The Epic Universe of Rebel Moon
Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder has revealed the character he'd like to center in a possible new spinoff. The new Netflix space epic follows a warrior named Kora (Sofia Boutella) who gathers a band of fighters to help push back against the Imperium, the military force controlled by the corrupt Motherworld and its leader Balisarius (Fra Fee), who is also her adoptive father. The massive ensemble cast also includes Charlie Hunnam as mercenary pilot Kai, Djimon Hounsou as former Imperium general Titus, and Doona Bae as the cyborg Nemesis.
Fra Fee as Regent Balisarius in Rebel Moon
Entertainment Weekly recently sat down with Zack Snyder to discuss the future of the Rebel Moon universe. He revealed that one idea he is working on is a possible prequel exploring the origins of the Motherworld leader Balisarius, which is why they cast 'a young actor to play that part.' While he says they are not having discussions about any project in particular along those lines, 'the potential is really amazing.'
This hasn't been confirmed, but I was hoping if there were ever a spinoff, like a TV show or something, about the younger days of Balisarius, that I would love a young actor to play that part. So we just aged him for this. Now I'm not saying that's happening or that there's even really discussions of that, but I think that he's such a rich and interesting character and he's such a great actor that the potential is really amazing. If the story were to continue past the two movies that we've made, his role would increase exponentially, as you can imagine.
The Possibility of a Balisarius Spinoff
If a Balisarius spinoff is going to happen, it will likely be several years before it comes to fruition. The Rebel Moon universe is already rapidly expanding. Following Snyder's roadmap for the history of the franchise's universe, a variety of prequel stories are already in development in various mediums, including an animated show, a comic book series, and a narrative podcast.
The four-part comic series Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe will follow the origins of Devra (Cleopatra Coleman) and Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher).
Ultimately, the fate of the Balisarius spinoff and any similar projects will depend on the performance of Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire in its first 90 days, as well as that of the upcoming Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver. The sequel has already been shot and has been slated to debut on the streaming platform in April, so that release is more or less guaranteed. However, the other projects that are already in development may not see the light of day if it receives a lukewarm audience reception.
The Exciting Future Ahead
It remains to be seen if there are any additional spinoffs following various Rebel Moon characters that get greenlit at Netflix. However, given Snyder's clear enthusiasm for the character, it seems probable that a Balisarius show starring Fra Fee out of makeup would be one of the first projects on the slate if the option becomes available. This would likely be in addition to a possible third installment of the main branch of the franchise that has already been teased.
Source: EW