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Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire's run time is at two hours and 13 minutes, ScreenRant reported.
This is the shortest of all of Snyder's movies since 2011's Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch ran for one hour and 50 minutes. Why does this matter?
While most movies could stand to be shorter, Snyder films are known for not just for their lengthy run times, but their extended versions as well.
The rise of the “Snyder Cut”
Case in point, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ran for two hours and 33 minutes. Its home release, considered the superior version, had a run time of three hours and two minutes.
It was the same case with Watchmen. Its theatrical release ran for two hours and 43 minutes. Its home release version added 24 minutes.
And who can forget the campaign to release Snyder's Justice League cut? That was released on HBO and was four hours and two minutes long. The theatrical, Joss Whedon's widely panned version was only two hours long.
All that to say Snyder's choice to make Rebel Moon's run time short is initially confusing. The movie is set to be released on Netflix so there's no need to cut it short. If it were to be released in theaters, yes, it would definitely benefit with a shorter run time. Conventional wisdom says there aren't a lot of people willing to sit in a movie theater for four hours straight.
However, Snyder has confirmed the Rebel Moon: Part One and its sequel Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver will have alternate, extended cuts. Deborah Snyder, the director's wife and producer, said that these cuts will be 45 to 60 minutes long.
Neither Snyder nor Netflix have announced as to when these cuts will be released, but it may be safe to assume that they will be made available on the platform a few weeks after the release of the first cut.
The choice is yours
It was mentioned earlier that Snyder's choice of a shorter cut for Rebel moon was initially confusing. However if one thinks about it differently, it may start to make sense.
The term “Snyder Cut”, which originated from the 2019 campaign of fans and Justice League stars, has become synonymous for “better quality” after its streaming success.
When the initial version of Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire comes out on Netflix, the audience may expect to see this as an inferior version of the extended cut. That's the gamble. Some people may be content with that version and leave it at that.
However, for people who think the movie could benefit being longer, all they need to do is wait for the extended cut. The audience who prefers longer movies get what they want. Those who don't have already watched the film length they prefer.
Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire will have a limited theatrical release on Dec. 15 and premiere on Netflix on Dec. 22.
