DCEU’s Flash has been going through developmental hell since Warner Bros officially announced the movie years ago. The first drafts of the screenplay were written by the pairing of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein who wrote the likes of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Vacation and helmed the critically acclaimed comedy, Game Night. Naturally, their version of a Flash movie was set to be lighthearted, funny and full of heart. However, Ezra Miller who has been playing the character since his cameo in Batman V Superman, wanted a much darker film. Initially, both parties were making compromises, but as the tension continued to escalate, Daley & Goldstein decided to part ways with the project to explore other opportunities. Ezra Miller then took it upon himself to pen his own script.
But, in a The Hollywood Reporter exclusive, it’s been reported that Warner Bros will not be using the screenplay Ezra Miller co-wrote with comic book writer Grant Morrison, though Miller will still remain as the film’s leading man. Instead, the studio will be hiring Christina Hodson, the scribbler behind Bumblebee and the upcoming DCEU film Birds of Prey.
Warner Bros has also found a director and this is where things start to get extra spicy. Andy Muschietti, the helmer behind the super hit Stephen King adaptation, It and the upcoming It: Chapter Two is currently in talks to bring the Flash movie to life. I say it’s interesting because it’s difficult to guess what exactly the tone of the film will be simply by looking at the names of the potential screenwriter and director.
While Bumblebee was a lighthearted affair, Hodson penned two thrillers, Shut In and Unforgettable before that. Her upcoming Birds of Prey is also reportedly an R-rated film. Muschietti, on the other hand, has only made two films thus far, both of which are horror. But, with It, the director did display a film that has as much heart as it does scares. Also taking into account the fact that Ezra Miller isn’t complaining too much anymore (that we know of anyway), perhaps the Flash movie would be much darker than the Daley & Goldstein version.
