John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein return to SXSW this year with “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” which kicks off the Austin-based festival today. And in the lead-up to the film’s world premiere, the directing duo had some scoop for Variety about why they left another big-budget project due in theaters this year, DC Studios‘ “The Flash.”
Daley & Goldstein started work on “Honor Among Thieves” after they exited “The Flash,” a movie with many filmmakers already taking a stab at it. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Robert Zemeckis, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Rick Famuyiwa kicked the project’s tires before the pair signed on. And for Daley & Goldstein, they saw in star Ezra Miller a chance to overcome “this mounting sense of fatigue” audiences had with superhero movies.
“We pitched this idea of a ground-level superhero where it isn’t entirely end-of-the-world stakes,” Daley told Variety. “He’s just learning his powers and is also somewhat dysfunctional with his life. The more imperfect we can make a superhero, the better, because that’s the inherent challenge: How do you give imperfection to someone that is, you know, physically perfect?” Daley & Goldstein met with Miller over dinner to discuss the project to tease out ideas before they started work on their script. “They were intense and very bright,” Goldstein said of Miller. “Later, it became clear that they didn’t want to quite do the same thing as we did.”
Those creative differences ultimately led the co-directors to exit “The Flash” entirely. “It was a number of creative differences that caused us at a certain point to decide that it was time to go,” Daley said about their departure. One of those creative differences? Miller teaming up with comics legend Grant Morrison to co-write a rival script for the film. That was a little too much for Daley & Goldstein. “If we feel like the powers-that-be aren’t excited about making the same movie as we are, we’re not going to win that battle,” Goldstein said. “And so it’s better to cut your losses and get out of there.”
After Daley & Goldstein’s exit, “IT” director Andy Muschietti and “Birds Of Prey” screenwriter Christina Hodson jumped onto “The Flash,” with their rendition ultimately getting the okay for DC Studios. But Daley & Goldstein still retain a story credit on the movie, and they still see their ideas in the finished product. “They took what we had started and really ran with it and made it a very fun and emotional movie,” said Goldstein. “We’re really happy with how it all turned out.”
“The Flash” has had its fair share of delays thanks to its star’s erratic behavior last year. Miller grabbed headlines through the 2022 calendar year for various troubling situation, including choking a woman in an Iceland bar, allegations of abuse and grooming, a disorderly conduct misdemeanor in Hawaii, and a guilty please to a trespassing charge in Vermont. Miller is currently seeking “ongoing treatment” for “complex mental health issues.” Despite all that, “The Flash” still hits theaters this June.
Daley & Goldstein still support the film despite its star’s disturbing actions last year. “All I can say is, having been through the trying process of making a massive film in the best of circumstances, I was very empathetic toward the people that put a lot of time and then themselves in making the film, like Andy and Christina,” said Daley. “I can only imagine how fraught that must have been for them. But I’m so glad that the finished product is a super fun movie. Is that diplomatic?” Goldstein added, “Obviously, you don’t want any headwinds when you’re trying to put a giant, expensive movie out in the world. And hopefully, the quality of the film will come through, and people will embrace it.”
“The Flash” hits theaters on June 16, and has its world premiere at CinemaCon on April 25. As for “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” stay tuned for a review after its world premiere today. That film arrives in theaters later this month, on March 31. Check out a trailer for Daley & Goldstein’s latest below.