Corey Stoll, Michiel Huisman, Alfonso Herrera, Ed Skrein, Cleopatra Coleman, Fra Fee, Rhian Rees, Jena Malone, E. Duffy, Charlotte Maggi, Sky Yang and Staz Nair.

Although Rebel Moon’s arrival is still a long way off, Zack Snyder shared new footage during Netflix’s Geeked Week event showing a makeup test for one of the new alien creatures in the film. While the new clip gives a good insight into the interesting alien design used in the movie, the real inspiration for the film still comes from that galaxy far, far away.

“I grew up as an Akira Kurosawa fan and a Star Wars fan. It’s my love of science fiction and grand adventure,” said Snyder. “I’m hoping that this will be another huge IP and a universe that can be built out… I’ve spent the last two or three years building this universe. Every corner needs to be painted. I’ve been making plans, drawing constantly, and really tilling the ‘fertile ground’ to fully realise this world.”

Of course, Rebel Moon isn’t the first franchise Snyder has launched on Netflix, as the Army of the Dead movie has already been followed by a prequel, a sequel in the works and an animated spin-off. While many are still hoping that Warner Bros. will ask Snyder to return to the DCEU and “restore the Snyderverse,” it seems the director has put himself in a position where he’ll probably be too busy creating his new worlds to worry about what could have been as part of Warner Bros.’ comic book franchise.

Source : Deadline