Ed Skrein set to play villain role in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon

Ed Skrein
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Yet another round of casting has been announced for Zack Snyder’s take on Star Wars, with Ed Skrein replacing Rupert Friend as the film’s antagonist.

Zack Snyder seems to have found a happy home at Netflix. Having already released the zombie action movie Army Of The Dead on the streaming platform, his next project, Rebel Moon, has been confirmed as an epic two-part ode to Star Wars movies and Kurosawa flicks. The film has officially entered what we suspect may be a long production window and casting is still being announced for what will eventually be two films that are filming back-to-back.

The biggest news is that Rupert Friend has exited the project due to scheduling conflicts, meaning that Deadpool and Game of Thrones star Ed Skrein will take over as the film’s villain.

Skrein proved to be an able foil for Ryan Reynold’s chattering anti-hero in 2016’s Deadpool and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does in Rebel Moon. Also joining the ensemble are Dopesick's Cleopatra Coleman Hawkeye's Fra Fee and Rhian Rees, who will be appearing in Jordan Peele’s next film, Nope.

Major casting for the film has already been announced, with Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, Bae Doona and Ray Fisher all featuring in the sci-fi fantasy feature.

A second round of casting previously also announced that Saw‘s Cary Elwes along with House of Cards’ Corey Stoll, Game Of Thrones’ Michiel Huisman  and Ozark‘s Alfonso Herrera all coming on board the project. Skrein’s addition to the project now means that both actors who played Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones will be appearing in the same film.

The film promises to be a sci-fi adventure where ‘the story is set in motion when a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy is threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent named Balisarius. Desperate people dispatch a young woman (Boutella) with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighbouring planets to help them make a stand.’

According to reports, Snyder originally developed Rebel Moon as an actual Star Wars project over a decade ago for a pre-Disney Lucasfilm. That obviously didn’t work out but he has reportedly retooled the story to exist outside of the Star Wars universe. We’ll continue to bring you updates on Rebel Moon, which looks like the closest thing we’ll be getting to a cinematic Star Wars release for some time, as we hear them.

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