THE FLASH - Inside Warner DC's Flop

[AndyDursin]

tThis guy is going to be finished before his career even starts.

[AndyDursin]

Can THE FLASH be reshot from beginning to end? lol.

This is how things are different in 2022 -- the stars have NO power. Nobody cares really about this guy. The brand, the character, the IP is all that matters to the studios. So if someone starts acting up or out, they're toast. They simply don't care.

One insider says Miller had “frequent meltdowns” during production last year on The Flash. While the insider stresses there was no yelling or violent outbursts, they described Miller as “losing it.” “Ezra would get a thought in [their] head and say, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,'” the insider tells Rolling Stone.

According to the March 28 police report, Miller became agitated after patrons at a Hawaii bar began singing karaoke. Miller shouted obscenities and grabbed the microphone from a 23-year-old woman as she was singing and allegedly lunged at a 32-year-old man playing darts. The 29-year-old movie star was arrested and charged on both counts and was released on $500 bail. The incident took place at Margarita Village in Hilo, Hawaii, the day before Miller’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore castmates were celebrating that film’s world premiere in London.

Even more troubling, a local couple filed a temporary restraining order against Miller on March 29. The couple claimed that after Miller’s arrest, Miller burst into their bedroom and threatened them, with Miller saying to the man, “I will burry [sic] you and and your slut wife,” according to the report. The petition also alleges that Miller stole the woman’s passport and the man’s wallet, which included a social security card, driver’s license and bank cards. A judge granted a TRO the following day. The judge is expected to make a decision on whether or not to extend the restraining order by the end of the month.

The Hawaii incidents are the latest in a series of troubling events involving Miller. In April 2020, footage of the actor apparently choking a woman at an Iceland bar circulated on social media. The Justice League star was kicked out of Prikið Kaffihús bar, but no arrests were made. (Miller has never commented on the incident.) Sources say the Iceland footage gave Warner Bros. pause at the time, but Miller was not kicked off Secrets of Dumbledore like castmate Johnny Depp, who lost his libel case against a British tabloid, which had referred to the actor as a “wife beater.”

[Monterey Jack]

This is how things are different in 2022 -- the stars have NO power. Nobody cares really about this guy. The brand, the character, the IP is all that matters to the studios. So if someone starts acting up or out, they're toast. They simply don't care.

This is why studios are bullish on "multiverses" now...if an actor becomes problematic or cancelled, just pluck another actor at random and go, "Oh, this is Flash from Universe #54-A".

[AndyDursin]

Sure. They can't possibly just re-cast someone either -- they think people are too stupid to understand that a new actor is playing the same part, just as happened with James Bond until Daniel Craig took over the role.

This one is interesting because THE FLASH has been pushed back so much, this idiot might be canceled BEFORE the movie even comes out!

[Monterey Jack]

Sure. They can't possibly just re-cast someone either -- they think people are too stupid to understand that a new actor is playing the same part, just as happened with James Bond until Daniel Craig took over the role.

I remember people grousing about Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight, despite Gyllenhaal being a far superior actress. And how many people even REMEMBER that it was Terrence Howard as Rhodey in the first Iron Man 14 years ago?

Most people are smart enough to understand when actors have to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts, an actor refusing to reprise the role, or even dying in the interim between sequels...except comic book fans, of course, who expect actors to keep playing a role until they die (at which point the studio will keep them going with an eerie Deepfake CGI re-creation ).

[AndyDursin]

Most people are smart enough to understand when actors have to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts, an actor refusing to reprise the role, or even dying in the interim between sequels...except comic book fans, of course, who expect actors to keep playing a role until they die (at which point the studio will keep them going with an eerie Deepfake CGI re-creation ).

And of course the most extreme evidence of that is BLACK PANTHER. Here you have the major Marvel black super-hero for a generation and he's been on-screen in ONE solo vehicle -- and Disney to reluctant to recast because the actor who played him, in that one solo vehicle, died?

I know people started a petition to just have the role recast -- and that's as it should be. They're going to deprive all the young fans of the character from ever seeing him again because Chadwick Boseman passed away? No offense to Boseman but come on.

[Monterey Jack]

At this point, studios are going to have to invent the "Pre-cog" technology from Minority Report just so they can stop backing actors who get themselves cancelled down the line.

[Monterey Jack]

And of course the most extreme evidence of that is BLACK PANTHER. Here you have the major Marvel black super-hero for a generation and he's been on-screen in ONE solo vehicle -- and they're NEVER going to recast because the actor who played him, in that one solo vehicle, died?

It's akin to never re-casting the role of Superman because Christopher Reeve ended up paralyzed. It's not "disrespectful" to re-cast. I'm sure Boseman himself would not have wanted the role to die with him.

[Edmund Kattak]

Most people are smart enough to understand when actors have to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts, an actor refusing to reprise the role, or even dying in the interim between sequels...except comic book fans, of course, who expect actors to keep playing a role until they die (at which point the studio will keep them going with an eerie Deepfake CGI re-creation ).

And of course the most extreme evidence of that is BLACK PANTHER. Here you have the major Marvel black super-hero for a generation and he's been on-screen in ONE solo vehicle -- and Disney to reluctant to recast because the actor who played him, in that one solo vehicle, died?

I know people started a petition to just have the role recast -- and that's as it should be. They're going to deprive all the young fans of the character from ever seeing him again because Chadwick Boseman passed away? No offense to Boseman but come on.

John Kani's son - who played the younger version of Kani - actually resembles Chadwick Boseman's BLACK PANTHER. Maybe they could start there.

[AndyDursin]

Beyond the fact they spent $$ on it, the sole reason WB wanted to keep THE FLASH on the docket is because it's apparently really good.

Maybe it is -- the trailer at least looks promising. Have to admit the Michael Keaton Bats looks more appealing than I anticipated.

[Monterey Jack]

Hope it is, because I've wanted to see Keaton as Batman again for over thirty years, and WB already threw one Keaton performance in the trash with Batgirl.

[AndyDursin]

Reviews are everywhere. It's great! It sucks! It's brilliant! It blows!

[AndyDursin]

This one's going to go down as a massive bomb, which is somewhat unfortunate, because it's hardly the worst film in this genre over the last few years.

But it IS evidence of super-saturation finally hitting audiences and should have Hollywood concerned -- at least if it doesn't have SPIDER in front of the title or isn't some other, highly visible Marvel franchise.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235518567/

By late April, all indications pointed to The Flash opening to $100 million or more domestically. That’s when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav took the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, triumphantly telling theater owners it was the best superhero pic he’s ever seen.

The powerful executive could have easily kept a poker face and distanced himself from The Flash considering it was made by the previous regime. Instead, Zaslav bet on it as if it were his own. That included arranging for Tom Cruise — who was still basking in the afterglow of Top Gun: Maverick — to watch the movie, with his positive reaction becoming a talking point on the press tour. Zaslav’s newly installed DC Studios co-chief and top lieutenant James Gunn also trumpeted The Flash, although he tempered his remarks, saying in January it is “probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.” Whatever the wording, expectations skyrocketed.

But in a stunning turn, The Flash, one of the most anticipated films on the 2023 summer calendar, was a major box office miss in its launch. The tentpole, starring Ezra Miller in the titular role, opened to a dismal $55 million over the June 16-18 weekend, on par with past DC bomb Watchmen ($55.2 million) and not far ahead of infamous DC stumble Green Lantern ($53.5 million), not adjusted for inflation.

“It is unfathomable to me why Zas and James Gunn promise how wonderful any picture or new plan will be months into the future. The public doesn’t care and isn’t aware of their prognostications,” one veteran studio executive tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that such forecasts don’t sway the share price or potential buyers. “Let the product talk.”

And talk The Flash did, albeit not in a healthy way as it opened in cinemas around the globe. Things went from bad to worse as poor word-of-mouth spread.

Based on Friday traffic, The Flash was expected to earn $58 million for the three-day weekend and $70 million for the four-day Juneteenth holiday weekend, according to Saturday morning estimates issued by Warners. But grosses were downgraded on Sunday morning and again on Monday after traffic fell off more than expected. By Sunday, Warners released a four-day estimated gross of $64.2 million, including $55.7 million for the three days. The final weekend numbers that came out Tuesday were even lower — $55 million for the three days and $61.2 million for the four (the three-day number is considered the official opening gross).

Observers note that while The Flash is not as well-known as a Batman or a Wonder Woman, the character is not obscure. “Was it going to be an Avengers-level hit? Probably not, that would have been an unfair expectation, but it had a clear pathway to at least be what a film like Days of Future Past was for X-Men nine years ago after that franchise seemingly lost its way with confusing timelines and dwindling continuity,” says box office analyst Shawn Robbins of Boxoffice Pro. “The increasingly disjointed state of DC storylines is as equally to blame as other outside factors, leaving the franchise at a point where lack of consistency prevented the kind of emotional connection with most of its characters that a sprawling universe needs.”

The story looked much different in February when the first trailer debuted to fanfare. “The Flash looked like it had so much potential following its Super Bowl trailer. Hopes were very high. Instead, it is more DC Comics mediocrity,” says Wall Street analyst Eric Handler. “Zaslav could have easily swept it under the rug since he inherited it.”

Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian is somewhat more forgiving, noting, “The Flash unfortunately had a rough road to the multiplex and given the complexities and challenges of the marketing and positioning of the film in the marketplace, the number one debut is actually a solid result for the latest from DC Comics in such a crowded and competitive summer season.”

The Flash was slapped with a B CinemaScore, which is really the equivalent of a C or worse when it comes to all-audience event pics. Exit scores on PostTrak were also unusually bad, with only 58 percent of ticket buyers saying they would recommend the film, and 77 percent saying it was excellent or very good. That compares to an 82 percent definite recommend score for Sony’s fellow superhero pic Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and 93 percent excellent/very good ranking (Across the Spider-Verse opened the week before.)

The gender breakdown was also an issue. While most superhero films and big action films often skew notably male — think 62 percent or 63 percent — The Flash prompted many to do a double take to make sure they were reading the numbers right. Around 72 percent or 73 percent of ticket buyers were male, according to PostTrak.

Like audiences, critics disagreed with Zaslav and Gunn’s assessment, resulting in a lukewarm Tomatometer score of 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Considering Zaslav and Gunn’s confidence, many were surprised when The Flash officially came on tracking three weeks ahead of its debut to an underwhelming forecast of $70 million. They assumed tracking services, and Warner Bros., were being conservative. If only that were true.

To be sure, Warners was in a tough spot when it came to the tentpole’s marketing and publicity campaign, helping to explain why Zaslav stepped in. Miller was arrested multiple times last year, culminating in the actor issuing a statement in August 2022 apologizing for their behavior and saying they would receive help for “complex mental health issues.” Miller did no press for The Flash in the months leading up to the pic’s release aside from walking the red carpet at the film’s Los Angeles premiere and making brief remarks.

Box office pundits believe Miller’s woes may have turned off some moviegoers, but not enough to inflict the sort of damage that was wrought. “No one would care if Miller promoted the picture; he isn’t a movie star and has no following,” says another source.

Often, a Hollywood event pic that finds itself in trouble domestically can make up ground overseas. In this case, there’s no such assurances. The Flash, which opened day-and-date in almost every major market, bowed to a muted $75 million internationally. Notes an insider close to the film, “When a movie doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work.”

The film’s financial standing will become more clear in its second weekend.

Development on The Flash spanned three regimes at Warners and figured prominently into former DC Films boss Walter Hamada’s plans for the universe. Hamada commissioned a sequel script from Aquaman scribe David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, one that would ultimately lead to a crossover event titled Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, those plans were scrapped after Gunn and Peter Safran ascended to the top DC posts. And while no Flash sequel was part of the duo’s immediate grand plans, announced in January, they were open to Miller returning to the role, possibly as a supporting character in other projects (that seems less likely now in the wake of The Flash’s bomb). Also, the team Zaslav assembled did make some changes to The Flash, including a key moment at the end of the film that was orchestrated by Gunn and Safran.

Had The Flash transformed into a blockbuster, it’s difficult to imagine that a sequel wouldn’t have been considered. A studio doesn’t spend hundreds of millions on a film that doesn’t have stand-alone franchise potential. And Gunn and Safran may have not said too much in January, considering that Miller was still addressing their personal issues. Safran and Gunn, however, have hired Flash director Andy Muschietti to direct a Batman film titled The Brave and the Bold. The news was revealed on the evening of June 15 as Flash previews began in select cinemas across North America. (In a twinned move, Warners announced it has struck an overall TV and movie deal with the filmmaker and his sibling/producing partner, Barbara Muschietti.)

Says Robbins, “The hope now is that DC’s new regime can provide enough of a clean slate for the uninitiated to feel comfortable jumping back into the pool.”

[Monterey Jack]

Beyond the fact they spent $$ on it, the sole reason WB wanted to keep THE FLASH on the docket is because it's apparently really good.

[AndyDursin]

Dont blame me that was the word and they truly did feel that way because they spent a zillion on it. Analysts, the media, "people who saw it". Over and over! And that included James Gunn, savior of the Super hero universe. lol. Said it was unbelievably good. One of the highest testing films in WB history.

They were wrong obviously but if they thought it wasn't going to be good they should've cut bait with it, forgotten the reshoots and moved away from Miller. Had every opportunity to do so. Bad miscalculation but the reality is there's no room anymore for anything but a few hits in this marketplace and the era of super hero shoo-ins is finished.

In all fairness I didnt love it but still liked it a lot more than Guardians 3. Also, the pieces were there to make something really good I felt, but they were buried by too much post production tinkering and this worry about "where in the DC movie universe" this was going to fit etc.