Why Netflix’s Rebel Ridge Took So Long To Make

Like a lot of Netflix films, it feels a little bit like Rebel Ridge just came out of nowhere. That isn’t the case with the Jeremy Saulnier-directed thriller, though. On the contrary, the film’s early September debut was a long, long time in the making.

COVID Delayed the Netflix Film

There was a six-year gap between the release of Rebel Ridge and Jeremy Saulnier’s previous film, 2018’s Hold the Dark. The long wait wasn’t intentional. As a matter of fact, Saulnier actually finished writing the script for Rebel Ridge in 2018. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens star John Boyega subsequently signed on in 2019 to play the film’s wronged hero, Terry Richmond. A few months later, several other actors came on board the Netflix film as well, and the intention was to begin shooting it in April 2020.

Those plans were disrupted by the U.S. outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Principal photography for the film was pushed back a year, and the same happened to multiple movies and TV shows that were similarly meant to shoot during the pandemic. Unfortunately, its COVID delay isn’t the only setback that Rebel Ridge experienced on the road to its release this year.

Rebel Ridge Lost Its Original Star During Filming

In May 2021, over a year after it was originally supposed to begin filming, principal photography on Rebel Ridge finally commenced in Louisiana. However, two months later, John Boyega suddenly left the project in the middle of filming due to “family reasons.” That same month, The Hollywood Reporter wrote a report featuring claims that Boyega had actually left the film’s set abruptly and without warning because of issues he had not only with Rebel Ridge‘s script but also his accommodations on location in Louisiana. Boyega’s agent categorically denied this report’s claims.

Following Boyega’s exit, filming for Rebel Ridge was paused once again. In October 2021, Saulnier and his collaborators chose The Underground Railroad and Krypton star Aaron Pierre to replace Boyega. Several months later, the film’s Louisiana-based production began again in April 2022. By that time, nearly four years had passed since Saulnier originally finished writing Rebel Ridge‘s script.

Thankfully, Rebel Ridge‘s third go at filming went pretty smoothly. Production officially wrapped on July 24, 2022, just three months after it began again with Pierre in the film’s lead role. Two years and a few months later, the movie made its long-awaited debut on Netflix.

Rebel Ridge’s Delays Made It Better

As difficult and frustrating as Rebel Ridge‘s many delays may have been for those involved with the film, it seems safe to say that everything worked out well in the end. Aaron Pierre’s star-making performance in the film has been a key talking point about it since it was released, and it’s not hard to see why. Pierre so deeply embodies the role of Terry Richmond that it feels like the character was written for him, even though it wasn’t.

In the end, even Jeremy Saulnier believes that Rebel Ridge‘s delays helped the thriller. “No one who’s seen the film can imagine a version of this without Aaron Pierre,” Saulnier told Vulture when asked about Boyega’s departure in 2021. “It was the most amazing turn for the film. I’m not into hocus-pocus, but I believe the fates intervened and Aaron and I were meant to work together.” Anyone who watches Rebel Ridge and witnesses Pierre’s work in it will likely find it hard to disagree with Saulnier.

Rebel Ridge is streaming now on Netflix.