The Flash movie has finally found a director, tapping Sundance Film Festival darling Rick Famuyiwa to helm The Fastest Man Alive's trip to the big screen.
Famuyiwa will be working off a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, who was originally set to make his directorial debut with the movie. However, creative differences prompted Grahame-Smith to exit the project. He did leave behind a script that takes advantage of a treatment Christopher Miller and Phil Lord employed. At some point, Miller and Lord were also expected to direct The Flash.
It appears that Warner Bros. was looking for the right touch on its DC superheroes lineup and they found just that with Famuyiwa, who resonates with a vision that not only matches the script but also connects with a young audience.
Famuyiwa's most recent work was Dope, a film released in 2015 about a young geek working to survive in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles. Most of his work have been distinctive but small, like Our Family Wedding, Brown Sugar and The Wood, so The Flash is a great opportunity for Famuyiwa to play in a bigger arena and showcase his talents.
The Flash movie will star Ezra Miller in the lead, which created a disconnect for many people because they're used to seeing Grant Gustin in the role on The CW series. Fans and even the stars in their own shows have called out DC on its weird treatment of separating its TV and movie universes (and then favoring characters to appear in movies at the expense of storylines on TV) but the studio has remained steadfast in its decision to cast Miller, who has been dealing with backlash about his casting since last year.
For what it's worth, Miller said his Flash will be different. For starters, he will have a movie as his medium, which naturally sets up a different kind of exposition for characters from the way TV does. He will also be creating a Barry Allen that is not only familiar but also dynamic.
"I hope to realize him as a person, and I think what's most exciting for me in superhero mythologies is when we feel the humanity of someone who is heroic," he said.
The Flash is set for a March 16, 2018 release.
