Last year, the movie talk of the summer was Ezra Miller‘s erratic behavior and how it potentially threatened the theatrical release of Andy Muschietti‘s “The Flash. But EW reports that, according to Muschietti and his sister, Barbara Muschietti, the threat of the blockbuster being shelved was never legitimate.
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When asked about being scared if “The Flash” wouldn’t make it to the big screen due to Miller, Barbara told EW, “Not at all. No. That was never real.” Andy followed up his sister’s comments by saying, “We have a lot of empathy in general for people who need help, and especially in mental health issues. That’s why they are taking the necessary steps to deal with their recovery, and we support them in that.” Muschietti also said he and his sister remain in touch with Miller, who remains in mental health treatment for their various issues.
And that’s been the case since last August, after Miller released a press statement that they had “begun ongoing treatment” for “complex mental health issues.” Miller’s treatment started after the actor was arrested multiple times last year in Hawaii for various public disturbances. Miller was also accused in a legal complaint of grooming a minor (although the individual in question, now an adult, denies those claims). The actor was also served a temporary restraining order after allegedly harassing a minor and exposing three children and their mother to guns at Miller’s farmhouse in Vermont. In another Vermont-based incident, Miller pleaded not guilty to felony burglary but pleaded guilty to unlawful trespassing. And outside the US, there’s a video of Miller appearing to choke a woman at a bar in Iceland, an incident that preceded the disturbances in Hawaii last year.
After months of erratic behavior, Miller finally agreed to undergo treatment last summer. “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller said in their press statement. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe, and productive stage in my life.” Miller’s treatment started before the world premiere before another recent film of theirs, Mary Harron‘s “Daliland,” at TIFF last year. He didn’t attend that film’s premiere, and he wasn’t at the premiere of “The Flash” at CinemaCon in April either.
But the Muschiettis were at CinemaCon, and they voiced their continued support of Miller while there. “We’re all hoping that they get better… They’re taking the steps to recovery,” said Andy. “They’re dealing with mental health issues, but they’re well. We talked to them not too long ago, and they’re very committed to getting better.” As for “The Flash,” it hits theaters in two weeks on June 16, and Andy Muschietti anticipates it being a huge success.
So will Miller return for a sequel to “The Flash,” if one happens? “I don’t think there’s anyone that can play that character as well as they did,” Andy told us in a recent interview with The Playlist. But it remains unclear if Miller will return to acting following their mental health treatment. But let’s see how well “The Flash” does in its theatrical run first.