Warner Bros. has been making strides with finding directors for upcoming DC solo films over the past year. After Michelle MacLaren exited Wonder Woman due to creative differences, Patty Jenkins was hired to replace her. Then Furious 7’s James Wan was tapped to direct Aquaman. Now the word is that the studio is looking at Pride and Prejudice and Zombies writer Seth Grahame-Smith to tackle The Flash.
According to THR, Grahame-Smith is currently in negotiations to helm the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo movie. If hired, this will be his second foray into the world of DC, after penning The Lego Batman Movie. Besides Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Grahame-Smith’s other notable work includes writing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (and its film adaptation) and the screenplay for Dark Shadows, but his only directing credits are two episodes of the MTV comedy The Hard Times of RJ Beger. Grahame-Smith is also lined up to write Beetlejuice 2 and produce the Gremlins remake.
This is the latest step to getting The Flash moving forward. Last year during the DC film slate unveiling, The Stanford Prison Experiment’s Ezra Miller was hired to play the Fastest Man Alive. Then, six months ago, Warner Bros. hired The LEGO Movie duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller to write a treatment for The Flash. Some wondered if this meant they might direct the feature as well, but considering that they’re helming the Han Solo Star Wars movie, no doubt there wasn’t enough time for them to direct The Flash as well (not to mention they’re also writing the animated Spider-Man movie). As for Grahame-Smith, he’s obviously well-versed in the world of fantasy, so it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to jump onto a movie about a young man who can run at incredible speeds. Still, choosing someone who's a first-timer at directing movies is a curious move.
The Flash will feature Miller as Barry Allen, a forensic scientist who is imbued with super speed after being struck by lightning in his lab. Flash will be one of the leading heroes in Justice League: Part One, and it’s been rumored that he’ll also cameo next year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Currently The CW has a Flash TV series starring Grant Gustin as Barry, and if the show is still on when the movie arrives, it will be in the middle of its fourth season. That means audiences will be seeing two live-action versions of a major DC superhero in 2018, similar to how Smallville and Superman Returns overlapped in 2006.
Said to be one of the more unique entries in the DC Extended Universe, The Flash hits theaters on March 3, 2018.
