Zack Snyder vs George Lucas: The Dual Roles and Franchise Directing

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon vs George Lucas' Star Wars

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire has drawn a lot of comparisons to George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy, but Snyder has already outperformed his fellow director in one key area. Both men have been heavily involved in the production of their creations, with both earning writing and directing credits in their respective franchises. However, the Rebel Moon writer/director has quickly topped Lucas in at least one regard.

Poster for Rebel Moon with characters like Kora, Gunnar, Tutus, and Nemesis

Rebel Moon started as a Star Wars pitch that Lucasfilm rejected. While Snyder did rework the idea so he could produce the movie independently, the inspiration is still there for all to see. Although it's not confirmed how many Rebel Moon movies there are going to be, Snyder has stated he wants to make a 'trilogy of sequels' to the first installment. A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver are the only confirmed entries into the Rebel Moon canon, but Snyder's consistent role in each of these two movies represents something Lucas was incapable of doing.

Sofia Boutella as Kora points a gun in Rebel Moon.

Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon has drawn a lot of comparisons to George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy, but Snyder has already outperformed his fellow director in one key area. Both men have been heavily involved in the production of their creations, with both earning writing and directing credits in their respective franchises. However, the Rebel Moon writer/director has quickly topped Lucas in at least one regard.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker looking into the distance in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

The Dual Roles of Zack Snyder and George Lucas

Zack Snyder and George Lucas both play dual roles in their respective franchises. While George Lucas was the sole writer and director for 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Zack Snyder also adopted a dual role for his franchise starter, taking to the director's chair and contributing to the screenplay for A Child of Fire.

Puppet Yoda from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Similarly, Lucas appointed directors for the subsequent Star Wars movies, while Snyder remained in place as his sequel's director, forming the same writing trio of himself, Kurt Johnstad, and Shay Hatten for the second Rebel Moon movie. Therefore, Snyder can lay claim to the fact that he directed the first two Rebel Moon movies, whereas George Lucas ended his streak before it could begin by reassigning the task after A New Hope.

Padme, Anakin, and R2-D2 in Star Wars Attack of the Clones

In total, Lucas directed four Star Wars movies before selling the rights to Disney in 2012. If Snyder's plans to make and direct two more Rebel Moon sequels pay off, then he'll be on level footing with the Star Wars creator, George Lucas.

Anakin skywalker's transformation to Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

The Franchise Directing Achievements

George Lucas took a break from directing after Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, appointing directors for the subsequent Star Wars movies. Zack Snyder, on the other hand, has directed the first two Rebel Moon movies and plans to direct two more sequels, potentially matching Lucas' tally of directed movies within their franchises.

Snyder's consistent role in each of the first two Rebel Moon movies represents something Lucas was incapable of doing. If Snyder's plans to make and direct two more Rebel Moon sequels pay off, then he'll be on level footing with the Star Wars creator, George Lucas.

Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire is available to stream on Netflix, with Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Scargiver also coming to Netflix in April 2024. All the Star Wars movies are on Disney+.