Canceled Rebel Moon RPG makers suing Netflix

Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon was set to launch with a tabletop RPG, but its creators are suing Netflix for canceling the project a few months before launch.

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Zack Snyder has carved out a prominent niche for himself in modern cinema. Riding the unruly wave of fan outcry, the Snyder Cut of Justice League dominated the conversation around superhero movies for some time.

Free of the baggage of the DCEU, Snyder has moved into creating original projects for Netflix, with Rebel Moon being the next to launch. But now a crucial piece of Rebel Moon worldbuilding has been axed just months before release.

Rebel Moon and Evil Genius Games

Netflix

Rebel Moon is the next anticipated work by the divisive director, set to drop on Netflix in two parts in 2023 and 2024 respectively. And while hype might be building for this ambitious undertaking, all is not well behind the scenes.

As part of a push to establish the world of Rebel Moon as expansive and worth investing in, a TTRPG was being worked on in conjunction with Netflix. Taking the chance to develop the setting and stories of a high-profile new sci-fi world seems like a no-brainer. But, rather than being able to capitalize on Rebel Moon’s release, the RPG project has been unceremoniously canceled.

Now Evil Genius Games, the developers of the Rebel Moon RPG, allege that Netflix has not only canceled the contract and is preventing the game from being released, but is not fairly compensating Evil Genius for their work on the game. The full details of the lawsuit can be read here.

Rebel Moon RPG: More than just a spin-off

As opposed to just capitalizing on Rebel Moon’s future success, Evil Genius’ lawsuit suggests that the RPG Makers were more crucial to the film’s development than would usually be expected.

With Snyder making an ‘express request that there be a Rebel Moon TTRPG’ if the project got off the ground, Evil Genius’ efforts were an integral part of the project from the beginning.

Crucially, and surprisingly, Evil Genius claims that the current state of Rebel Moon is heavily down to their contributions. Through it creating ‘a cohesive backstory for the whole Rebel Moon franchise’, the developer’s work in fleshing out the universe of Rebel Moon is currently set to go unnoticed and unrewarded, regardless of whether it is used as source material for future Rebel Moon projects.

Netflix cancels the Rebel Moon TTRPG

Netflix claims that Evil Genius breached confidentiality by showing off pre-release artwork to retailers at the GAMA expo. While Evil Genius does not dispute this action, they have argued that Netflix had no issues with the artwork being shown prior to the incident. Work on the RPG was reportedly halted soon after the incident came to light.

Whether a miscommunication that spiraled into something bigger or a legitimate confidentiality issue, it seems as though the rift between Netflix and Evil Genius shows no signs of mending. Evil Genius Games has currently set up a petition to allow the Rebel Moon RPG to be released to the public. Time will tell if this game will ever see the light of day, or if Netflix will remain the only place to engage with Rebel Moon.