The Fate of Warner Bros.’ the flash hangs in the balance as actor Ezra Miller continues to make headlines for his controversial behavior and various arrests. An outright shelving of the film isn’t out of order, though that would be a last resort.
Warners – and its new parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery — had hoped to avoid the line of fire, as its big-budget DC superhero mast isn’t slated to hit theaters until June 23, 2023. But the pressure is mounting by the day.
On Monday, the actor was charged with burglary and on Wednesday, rolling stone reported that the Vermont Department of Children’s Services was trying to locate a mother and her three children who allegedly resided at Miller’s farm in the state.
A source with knowledge of the situation says the studio appears to be preparing for three possible scenarios.
First, Warners has received indications that Miller, 29, whose mother has accompanied the actor for the past few days, will seek professional help after returning to his farm in Vermont after his absence. If that help happens, Miller, who uses his pronouns, could give an interview at some point explaining his erratic behavior over the past few years. The actor could then do limited press for the flashand the film would open in theaters as scheduled.
The second scenario: even if Miller doesn’t ask for help, Warners could still release the film. But don’t expect Miller to take a leading role in terms of marketing and publicity. Miller would also not be The Flash in the future, as the role would be recast in future projects.
The third case: things go from bad to worse, the situation with Miller deteriorates. This would see Warners kill the film, as it couldn’t be remade with a different actor. Miller plays multiple characters and is in nearly every scene. Scrapping a $200 million movie would be an unprecedented move.
This all comes amid changes at Warners. Earlier this month, the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav stunned Hollywood on mothballing bat girl, a $90 million movie made for HBO Max. Contrary to the flash, there was no individual controversy; Zaslav instead opted to cut taxes on the project and move away from making streaming movies for DC.
Miller was cast in The Flash in 2014, the same year a solo the flash the movie was announced. The development process was long, with several admins coming and going over the years until This filmmaker Andy Muschietti eventually pitched the project. The film also stars Michael Keaton, back as Batman for the first time in 30 years, and Ben Affleck as a different version of Batman.
Miller began his time as The Flash with cameos in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and suicide squadboth released in 2016, before having a starring role in Justice League one year later.
the flash is a key movie for Warners, as it should chart a new course for the DC Extended Universe. The film tested well, although Miller’s legal troubles continue to escalate.
Earlier this week it emerged they had been charged with burglary for allegedly stealing liquor bottles from a Vermont home. According to a police report posted online, Vermont State Police were notified on May 1 of a potential burglary when residents of County Road in Stamford, Vermont, reported that “several bottles of alcohol had been taken inside the residence while the owners were not present”. Following an investigation that included taking statements and reviewing surveillance video, police found probable cause to charge Miller.
The latest charge comes after Miller was arrested in April in Hawaii and convicted on suspicion of second-degree assault, according to the Hawaii Island Police Department. The incident allegedly happened when Miller was attending a meeting at a private residence and “became enraged after being asked to leave and allegedly threw a chair, striking a 26-year-old woman in the forehead,” according to police.
This follows an arrest in March for disorderly misconduct and harassment following an incident at a karaoke bar in Hilo, Hawaii.
At least one project has already distanced itself from Miller. Tuesday, Salvador Dali’s biopic Daliland excluded Miller from his press release in an announcement about his Toronto Film Festival debut. The actor plays a younger version of the entertainer in the project, which stars Ben Kingsley in an older version.
Despite arrests and headlines about Miller’s alleged behavior, the Warner Bros. chief. Discovery’s Zaslav said last week that the studio is committed to releasing a number of DC movies theatrically, including the flash.
“We have seen them. We think they’re great and we think we can make them even better,” Zaslav said of DC’s upcoming roster, including the flash.
CAA, which represents Miller, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.