Warner Bros. has high hopes for “The Flash”.
According to sources close to the film, the upcoming adventure of the comic, which ended production in 2021 and is scheduled to release in theaters in 2023, has been extraordinarily well received in the first screenings of tests. Given DC Films’ inconsistent track record in terms of commercial success, the initial reception that “The Flash” could be a blockbuster that would appeal to the crowd is not only a relief, but a necessity for box office success.
And at a time when superhero adaptations are largely populated by heterosexual actors, Ezra Miller, who stars in “The Flash” and is not binary and queer, feels like a refreshing and progressive option to head a big movie. summer for all audiences.
There is only one obvious problem: it seems that Miller cannot stay out of trouble. In recent months, the actor has been arrested or detained several times for harassment, disorderly conduct and traffic violation. At the same time, two Hawaiian residents filed a temporary restraining order against Miller after they allegedly broke into the couple’s room and attempted to steal their passports and wallets. Although the restraining order was later withdrawn, his continued behavior has caused great concern for those who have endangered him, as well as for Miller’s health and well-being. These incidents took place almost two years after images of Miller appearing to be drowning a woman outside a bar in Iceland. It’s hardly the kind of attention a studio wants for the star of a tent with a $ 200 million budget.
These uplifting events have sparked speculation about Warner Bros. Plans for Great Hope, which serves as Barry Allen’s first solo film, also known as Scarlet Speedster, also known as Flash. Would the studio really replace Miller with another actor? Will the film be released on HBO Max in an attempt to limit the potentially negative fanfare that could accompany a movie release? Warner Bros. will keep the film in theaters on June 23, 2023 as planned?
Except for unforeseen developments, sources say, Warners is moving forward with the intention of giving the superhero film full treatment of the blockbuster. “The Flash” simply cost too much money to eliminate the project altogether and will probably not generate the revenue needed to make a profit without playing in theaters. For the third option to occur without provoking a major reaction, Miller should have the best behavior. And that’s a big question, because so far Miller has been haunted by one controversy after another, leaving collaborators worried about the actor’s well-being.
To make matters worse, news broke on Wednesday that veteran film executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy will replace Toby Emmerich as presidents of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. Any change of leadership in a studio puts the cinematic board of the previous regime in limbo; with the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslov, who maintains strong control over cost controls in the company, spending on marketing for a film as big as “The Flash” is still an issue.
“There are a myriad of directions Warner Bros. could go,” says Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations box office analyst. “Choosing the right one is paramount for the future of DC.”
Since the controversy surrounding Miller and not the film itself, some DC fans wondered if Grant Gustin, who plays the main character in the ongoing and unrelated CW series “The Flash,” would be rebuffed. to the big screen version. It is an uncommon practice, which has been used sparingly in the past with Christopher Plummer (replacing Kevin Spacey) in the 2017 “All the Money in the World” and Mads Mikkelsen (replacing Johnny Depp as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 2022 (“Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets”). However, in the case of “All the Money in the World,” so Mikkelsen didn’t need to replicate much footage.
With “The Flash,” experts say it would not be possible to replace Miller without re-recording the entire film. They are found in almost every scene, and there is not enough digital technology to set up this magic without going back to the case. And remaking the whole movie is not a realistic proposition for any film, let alone one that ended production months ago and has already cost hundreds of millions.
In the past, actors who were in the hot water but didn’t scratch their call sheet have effectively hidden themselves in press tours in hopes that the general public won’t notice their absence. Recently, Ansel Elgort, who played Tony in the remake of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” took this path following a sexual assault complaint filed against the actor in 2020. Ditto Armie Hammer, who starred in Disney and 20th Century’s “Death on.” the Nile ”and faced allegations of sexual abuse after filming ended. For “West Side Story,” Elgort co-stars Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno successfully directed the film’s press tour. With “Death on the Nile”, there was a feeling that Hammer (who did not do any press for the film with a large number) was not well known enough for people to know about the allegations.
Sources close to “The Flash” believe that Miller is equally unknown, despite credits such as the film adaptation of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League” and three “Beasts”. Already, Miller’s arrest streak had forced Warner Bros. to downplay the actor’s involvement in “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which premiered in theaters in April.
But similar to Hammer in “Death on the Nile”, Miller played one of the various main characters in the spin-off “Harry Potter”, meaning that promotional efforts did not fall directly on his shoulders. The same cannot be said of “The Flash”. Of course, the film also features big names like Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. But a studio can’t effectively promote a big-budget blockbuster without the movie star.
However, analysts have pointed out that with comic book heroes, the character himself is often a bigger star than the actor wearing the Lycra costume.
“What happens to superheroes is that it doesn’t really matter who’s under the mask,” Bock says. “You can connect and play different actors in these roles.” While Miller’s views on the character have appeared in several DC mashups, such as “Justice League,” Bock argues that they are not yet “the face of The Flash.” In other words, “Ezra is not Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.”
Even before Miller appeared in the headlines for the wrong reasons, “The Flash” has been plagued by a long gestation and several exits and stops. In the time since Miller was released in 2014, several directors, including Seth Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, and the duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, have bonded and then left production due to creative differences. “It” filmmaker Andy Muschietti boarded in 2019 and completed the job.
These behind-the-scenes headaches, as well as the pandemic, caused several delays in the release date. But the studio can’t postpone “The Flash” indefinitely. The new calendar line in mid-2023 should, in theory, give Warner Bros. enough time to determine the best course of action.
As the study shows, “The Flash” is more than a standard superhero origin story. The film, which begins when Barry Allen travels back in time to avoid the murder of his mother, opens the DC multiverse, paving the way for Batmans of alternative realities (i.e. Keaton and Affleck) to overlap with the hero dressed in Miller’s Spandex. Just think of the possible sequels, spin-offs, and teams that could inspire you.
“The Flash” also offers Warner another viable competitor in its mission to keep up with Disney’s unmatched Marvel movie universe. DC has several properties planned for 2022 and beyond, such as “Shazam: Fury of the Gods”, “Aquaman 2” and “DC League of Super-Pets”. But crossover events like “The Flash” have become especially exciting for fans, especially after the 2018 “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” successfully introduced the concept of the multiverse and the sale of highly successful entries for “Spider-Man” from 2021. “No Way Home” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” from 2022 confirmed that viewers like the concept very, very much.
There’s a timeline in which Miller, in fact, approaches and “The Flash” is able to open up perfectly while delighting critics and fans alike. While Miller’s behavior might force Warners to make “The Flash” a unique project, it’s not intended to be a one-time adventure. Still, Warner Bros. she remains enthusiastic about “The Flash,” believing the film to be one of DC’s strongest theatrical endeavors.
Meanwhile, the actor in charge of bringing Flash to life on the big screen may be jeopardizing the future of the franchise and the studio’s desire to be in the Ezra Miller business. But there is reason to believe that Flash can still work, even if Miller has to hang up his shoes.
optional screen reader