In an unexpected twist to the DCEU saga, The Flash star Ezra Miller has taken it upon himself to rewrite the script for the Speedster’s solo film. The decision came as a result of creative differences between Miller and the film’s writing/directing team John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who came aboard the project earlier this year.
Daley and Goldstein have become certified Hollywood hitmakers, thanks to their success with films like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Game Night, and Horrible Bosses. The duo are also signed on to adapt the popular 80s franchise M.A.S.K.(Mobile Armored Strike Kommand for the big screen.
Apparently, Daley and Goldstein wanted to make The Flash lighter and more comedic, in the vein of their successful Spider-Man adaptation. Miller wanted a darker, more serious story. You would think that between Justice League and his tenure on Fantastic Beasts, Miller would have has enough of sad powered people stories. Warner Bros. also favors a lighter touch on The Flash, especially in light of the success of the upbeat Aquaman and the strong tracking for superhero comedy Shazam!.
It would also makes sense to make a more comedic Flash film, considering that Miller’s wired nerdy performance was one of the few spots of levity in the otherwise dour Justice League. Miller, in a last ditch effort to stay aboard the project, has offered to rewrite the script himself, despite having no writing background. Ben Affleck was also rumored to be writing/directing his own Batman film, but Affleck is an experience writer/director, winning multiple Oscars for his work.
Luckily, Miller has a heavy hitter writer in his corner: comic book legend Grant Morrison, who will write the script with him. In addition to his storied comics career, Morrision has written several animated DC films and co-created the Syfy series Happy! starring Chris Meloni. He is also adapting the classic Aldous Huxley novel Brave New World for the USA network.
The stakes are high for this rewrite: if Warner Bros. doesn’t like the take, Miller may walk away from the role, especially since his contract expires in May. It would be a shame, as Miller was one of the bright spots of the DCEU and fans have long awaited his solo outing as Barry Allen. And given Miller’s clear commitment and connection to the role, he’s a hard actor to replace.
In terms of his career, losing The Flash would be a step back, but Miller is still highly in demand. He also have three more Fantastic Beasts films to make, which are more than enough to keep him busy for the next couple of years.
What do you think of Miller’s decision? Would you be sad to see him leave the role or are you ready for a darker The Flash film?
(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Warner Bros.)
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Published: Mar 16, 2019 12:35 pm