Robert Zemeckis, Matthew Vaughn & Sam Raimi In The Running To Direct 'The Flash'

The last we heard about “The Flash,” Warner Bros. were clinging to the hope of having another superhero movie to join their 2018 slate, which currently only includes “Aquaman.” Among the options on the table is “The Flash,” even though its star Ezra Miller is filming “Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them 2” this summer. However, WB is going to try and get the movie into production this year, it looks like a new helmer may be boarding the project soon.

Robert ZemeckisMatthew Vaughn and Sam Raimi are currently the top choices to direct “The Flash,” but caution that other names are in the mix. You couldn’t really find three more different filmmakers than Zemeckis, Vaughn, and Raimi. The former is a veteran who certainly knows his way about visual effects (even if the results in “Beowulf” and “The Polar Express” were polarizing), but also has had a hand at crafting dramas (“Flight,” “The Walk“). Vaughn is a dynamic filmmaker, making his name with fare like “Kick-Ass” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Meanwhile, Raimi is no stranger to superheroes, having directed the first “Spider-Man” trilogy for Sony, but his last blockbuster effort, “Oz The Great And Powerful,” missed the mark.

Scheduling could be an issue. Warner Bros. is aiming to shoot the movie in late summer, but Zemeckis is committed to “The Women Of Marwen” starring Steve Carell, though the studio may wait. Vaughn may have a third ‘Kingsman’ movie on his hands if ‘The Golden Circle‘ is a hit, but Raimi’s schedule appears to be pretty wide open.

“The Flash” does have a script in place by Joby Harold (“King Arthur: The Legend Of The Sword,” “Robin Hood“), who was tasked with doing a page one rewrite after director Rick Famuyiwa exited the movie last year. However, I’d imagine whoever comes along to direct will want to give it a pass to at least have it mesh with their sensibilities.

Thoughts? Hit up our comments section. [Variety/THR]