‘The Flash’ Movie Shakeup: Goldstein & Daley Out, Andy Muschietti In Talks to Helm

In a shocking turn of events, it looks like Ezra Miller’s solo The Flash movie will move forward with fresh new eyes at the helm. According to The Hollywood Reporter, IT‘s Andy Muschietti is in current talks to direct the movie, meaning previous director-writer duo Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are out. To make things even more interesting, Bumblebee and Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson will take over scriptwriting duties for the months-delayed project.

Clash for The Flash

This massive lighting strike comes a few months after Miller was reported to have written a script for The Flash with DC Comics mainstay author Grant Morrison. Goldstein and Daley also worked on a version of the screenplay, but reportedly had creative differences with Miller inasmuch as the film’s tone is concerned. Following Miller’s appearance as the character in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, the actor wanted to have a Zack Snyder-esque take on The Flash, sporting darker themes and a more ominous aesthetic. Goldstein and Daley, on the other hand, prefer a lighter tone, something that echoes their script work for Spider-Man: Homecoming and their directorial comedy success on Game Night.

According to industry insiders, the studio rejected Miller’s script but decided to keep him on board to play the character. However, due to a complicated development process, Goldstein and Daley decided to depart the project voluntarily, leading Warner Bros. to tread the path that James Wan’s Aquaman took—hiring a seasoned horror director to steer its ship to the right course.

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Can Muschietti Save ‘The Flash’ From Development Languish?

Of course, Muschietti’s credentials go as far as his impressive work entails, with 2017’s IT a massive critical and commercial success for the studio, raking in $700 million worldwide. That success led the studio to greenlight a sequel, titled IT: Chapter Two, which is currently in production. On the other hand, Hodson’s addition as The Flash’s screenwriter comes as no surprise. WB liked her work for Birds of Prey (also currently shooting) enough to give her another shot at a DC Comics property in the form of the Scarlet Speedster.

However, THR stresses that a deal hasn’t been made yet, but it seems apparent at this point. The Flash has been in development since January 2018, with a number of changes hitting its gestation period. “Dope” director Rick Famuyiwa was first attached to the movie, with the popular DC storyline Flashpoint as its focal narrative. He was then replaced by Goldstein and Daley in February 2018, with the Flashpoint title dropped two months later. The Flash was also slated for a 2020 release, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore given the third director shakeup.

Will Muschietti finally correct the course of the movie, just like Wan did for Aquaman? Only time will tell; but given WB’s confidence in their roster of horror directors-turned comic book movie helmers, the Flash solo film seems to be in good hands—for now.

The Flash has yet to announce its new release date.