2021 was a big year for Zack Snyder, whose long-rumored Justice League cut was released in addition to Netflix’s zombie heist romp Army of the Dead. The filmmaker stuck with the streaming service for his upcoming sci-fi epic Rebel Moon, which will be released in two separate parts, with the first dropping in December. That pre-Christmas debut was meant to coincide with the arrival of a new table top role-playing game that would further expand the already dense fictional universe that Snyder & Co. created for the films. The future of that project is now unclear, as the studio behind it has filed a lawsuit against Netflix for allegedly severing its contract, and without offering compensation for the work already delivered.
Evil Genius Games, which has released TTRPGs for such cinematic faves as Escape from New York and Rambo, went public with the news that its lawyers filed a lawsuit against Netflix for unlawful termination of the original agreement and partnership that was signed back on March 22, 2023. On the game developer’s website, the lawsuit’s details are laid out, as is the company’s goal in taking the streaming giant to court over this situation.
According to Evil Genius Games, two months after the contract was signed, the staff had crafted a 430-page Player’s Guide, and a 337-page Game Master’s Guide,and a 228-page World Bible, which is said to have “vastly expanded on the universe envisioned by Snyder.” It’s claimed that the game is currently at the finished stage, and is technically ready for release, but that Netflix changed course after the final product was delivered.
The contract was allegedly canceled on May 25, 2023, with the reasoning being that Evil Genius Games violated a confidentiality provision by publicly sharing artwork from the game at this year’s GAMA Expo. EGG claims that all of the artwork used was previously sent to and approved by Netflix months far ahead of time, and that Netflix itself served as a co-presenter during the trade show exhibition.
Following the contract’s termination, it’s stated that Netflix representatives then claimed all of the IP created for the TTRPG, as well as the physical game itself, was thereby the streaming service’s property, and reportedly refused to offer the gaming company’s workers due compensation. Attempts were allegedly made to maintain contact to try and resolve the situation in a less drastic manner, but “Netflix refused to substantively engage” with Evil Genius Games.
At this point, the gaming company’s team is asking fans to sign a petition to get more support for their three-pronged goal: to release the top-quality product game, to have the team that created it be officially recognized for their work, and then for the team to be paid for that work.
Evil Genius Games even has a video interview with Zack Snyder in which he talks about the currently shelved game, presumably before the contract issues that sparked the lawsuit.
At this point, it’s obviously unclear what will happen next regarding the space-faring TTRPG, as well as what Netflix execs are planning to do with the reportedly completed game. There are only a few months before the movie is set to arrive, though, and giant entertainment lawsuits definitely aren’t known for being settled speedily.
When a peaceful settlement on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a new army of heroes is formed.
Anyone with a Netflix subscription will be able to stream the first Rebel Moon film when it arrives on the streaming service on Friday, December 22. Head to our upcoming Netflix schedule to see what other new releases are on the way.