Ezra Miller’s Stand-Alone ‘Flash’ Gets a New Script

Jan 27, 2017

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Beasts Movie, Films, Miller, Movies, News, Warner Bros.

Ezra Miller’s The Flash is going through a rocky pre-production phase, almost certainly ensuring we will have to wait longer than anticipated for his starring turn. The film is still without a director, since both Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa exited the project. As a result, Variety broke the news Wednesday that Warner Bros. hired a new script-writer to revamp the storyline while it searches for the best replacement.

Though shake-ups of this nature typically don’t bode well, it seems Warner has the situation well in hand. They’ve brought on Joby Harold to do the page-one rewrite. Harold recently scripted King Arthur: Legend of the Sword for them, so they must have been exceptionally pleased with his work to assign him a task of this import.

And it’s a wise use of the time, on Warner’s part, as Miller is set begin filming the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequel in the interim. Of course, Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts fans are looking forward to its release with great fervor, and the news that Miller will reprise his role as Credence Barebone only adds to the excitement. So, overall anticipation for Miller’s upcoming projects is unlikely to wane in this part of the fandom.

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IMDb has not updated the release date on its website, but most media outlets are speculating that The Flash will now come out sometime in 2019, though Warner Bros. has not yet confirmed it. When it opens in theaters will depend largely on finding a director, completing the new script, and gauging the success of the other DC Comics films in the line-up to properly time this entry.

One consideration for Harold is how much to alter the original plot trajectory. Forbes writer Mark Hughes says:

“One question that is now hanging in the wind is whether or not the new screenplay will retain Cyborg’s role in the story. There are a few different choices at this point, including keeping Cyborg as a supporting character, removing him entirely from the story and making it a strictly solo outing for Flash, or enhancing Cyborg’s role to turn the film into more of a team-up movie.”

He goes on to reason:

“When I first heard early last year that the plan was to have Flash and Cyborg sort of team up and play off of their youthfulness and humor, it immediately sounded like the smart approach, and I’d be surprised if Warner decided to change that.

On the other hand, having more time to rewrite the story and look for a filmmaker to helm the project means there’s a lot more breathing room to try to figure out all of the possible approaches, and that means plenty of potential solo story ideas will be in the mix. Flash is definitely a character capable of carrying a movie on his own, and there’s plenty of time to consider a team-up or crossover for a later film.”

It’s possible Harold hasn’t even decided for sure which direction to take. It may depend, in part, on how the characters are received when Justice League opens November 17th of this year. Wonder Woman is set to release earlier, however, on June 2nd, and if that solo-outing does well, it may be all Harold and Warner Bros. need to feel confident they have the green light.

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Hughes adds that the on-set chemistry between Miller and Ray Fisher (Cyborg) is noticeably electric, so maintaining some combination of the duo would be a smart move. Though news of the delay is undoubtedly disappointing, fans should bear in mind that this means Warner Bros. is taking the time to get it right, so that when The Flash finally hits the big screen, it will be the film everyone has been hoping for!

For Forbes full analysis of the film’s status, read the report here.

 

 





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.