Picture Credit: Netflix
Zack Snyder has finally provided a new update on the possibility of a third Rebel Moon film. During a recent interview with The Direct at TIFF, Snyder addressed the future of his sci-fi epic, expressing a cautious hope that an eventual resurgence of interest could push Netflix to greenlight a third installment. However, taking a closer look at the franchise’s viewership data—and Netflix’s recent treatment of other Snyder projects—suggests a challenging road ahead for Rebel Moon 3.
The interviewer praised the franchise and asked, “Any chance we’re going to see Part Three anytime soon?” Snyder gave a hesitant but hopeful response, banking on the franchise’s extended R-rated editions to build long-term momentum:
I don’t know. I think that, like, you know, I think that, like, you know, because I was saying recently, like, you know, I made those – the director’s cuts of the movies, and I just think it’s, like, one of those things where – and I do feel it, you know, is that as those maybe, like, get a little bit more popular and sort of, like, get discovered, then there’s a little bit more groundswell about maybe making another one.
Snyder’s “wait-and-see” approach presents a much more muted outlook compared to earlier updates on the franchise. As we reported previously, co-writer Kurt Johnstad delivered a highly optimistic update on Rebel Moon 3 on the Minutemen Podcast last year, revealing that the creative team had mapped out “detailed outlines” for movies three through six. Since then, however, momentum has severely stalled. Star Patrick Luwis recently gave an interview noting he hasn’t heard a word about returning to the series, and Snyder himself has admitted to getting “sidetracked” by his upcoming, grounded LAPD action thriller for the streamer, which hasn’t had an official update in a while but was reported to have budget issues.
Beyond Snyder shifting his immediate focus, Netflix’s overall appetite for his expanded universes appears to be waning. In addition to the long-forgotten Army of the Dead animated spin-offs, we recently confirmed that Twilight of the Gods—Snyder’s adult-animated Norse mythology series—will not be returning for a second season.
Snyder is evidently hoping that his Director’s Cuts will slowly build the “groundswell” needed to force Netflix’s hand. But a deep dive into the historical viewership data paints a rather grim picture for the franchise’s longevity.
When Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire debuted in late 2023, it was a solid enough initial success. It accumulated 57.8 million views in H2 2023 and held remarkably strong with 54.2 million views in H1 2024, eventually coasting to an impressive lifetime total of 135.6 million views. However, Part Two: The Scargiver experienced a steep audience drop-off. Released in H1 2024, the sequel secured 55.8 million views out of the gate but plummeted to just 10 million views by H2 2024. Overall, Part Two has amassed 76 million total views—nearly a 44% decline from the first film, indicating that a vast chunk of the audience simply did not return to finish the story.
Furthermore, the Director’s Cuts that Snyder hopes will reignite the franchise barely made a dent upon their release. Dropping in H2 2024, the extended versions of Part One and Part Two pulled in just 7.6 million and 8.3 million views, respectively. Over the last two years, they have steadily trickled down in viewership, sitting at lifetime totals of 13.6 million and 14.2 million views. While they did see a microscopic bump in H1 2026 (both pulling in 2.4 million views, up slightly from 1.5 million in H2 2025), these figures are a drop in the ocean compared to the massive budgets required to produce a flagship sci-fi blockbuster. Compared to other Netflix blockbusters, however, these numbers are relatively small.
You can see all the data for Rebel Moon here.
As we analyzed when questioning what the future of Rebel Moon at Netflix is—and whether the movies were hits or flops—Rebel Moon wasn’t an outright disaster for the streamer, but it fell significantly short of internal expectations to become a premier sci-fi franchise. With declining returns, scrapped spin-offs, and an audience that seemingly abandoned the universe midway through, the financial incentive to invest in Rebel Moon 3 just isn’t there right now. Unless a viral miracle drives tens of millions of viewers back to the Director’s Cuts, Snyder’s sci-fi universe will likely remain on permanent ice.
