Sandbox VR has announced an ambitious collaboration with Netflix to bring Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon series into the virtual reality space. The project, described as an “interactive VR game,” aims to expand the universe of Snyder’s sci-fi epic into a fully immersive adventure for fans.
The problem? There aren’t many fans left to care.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 13: Zack Snyder attends the Netflix Premiere of Zack Snyder’s REBEL MOON – Part One: A Child of Fire at TCL Chinese Theatre on December 13, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
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The Rebel Moon series, which Netflix once hoped would become its own Star Wars-style franchise, landed with all the grace of a lead balloon. Both films were panned by critics and audiences alike. The first installment failed to deliver any meaningful impact and the sequel performed even worse.
With Sandbox VR doubling down on the doomed franchise, one can’t help but wonder who thought this was a good idea—and why.
According to Sandbox VR and Netflix, the Rebel Moon VR game promises players the chance to “step into the world of Zack Snyder’s sci-fi saga, wielding weapons and fighting battles in a fully immersive experience.”
If that sounds generic, it’s because it is.
REBEL MOON: (L-R) Sofia Boutella as Kora and Djimon Hounsou as Titus in Rebel Moon. Cr. Clay Enos/Netflix © 2023
Despite lofty promises, no concrete details have been shared. Players are left to imagine what this “interactive adventure” might entail, though given the lukewarm reception of the source material, expectations are understandably low.
While Sandbox VR has a solid track record of adapting popular franchises like Star Trek into VR experiences, this is not a popular franchise. The developer’s decision to tie their fortunes to Rebel Moon feels like an odd gamble. For a platform dependent on fan enthusiasm and replayability, anchoring a project to a property that’s already considered dead on arrival seems like a curious—and risky—move.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 13: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Zack Snyder attends the Netflix Premiere of Zack Snyder’s REBEL MOON – Part One: A Child of Fire at TCL Chinese Theatre on December 13, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emilio Madrid/Getty Images for Netflix)
When Zack Snyder unveiled his vision for Rebel Moon, he pitched it as his magnum opus—a sprawling space opera that would finally solidify him as a Hollywood auteur free from the constraints of meddling studios. This was music to the ears of the vocal “Snyder bro” fans who clamor for the director’s dark gritty vision of the DC universe. They’ve always firmly believed that the only reason why the DC “Snyderverse” failed was due to WB studio interference.
Netflix bought into the hype, pouring millions into the production and marketing of the series, only to watch it crash and burn.
Twice.
Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire Rotten Tomatoes scores
The first film, released in late 2024, was a critical disaster. Reviewers lambasted its bloated runtime, thin characters, and derivative storytelling, with some calling it a mishmash of better movies and Snyder at his most self-indulgent. Audience numbers were equally dismal, coming up short compared to movies like Murder Mystery 2, The Mother, Leave the World Behind, Heart of Stone, and You People.
REBEL MOON debuts after 4 days with 23.9M views.
For comparison in roughly the same time period:
– Murder Mystery 2 – 42.9M
– The Mother – 42.9M
– Leave the World Behind – 41.7M
– Heart of Stone 33.1M
– You People – 28.3M pic.twitter.com/vkECqeAIor— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) December 26, 2023
Hopes for redemption with the sequel, released just a few months later, were dashed when it performed even worse. Viewership metrics revealed a steep drop-off, and the sequel couldn’t even surpass the tepid performance of other Netflix misfires like Gal Gadot’s Heart of Stone. For a franchise intended to rival the likes of Star Wars, the numbers were not just disappointing—they were embarrassing.
Adding insult to injury, Snyder’s once-promising Army of the Dead franchise has been shelved by Netflix. After a relatively successful debut in 2021, the zombie heist film spawned spin-offs and a planned animated series, but none gained meaningful traction. Following the implosion of Rebel Moon, Netflix appears to have lost confidence in Snyder’s ability to helm successful franchises.
ARMY OF THE DEAD (L to R) ZACK SNYDER (DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER) in ARMY OF THE DEAD. Cr. CLAY ENOS/NETFLIX © 2021
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This marks yet another blow to Snyder’s career, which has struggled to recover from the high-profile failures of his DC Comics films. Though fans of the infamous “Snyder Cut” of Justice League still champion his work, the collapse of Rebel Moon has shattered the myth of Snyder as a misunderstood genius held back by evil studios.
Given free rein on Rebel Moon, Snyder delivered not a masterpiece, but a pair of uninspired flops that failed to justify Netflix’s massive investment.
The Rebel Moon VR game may be the final nail in the coffin for Snyder’s sci-fi ambitions. While it’s possible that Sandbox VR could create a compelling experience independent of the films’ lackluster reception, the odds are stacked against them. With the franchise’s tarnished reputation and little evidence of a passionate fanbase clamoring for more, the project feels more like a contractual obligation than a genuine effort to expand the Rebel Moon universe.
Rebel Moon. Doona Bae as Nemesis in Rebel Moon. Cr. Netflix ©2023
In an era when VR projects are thriving off beloved IPs with dedicated followings, tying Sandbox VR’s fate to Rebel Moon seems like a baffling misstep. The question isn’t whether the game will succeed; it’s how much damage this strange gamble will do to Sandbox VR and Netflix as they continue searching for a viable franchise in their own galaxy far, far away.
Let’s add another far in there, just to be safe…
Are you interested in Rebel Moon, in VR or actual reality? Did you enjoy the movie? Sound off in the comments and let me know.
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The game will fail miserably and nobody will learn anything. No sane company decides to release a product based on an IP as actively disliked as Rebel Moon.
I found the film to be meh. To be fair I do think in VR it has potential to be good. With VR you are put into the game and flashy combat means more. I think it’s easier to avoid implementing DEI slop in VR because you don’t actually need to pander when you are quite literally included by default. VR development is also hard enough to get an audience that it means that there isn’t really as much opportunity to implement DEI. Woke people as far as I know don’t target niche markets.
I liked the DC Snyderverse (as long as that list consists of Man of Steel, BvS Ultimate Edition, and the JL Snyder Cut), but Snyder himself has quite literally lost the plot years ago. Rebel Moon is and always has been a vanity project and cash grab, nothing more.