Today is July 2, 2019. That’s important for me to get out there, just in case you’re reading what follows and think, “Wait a second, I’ve read this before…” While the gist of the news is the same old, same old, there are now new players involved. So, without further ado, Warner Bros. is in talks to bring a new director on board the studio’s upcoming “The Flash” film.
According to THR, WB is in talks with “It” director Andy Muschietti to helm the long-in-development, seemingly-cursed “Flash” superhero film. And yes, the studio still has Ezra Miller attached to star as the Scarlet Speedster, despite him now clocking in at approximately 80-years-old. The movie has been in development for decades, right?
Kidding aside, this news is pretty shocking and depressing, at the same time. Shocking mainly because WB is just never going to stop working on this damn movie. Also, shocking in the fact that Ezra Miller is so hellbent on getting a solo “Flash” movie that he’s sticking around for years to make it happen. But ultimately, this is depressing news because you can count on one hand the number of films that go through this much behind-the-scenes changes and ultimately come out with a decent finished product.
That being said, the studio does have a talented filmmaker on board, yet again. Muschietti is probably most famous for his two ‘It’ films, but he also helmed the underrated horror film “Mama” in 2013. Also, joining Muschietti on the project is a brand-new writer Christina Hodson, who you might remember as the woman behind the films “Bumblebee” and the upcoming “Birds of Prey.” Apparently, WB thinks pretty highly of Hodson, keeping her around for yet another DC film.
With that out of the way, you may be wondering, “But I thought Ezra Miller and Grant Morrison were writing a script?” Well, you’re right. Earlier this year, Miller was reportedly frustrated with the overly-humorous tone that then-directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (“Vacation,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming”) were perfecting in their script that he pleaded with WB to allow him to write his own darker version of the story with legendary comic book writer Morrison.
READ MORE: Ezra Miller Swears The ‘Flash’ Film Is Coming & Will Be A “Real, Pure Offering” To Fans
WB apparently read the script in March and decided in May that “Flash” was going to move forward with completely new filmmakers attached, however with Miller still on board.
While there’s no way that this is the last ditch effort for WB and “Flash,” as the studio is never going to let a superhero of this caliber rest on the shelf, you have to begin to wonder how much more the studio will take before blowing the whole thing up and starting fresh again, with a new actor attached. Let’s be real, for as good as Miller is as Barry Allen, WB needs to get a movie made one way or another.
Muschietti and Hodson are the latest to inherit a film that has seen no shortage of incredible talent walk out the door. Back in 2014, filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller were attached to pen the script and eventually direct. However, that didn’t last long, as they were replaced by Seth Grahame-Smith, who would then write his own script and direct. But by 2016, that didn’t end up working out and WB brought on “Dope” filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa to direct the film, which was seemingly finally on the right track. But by 2017, Famuyiwa was gone and names like Marc Webb, Robert Zemeckis, Sam Raimi, and Lord & Miller (again) were rumored to be in the running.
Finally, in 2018, it was reported that duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were going to direct the film, fresh off their success as the writing team behind “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” But now, a little over a year later, we’re back at square one.
Will we ever see “Flash” hit the big screen? Yeah, probably. But will it be directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Ezra Miller? With this track record, I’m not going to put money down on that proposition, even though I remain excited about the prospect.