01 November 2016
Newsdesk
The Flash is looking for another director after Rick Famuyiwa quit the project on Monday (31Oct16).
The Dope filmmaker replaced Seth Grahame-Smith earlier this year (16), but now he has exited the DC Comics movie, citing "creative differences" with studio heads.
The Flash, which will star Ezra Miller as the speedy superhero, Barry Allen, the Fastest Man Alive, was in preproduction and was scheduled to hit movie theatres in March, 2018.
The news of a second director leaving the project is all the more surprising as Famuyiwa has been on board since June and the project was also far along in casting - most recently signing Kiersey Clemons to play journalist Iris West and Billy Crudup to play Barry Allen’s father. However, reports suggest Famuyiwa's exit comes after he wanted to make a darker movie than film bosses at DC and Warner Bros. were comfortable with.
"When I was approached by Warner Bros. and DC about the possibility of directing The Flash, I was excited about the opportunity to enter this amazing world of characters that I loved growing up, and still do to this day," Famuyiwa explained on Monday (31Oct16), in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "I was also excited to work with Ezra Miller, who is a phenomenal young actor. I pitched a version of the film in line with my voice, humour and heart.
"While it’s disappointing that we couldn’t come together creatively on the project, I remain grateful for the opportunity. I will continue to look for opportunities to tell stories that speak to a fresh generational, topical and multicultural point of view."
Famuyiwa's departure will most likely delay the movie’s start of production, which was scheduled for March 2017, as well as its release - as Miller has a commitment in July.
The 43-year-old is now the second director to leave Flash. Grahame-Smith, who wrote the script and was attached to direct, also left the project in April (16) over “creative differences".
