The highly anticipated science fiction project Rebel Moon will be split into two films, writer-director Zack Snyder has revealed.

Rebel Moon tells the story of a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy that is threatened by the armies of a tyrannical regent, Belisarius. Desperate, the colonists dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past (Sofia Boutella) to seek out warriors from neighbouring planets to help them make a stand against the invading forces.

The picture stars Sofia Boutella (Settlers, Kingsman: The Secret Service), Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place Part II, The King’s Man, Captain Marvel), Doona Bae (Sense8, The Host), Ray Fisher (Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Jena Malone (The Neon Demon, The Hunger Games franchise), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Stuart Martin.

“Originally, the script was one movie, but it was in ‘Zack form,’” says his wife and longtime producing partner, Deborah Snyder in an interview with Vanity Fair. “It was 172 pages… [Netflix film boss Scott] Stuber was like, ‘On the service, under-two-hour movies really do better for some reason,’ even though you’ll binge-watch a series of eight episodes. Zack said, ‘If you ask me to make this less than two hours, I’m going to lose all the character. You won’t care about these people. It’s a character story about how people can change, and redemption and what are you willing to fight for…’ So he said, ‘What if I give you two movies?’”

While Rebel Moon Part One will release to Netflix on December 22nd, Zack Snyder hinted that part two would be released “on the heels” of the first.