Werewolf By Night To Use Practical Effects

Werewolf By Night in Marvel Studios Halloween Special is going practical! Halloween Horror Nights are working on Werewolf By Night for Michael Giacchino. But first, a brief background on the project:

Werewolf By Night has a surprisingly long history in adaptions than I would have thought - with Kevin Feige, Avi Arad, and Ari Arad working on an adaptation back in 2002 [1]. Though, in more recent history, Kevin Smith had intended to use the character in his Howard The Duck series on Hulu, announced on February 11, 2019 [2]. Before the show's announcement, Jeph Loeb informed Smith that Marvel Studios had plans for the character, and he couldn't use him [3].

Mid-last year, on August 26, 2021, The Wrap broke the story that Marvel Studios was indeed working on adapting the Werewolf By Night character as a Halloween Special for Disney+ [4]. The Hollywood Reporter announced earlier last month, on March 3, 2022, that Michael Giacchino had picked up directing reins for the untitled Halloween Special [5].

While researching several Marvel Studios projects, I decided to look for the Halloween Special's writer. In my deep-dive for the writer, I found one little tid-bid that led to another, which led to another, confirming that Halloween Horror Nights are working on the Special and supplying Practical Effects for it!

Multiple staff of Halloween Horror Nights accidentally lead on a little too much about their current project on Twitter, starting with Brandon Kleyla (@BrandonKleya) sharing an article about Michael Giacchino directing Marvel's Halloween Special. Kleyla said he is "thrilled for my pal, and fellow Monster Kid, @M_Giacchino! There's no greater joy than making a monster movie, and I can't wait to watch!" [6].

Under the post, Kleyla liked Patrick Braillard's (@HHNmeanone) reply to a hidden comment saying, "I think it's all but confirmed!" setting off a chain of events [7]. The private tweet comes from Charles Gray (@LurkingGray), who works for Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) as a Senior Show Director For Creative Development at Universal Orlando Resort. I'm hoping Gray accepts a random follow so I can get some clarity on that conversation.

Kleyla also liked DRACBUCK$' (@DisVincentPrice) Tweet about the announcement, which said: "I can't wait for people to see what we've been working on." Price's bio features "#HHN31," which leads me to believe he works for Halloween Horror Nights; looking through his Tweets, he recently posted a screenshot of a message about "a stunt performer who is in full werewolf makeup" [8]. In a reply, he then mentions he is "working on a certain Halloween special for a certain streaming platform!" confirming at least one more person working behind the scenes on the Special [9]. His tweet also ensures that the suit will be at least Practical Effects onset, with the potential of CGI touch-ups like Nivellen on The Witcher Season 2 - as expertly demonstrated by the Corridor Crew in an episode of VFX Artists React [10].

Just another day in show-biz baby pic.twitter.com/6fJLJFk8zu

— DRACBUCK$ (@DisVincentPrice) April 14, 2022

This Halloween Special also isn't the first time Halloween Horror Nights have worked with Marvel. In 2002, for Halloween Horror Nights 12, they converted Marvel Super Hero Island into a scare zone known as "Island Under Siege," loosely based on the Maximum Carnage comics [11].

Are you excited for Marvel Studios' Halloween Special and the use of Practical Effects on a Marvel project after many complain about their over-reliance on CGI? The Special should release in October and run for an hour long. Ken Perkins (@KennyBobArt) is storyboarding the project [12], and as of April 17, 2022, the writer is still unknown. With all the rumours of Werewolf By Night appearing in Moon Knight as a cameo, I theorize they will announce the writer when either the writer's episode or the character appears.

The current potential writer on my list is Peter Cameron! But a follow up is Rebecca Kirsch. Kirk R Thatcher and Josh Tate could potentially be part of the project with Michael Giacchino, Ken Perkins, Patrick Braillard, Charles Gray, and Vincent Price. Let me know what you think here or on Twitter @AfterHoursMedYT!

Could Darkseid Have Invaded Earth Again Sooner?

 

Yes, because I think it's a plot hole!

Set-up

As a fan of Zack Snyder's work and one of the many who helped campaign for Zack's cut of Justice League - I ponder about things in Zack Snyder's Justice League. Recently, a fan posted what may be a controversial tweet which started a discussion in one of my group chats. The subject of the Tweet isn't that important, but talking about the film, in general, led to what I think is a plot hole in the movie.

 

Thesis

Throughout the film, there are many monologues explaining the history of the DC Universe and how it relates to Darkseid and the current events unfolding. Diana explains that Darkseid waged war on Earth during his conquest five thousand years ago and found a secret power hidden in the infinity of space - the Anti-Life Equation. For Darkseid to conquer a planet, the Mother Boxes had to synchronize and join to create The Unity. The Unity cleansed a world with fire, transforming it into a copy of the enemy's. Before The Unity could synchronize, the defenders of Earth fought Darkseid off, attacking as one, causing him to retreat to his home universe without the boxes. On Earth, the Mother Boxes grew weak - dogs without masters falling asleep, awaiting the return. The Boxes faded from the enemy's view - anonymous among a trillion worlds. Five thousand years later, Darkseid finally decides to ready his armada to collect his great prize at the film's end. It begs the question: why did it take Darkseid five thousand years to return to Earth - and did the Mother Boxes have anything to do with it?

Body 

Argument 1: Mother Boxes and Boom Tubes.

The film starts with Superman's cries of death waking the Mother Boxes; one calls out to the dark place - to one of Darkseid's conquerors - this leads mighty Steppenwolf to collect the three Mother Boxes and conquer the world for Darkseid. It's unknown whether the Amazon's Mother Box summoned the Boom Tube to Themyscira or if it just called to Steppenwolf, and he summoned one on his side. There are more than three Mother Boxes in the comics, and they are commonly used to activate Boom Tubes; we also know that Steppenwolf owes Darkseid conquered worlds and that Steppenwolf would need to get to those worlds somehow. There are likely more than just the three boxes left on Earth, like in the comics, and that is how Steppenwolf Boom Tubes around the Multiverse.

Also, since Steppenwolf and DeSaad thought nothing of random Mother Boxes on a random planet, there are more than three Mother Boxes in the DC Universe. If there were only three, universal travel would be more challenging, but it would alert Steppenwolf and DeSaad that the Anti-Life Equation is on Earth straight away.

Argument 2: Needle in a haystack.

Some people have tried to explain it away: needle in a haystack - one planet amongst the Multiverse. While on the surface, that seems reasonable, you wonder how Darkseid navigated across the Multiverse in the first place. One theory suggests that the Mother Boxes were Darkseid's navigation, and once they were lost, he could not return to Earth again. The information was lost. So how did Darkseid make his way back home? If my theory about the Mother Boxes creating the Boom Tubes like in the comics is true. Then, how did he manage to return to his universe without the Boom Tubes? And if they can return there without the Mother Boxes, they do have navigation of some sort, in which they should have a record of where Earth is.

Argument 3: Darkseid forgot/didn't remember.

Another theory I saw says Darkseid wasn't paying attention, and when they left, he was injured, so he didn't know what planet it was. But, again, I have to mention his navigation system. I am sure Darkseid and his armada were not aimlessly floating throughout space until they found a random planet to attack in random universes. They would need to know how to return to their home. Maybe Darkseid didn't remember or was not looking at the navigation system when he arrived on Earth - but something was flying and running the command ship. There wasn't a way to check the logs?

Others have noted that Earth's invasion was five thousand years ago, so maybe the records were lost to time. But, the planet holds the key to achieving Darkseid's quest. You wouldn't want to lose that information. You would like to make sure it's always remembered and a goal to achieve - get to the planet with my "great prize!" It didn't have to be five thousand years.

Conclusion

So what stopped Darkseid from coming back to Earth? It can't be the lack of Mother Boxes, given it sounds like they could have many of them. It can't be the lack of transportation since they managed to get home, Steppenwolf could go world to world, and Darkseid says, "fine. We will use the old ways. Ready the armada," meaning they can travel there. And I don't think it is the navigation as it sounds dumb. "The ships didn't have navigation or a way to find out where they were and how to get back there" sounds like a cop-out excuse. So, I don't actually have an in-universe reason for why Darkseid never returned.

The real-world explanation I have is: It's just a plot hole. Chris Terrio, Zack Snyder, and Geoff Johns broke down the story on whiteboards plot-by-plot, then wrote an extensive Outline of the film, a little more expanded than the plot points, then the Script phases. I feel like the Darkseid issues came into play when connecting story elements on a whiteboard got translated into an Outline. This is usually where most plot issues happen - early in the writing phase, using plotting and outlining. When you have multiple plot points on opposite sides of the story and know where you are going, you sometimes miss a critical connection that can help the viewer understand how those two points link. Terrio and Zack knew where they wanted it to go, so I am sure this tiny thing was accidentally missed early in the writing phase and made it to the final film released last year.

If any have more theories to add or story elements I missed in my search for this answer, please feel free to let me know in the comments or on Twitter @AfterHoursMedYT.

Relevant Information

Here is the relevant information I found while watching the movie that I used to try and create an explanation in-universe for what happened:

Diana explains:

As Darkseid waged war on Earth, he found a secret there - a power hidden in the infinity of space. He called forth mystics who worshipped and controlled three objects - the Mother Boxes. Indestructible living machines, made from a Science so advanced it looks like Sorcery.

To conquer - three boxes have to synchronize and join together into The Unity. The Unity cleanses the planet with fire, transforming it into a copy of the enemy's world. But before The Unity could synchronize, the defenders of Earth attacked and fought as one.

The three Mother Boxes never synchronized. The Unity never came to pass. But, in their retreat, the boxes were left behind on Earth. They grew weak - dogs without masters falling asleep, awaiting their return - fading from the view of the enemy - anonymous among a trillion worlds.

The defenders of Earth made a vow. Men, Atlanteans, and Amazons. Each would enshrine and guard one of the three sleeping Mother Boxes according to the rights and rituals of their culture in case a box should ever wake again to call out to the planet Apokolips to return and conquer the only world Darkseid had ever lost.

Something woke the box my people guard. It called out to the dark place - to one of Darkseid's conquerors.

Steppenwolf explains:

Before mighty Darkseid came to the throne, he searched the universe for the ultimate weapon. The Anti-Life Equation. The key to controlling all life and all will throughout the Multiverse. He found it hidden on a primitive planet, but before --

DeSaad asks Darkseid, "my master, now that the Mother Boxes have been destroyed, how will you retrieve your great prize?"

Darkseid replies, "Anti-Life is found, DeSaad. And we will stop at nothing to possess it. Ready the armada. We will use the old ways."

Fans Call For The Ayer Cut - The Original Cut Of David Ayer's Suicide Squad

What do we know about David Ayer's original version of Suicide Squad, and why are fans calling to #ReleaseTheAyerCut?

Last week, on March 13 and 14, fans took to Twitter in an event to raise awareness of David Ayer's Suicide Squad and to call for the release of his cut of the film. Spearheaded by the Release The Ayer Cut Twitter handle (@RTAyerCutSS) and funded by pages of Ayer's shooting script, fans tweeted #ReleaseTheAyerCut over two days, hitting around 415.1K on the first [1] and 225K on the second [2]. Note: the numbers may be higher; these are just the highest numbers I can find with screenshot evidence.) The fandom did excellent work achieving a total of 680.1K tweets, showing just how much demand and support there is for Ayer and his movie. During the event, around 35 segments of David Ayer's shooting script got posted on Twitter to build hype and discuss how different the film is from the Studio releases. And with that discussion, the same old rumours of Steppenwolf, Parademons, and Apocalypse connections got dragged back up again, to which Ayer has shot down time after time.

Let's briefly summarize what happened from Ayer's announcement of directing to the film's release to discuss how David Ayer's Suicide Squad is different from the Studio's releases - and the lost Apocalypse connections.

All the way back at the start, September 19, 2014 - Variety exclusively reported Warner Brothers (WB) circled David Ayer for DC Comics' Suicide Squad [3]. Then, on October 15, 2014, Kevin Tsujihara (then CEO of WB) officially announced a slate of nine films up to 2020 - and among these was "Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer (2016)" confirming Ayer had landed the job [4]. Ayer finally commented on the film to Empire Magazine on October 20, 2014, saying: "it's a Dirty Dozen with supervillains," and "does a movie really need good guys?" [5].

Cameras started rolling on April 14, 2015, with the announcement by Ayer himself on Twitter posting an image of the slate, under the code name "Bravo 14," tagging the tweet with "Day 1 #SuicideSquad" [6]. Towards the end of the shoot, WB held a panel at Comic-Con and presented the audiences an exclusive first look at Suicide Squad on July 12, 2015 [7]. The trailer then leaked to much praise, prompting WB to release it on July 14, 2015, officially [8]. Filming concluded around August 24, 2015 - and before heading to the wrap party, the Canadian news channel, CTV News, reported Margot Robbie and Jai Courtney stopped by a lemonade stand set up by a young sister to raise funds for her older disabled brother [9]. And sometime later, Ayer shared a picture of the cast and crew just after wrapping onset [10].

As of January 20, 2016, Warner Brothers had released the first official trailer for Suicide Squad [11], and it was only downhill from there. Batman v Superman was then released on March 19 at the earliest and finally released on the 25th in the US to trashing reviews worldwide, leading WB to reactionary reshoots on Suicide Squad as early as March 31 [12]. The film took on a pop-rock, brighter, comedic tone due to the overwhelming reception of the "Official Trailer 1" - with bright colours slowly seeping in, quick-cut edits to Queens "Bohemian Rhapsody," and comedic line drops. Mixed with Batman v Superman's reviews referring to a dark and sombre tone, Suicide Squad's "soulful drama was beaten into a 'comedy'," as Ayer would say [13]. Ayer tried to quell the rumours during the reshoots in a tweet on April 11, 2016, saying: "# SuicideSquad' reshoots for humour' is silly. When a studio loves your movie and asks what else you want, go for it! #ThanksWB #moreaction" [14]. Looking back now, it's obvious Ayer's comment wasn't faithful, and unfortunately, we all ended up with a botched film.

So what went on behind the scenes with the reshoots and re-edits of the film?

On August 3, 2016, Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter contributed her thoughts and inside information to the behind-the-scenes drama on Suicide Squad [15]. Masters noted that "a source with ties to the project" told her "[Ayer] wrote the script in like, six weeks, and they just went." You know it's a reliable source when they say, "in like, six weeks." Despite the casual nature of their quote, it's pretty easy to see Ayer had more than enough time to craft a story, given WB hired him anywhere from September 19 to October 15, 2014, and cameras rolling on April 14, 2015. Ayer had around six months to write the story, an extra twenty weeks more than the source told Masters. Given he wasn't writing the film literally the day before shooting, it isn't exactly six months - but it gets the point across that Ayer certainly had more time than rumours suggest.

It is also worth noting that the film David Ayer original wrote did not end up on film - large portions, but certain aspects did not. The script initially featured connections to the New Gods, but Ayer said, "all the Apocalypse elements [got] stripped out late in the game" and "that got changed in [the] script early prep[;] never went to camera" [16][17]. Ayer's "late in the game" and "early [pre-production]" don't line up that well, but it's safe to say it was well in time for shooting, as we saw behind-the-scenes shots of the "Eyes Of The Advisory" as early as May 23, 2015 [18]. City News 1130 got an exclusive look on the set of Suicide Squad on May 5, 2015, showing a sneak peek of the very set where someone captured a picture of the "Eyes Of The Advisory" costume, meaning it was ready well before the scene started shooting [19].

In my honest opinion, it was reasonably easy to prove Masters' source claiming Ayer only had six weeks false. If anything, they may have been intentionally or unknowingly referring to a rewrite removing the New Gods elements - which is a hell of enough time to complete that rewrite.

Something of value the article did bring up is the editing situation; Masters said, "Warners set about working on a different cut, with an assist from Trailer Park, the company that had made the teaser." The original editor on the film was John Gilroy and a team of other editors featuring Kevin Hickman. Gilroy ended up with the final credit, even though the Studio was trying to replace him - Gilroy did leave and worked on restructuring another reconstructed film, Rogue One. Hickman seems to have stayed for the entire ride, even offering information before and after the process - he then joined Gilroy on Rogue One [20].

On May 20, 2016 [21], WB screened two different cuts of Suicide Squad "with audiences in Northern California" - one by Ayer and a lighter, studio-favoured version. Charles Roven, Producer of the film, said the Studio wanted to replace Gilroy, to which Roven suggested Christopher Nolan editor, Lee Smith. In the same interview, Roven spoke about the test screenings of the different cuts, saying: "The interesting thing was, when we tested the Ayer version - to be honest, I can't sit here and remember how we got to that edited version, who was editing that edited version - but it wasn't Lee" [22]. At some point in the process, Lee Smith replaced John Gilroy, and from the information given, it seems Gilroy may not have completed Ayer's Studio cut for test screenings, but neither did Smith.

Interestingly, Ayer notes his cut is "a fully mature edit by Lee Smith standing on the incredible work by John Gilroy" [23], and that "the cuts tested were the studio cut and my version of the studio cut. This was literally the bat cut" [24]. It sounds like THE Ayer Cut is not the original cut, but the prefered cut with Smith, which seems like it took place on the side while they were editing the Studio's test screening cut. In Masters article, her source told her "the final editor was Michael Tronick," bringing the total known editors of the film - John Gilroy, Kevin Hickman, Trailer Park, and Lee Smith - to a minimum of four, all with varying cuts of the film.

And so with that - "how different is the movie?"

The movie would be vastly different in direction and structure, with the overall story primarily intact. Thank so to Kevin Hickman; we know "it was well over a million feet of film," which roughly translate to 18 hours (this would include alternate takes, complete takes from multiple angles, and like any ordinary film, an overabundance of footage unintended for use). WB wanted the "origin of the characters to happen much closer to the beginning and insert a level of comedy into the film," Hickman said. He continued to say, "we ended up having to restructure how the characters were introduced. That was something that we toyed with right up until the movie was finished. In the original structure, the characters are kind of introduced in [a] linear fashion and the way that it ended up, we spent the first 20 minutes like bam, here's this guy, bam, here's this person, here's their origin, here's their backstory. So we kind of shoved everything into the viewer's face right upfront so that we could get the story going. Whereas in the original structure, it kind of happened in many events. So you're, you know, 45 minutes in the movie, and now we're meeting this person and seeing their backstory. So we found a way to make the film more efficient as far as opening up and introducing all the characters."

Hickman also supports Ayer 100%, saying, "I would like to see David's final version of the film. I saw what David was trying to do with the film, and I thought it was a pretty bold film. It was less comedy. It was a much darker film. It was almost like a Black Hawk Down type thing. It was just very militarized, very serious." He continued to say, "I mean, of course, there were supposed to be comedic moments with Will Smith, but it was a darker film. I like where David was going with it, and it would be really nice to see him be able to finish what he started" [20].

When asked, "what was the toughest scene to leave on the cutting room floor" was Ayer replied, "The first 40 minutes" [25]. Ayer what the first 40 minutes are, saying: "In my cut, the first scene is June Moon discovering and releasing Enchantress in a jungle location. [The] next scene is an extended assault on Arkham by Joker's crew, then he electroshocks Harley. There was more to [the] club; and an argument between HQ and J in his car" [26]. The leaked script pages provide more context for these scenes, seen on the @RTAyerCutSS Twitter account.

Ayer also clarified the Joker torture scene got "reshot because the tone was 'too dark' - My first act was a normally constructed film. I took my inspiration from Nolan. There were real scenes with incredible acting between Jared and Margot. Joker was terrifying. Harley was complex" [27]. Two scenes altered from that 40 minutes were "Joker intimidat[ing] [Monster T] into killing himself" [28] [29], and "an opening sequence of how [Slipknot] got caught for the Suicide Squad program that was pretty cool," said Adam Beach [30] [31].

The entire third act seems to be reshot and reconstructed. Katana killed Incubus [32], and "Enchantress takes her over with a tendril, and she attacks the rest of the Squad" [33] [34] [35]. Enchantress grows 10 feet tall [36]. Joker's helicopter crashes [37], and he comes back [38] to make a deal with Enchantress to become King of Gotham [39] [40]. Killer Croc's "BET" line was not Ayers [41]. Diablo survives, and Harley hooks up with Deadshot [42] [43] [44]. Joker makes Harley leave Bell Rev at gunpoint [45]. Among other things missing are June Moon and Rick Flag exploring their relationship [46] and Killer Croc hiring Deadshot in the past [47].

The script is confirmed to be 126 pages [48], and the runtime is supposedly 2 hours and 22 minutes long (142 minutes) [49]. Some may think the runtime isn't much, but when you take out all the reshoots, there is quite a lot we are still yet to see. So don't worry about the runtime and think you are not getting much extra.

Some exciting things to note that Ayer has mentioned about the scrapped New Gods and Apocalypse connections in the original script before the one he shot.

November 25, 2018 - David Ayer replies, "This is right. Enchantress was under the control of a Mother Box, and Steppenwolf was prepping an invasion with a Boom Tube. I had to lose what then the JL story arcs evolved." [50]

November 25, 2018 - David Ayer replies, "Exactly — Steppenwolf was the original boss fight" to Richard Bullivant, who said, "And the big fella may have been Steppenwolf" [51].

December 29, 2019 - David Ayer replied, "It was supposed to be a boom tube as she was under the control of a Mother Box. All the Apocalypse elements were stripped out late in the game. The machine concept was an attempt to create a ticking clock and world threat" [52].

May 11, 2020 - David Ayer replies, "No, not enough for a Joker movie. Yes, Parademons. Yes, a Steppenwolf reveal at the very end. That got changed in script early prep never went to camera" [53].

May 29, 2020 - David Ayer replied, "We synced up storylines - Squad was the on-ramp for JL - which was a much more ambitious two-part movie arc with impressive scope. Squad was the appetizer for Zack's epic. 'Best laid plans,' as they say" [54].

May 31, 2020 - David Ayer replied, "The script did - it was rewritten to remove the New Gods elements" [55].

 

Final Thoughts

 

That is what we know about The Ayer Cut, and this is why fans want to #ReleaseTheAyerCut. It's basically a finished film sitting in WB's vault, ready to be dusted off, in turn for a highly successful return on investment. It would mean the world to the fans and David Ayer. It's the right thing to do, stand by artistic integrity, and fight for those who don't have the power to stand up to a big studio. The outcome of releasing Ayer's movie is a win-win situation. WB makes extra money from existing material, Ayer gets his catharsis, fans get their film, and the people who loved the theatrical and extended cut get to keep their movie to watch. No one misses out. Ayer said it's "almost complete, minus some visual effects" [56], and it "would be easy to complete. It would be incredibly cathartic for me. It's exhausting getting your ass kicked for a film that got the Edward Scissorhands treatment. The film I made has never been seen" [57].

 

While everything about Suicide Squad was reactionary, on-the-spot thinking, WB somehow managed to pull off one of the most successful marketing campaigns for any movie ever. Especially, with a mostly unestablished group with suicide in the title, in a recently rebooted franchise, with the last film receiving thrashing reviews. For being thought of as one of WB's most successful films, it is now looked back as part of a tarnished legacy in the history of the DCEU that not even general audiences like to rewatch. David Ayer struck lightning in a bottle with his unique take on these characters that altered the cultural landscape of these DC anti-heroes and villains from the mere design that had people going nuts half a year before they would even step foot in theatres. These actors are these characters for people now. Margo is Harley Quinn. Jai Courtney is Captain Boomerang (personally, my favourite). And Will Smith is iconic in anything.

So, stand by Ayer, myself, and the rest of the fandom to realize this project and #ReleaseTheAyerCut. And if you made it this far, thanks for the read! I appreciate you taking the time to read this somewhat rushed article - I thought I had until the 21st. If there is any missing or incorrect information, let me know here or on Twitter @AfterHoursMedYT, and I will fix them!

Everything We Know About The Flash Film

A Flashback At The History Of The Flash

The Flash (DC / Warner Bros.)

The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti, is probably one of my most curiously, cautiously anticipated films of 2022, as Andy recently rose to the top of my great director's list, purely based on IT Chapter One! I loved the tone and pacing of the film, and Andy injecting that into The Flash could be very interesting. I have high hopes that it's good - I don't want any movie to be awful. So with my curiosity - I bring you a rundown of past details about The Flash film leading up to everything we know in its current state.

 

The History Of The Flash Film

 

The Past Cast & Crew

The Flash film has been on a long journey and went through many writers and directors over the years. The start of The Flash film as part of the DCEU goes back to 2013, with The Hollywood Reporter (THR) hearing rumour that The Flash would get a solo movie announced at the 2013 Comic-Con [1]. Flashforwding a year, on October 15, 2014, Warner Brothers' Chairman and CEO, Kevin Tsujihara, finally announces at a Time Warner earnings meeting that The Flash would be releasing in 2018, played by Ezra Miller [2]. Slash/Film reported on the news claiming to have made an educated guess on the release date, merging it with a previous - yet unfindable - DC Film slate, coming up with a March 23, 2018 release date [3].

The following year Phil Lord & Christopher Miller joined the project in April 2015 to write a treatment and possibly direct, but they moved on to direct "Solo: A Star Wars Story" - which totally turned out for their better [4]. On July 12, 2015, DC held a panel at San Diego Comic-Con where they showed off concept art of Ezra as Barry Allen at a crime scene where he was a CSI holding a bullet [5]. Later that year, October 5, 2015, THR got the exclusive that Seth Grahame-Smith was making his directorial debut with The Flash film, developing the screenplay based on Lord & Miller's treatment [6].

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 (DC / Warner Bros.)

On February 9, 2016, the release date moved from March 23, 2018, forward to March 16, 2018 [7]. Two months later, April 1, 2016, Deborah Snyder, in an interview with Mark Hughes for Forbes, confirmed Ray Fisher as Cyborg would appear in the film alongside Ezra Miller's Flash, saying: "as you can imagine, when we get to the Flash movie, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher - who plays Cyborg - are kind of, our youngest characters, and they have a really nice comradery with each other. Ezra is super funny, so the tone of that film will be very different than the rest of them" [8]. THR later learned that month on April 29, 2016, that Seth Grahame-Smith had stepped down as director, citing "creative differences." However, the Studio would still be using the script Grahame-Smith developed; the search for a new director was on the way [9]. 

 

⚡️ pic.twitter.com/4wm5LbaMoA

— Rick Famuyiwa (@RickFamuyiwa) September 26, 2016

 

Deadline reported that Rick Famuyiwa would direct The Flash film based on Grahame-Smith script in an exclusive on June 2, 2016 [10]. Over a month later, on July 25, 2016, Kiersey Clemons got cast in the role of Iris West by Famuyiwa, with Zack Snyder featuring Clemons in Justice League to set up The Flash film [11]. On August 16, 2016, Variety confirmed Ray Fisher was still involved with The Flash film [12]. And a month later, Billy Crudup entered negotiations to play Henry Allen - Bary Allen's father - on September 9, 2016, who also featured a cameo in Justice League [13]. The film entered pre-production around October as it headed towards a start date of March 2017, but by October 31, 2016, Rick Famuyiwa parted ways - with another director citing "creative differences," yet again [14].

 

While the film searched for yet another director and Ezra filmed "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald" - Variety reported on January 25, 2017, Warner Brothers tapped Joby Harold to do a page-one rewrite of the film, taking it in a different direction [15]. By mid-May, Harold had handed in a draft, and Warner Brothers were eyeing Mathew Vaughn and Robert Zemeckis as potential directors, with Zemeckis being the frontrunner [16]. By this time, Sam Raimi, Marc Webb, and Jordan Peele had turned down the offer to direct the film [17] [18]. And June 20, 2017, insiders told The Wrap, "Phil Lord & Chris Miller met with DC Films during the production hiatus of the Star Wars Han Solo" to direct The Flash film [19]. 

 

At San Diego Comic-Con, July 21, 2017, Warner Brothers announced they would adapt the Flashpoint story tilting the film as "Flash Point" with a temp logo depicting the classic story name as two separate words [20]. Later in the year, November 16, 2017, Geoff Johns spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the film: "there [are] elements in it that we're going to be playing into that we couldn't do anywhere else. The scale of it, the Batman story of it all." [21]. The story seemed to be coming together, but not so much for the director side of things. According to Variety, Warner Brothers didn't want to wait for Zemeckis' schedule to free and asked Ben Affleck if he would direct the film - Affleck passed, leading John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein entering negotiations on January 16, 2018 [22].

 

Flashpoint Logo (DC / Warner Bros.)

 

In an interview with Collider on February 12, 2018, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein confirmed they landed the job and how they got it. "They gave us a list of DC properties and said, 'Is there anything you'd be interested in?', in no way promising us anything at all. They were interested in us because of Game Night and Spider-Man. Because of that combination, they did kind of say, 'We'd like you to consider one of our movies.' So we read a number of the scripts, and that was one - we're huge fans of the character; I collected the comic books as a kid. It was an exciting possibility" [23]. Two months later, on April 3, 2018, THR casually mentioned, "Dan Mazeau worked on the Warner Brothers' Flash project when it was titled Flashpoint" [24].

 

The Flash film would have started production in February 2019 [25] - but Ezra Miller was already locked to begin filming in his third appearance in the Fantastic Beasts franchise [26], moving The Flash to December 30, 2019, with an unfortunate 2021 release [27]. The following month, March 15, 2019, THR broke the news that Ezra wrote a draft with comic book legend Grant Morrison. Ezra supposedly didn't like the light-hearted route Warner Brothers wanted to go under John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein based on Joby Harold's script. Instead, Ezra was said to want a darker take, while both sides worked on compromises over the year; Warner Brothers officially hired Ezra and Morrison to write their draft, expected in late March. Ezra's holding deal to star as The Flash would expire the following month, May - due to this, time seemed to be running out [28] [29].

 

Ezra Miller and Grant Morrison's draft got rejected by the Studio in May - which I would be interested in seeing! Despite Ezra's contract ending the same month, Warner Brothers kept him on as the star. However, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein left that July and hired Christina Hodson to pen the script while negotiations for Andy Muschietti to direct started the same month. According to THR's sources, Goldstein and Daley exited voluntarily. Months of tensions over creative differences bogged down the project, with the duo deciding it was time to move on and find new opportunities. The tensions surfaced around what kind of take was the best fit for a Flash movie [30].

 

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A post shared by GRANT MORRISON (@grant.morrison)

 

The Current Cast, Crew, & Production

On August 29, 2019, Andy Muschietti officially confirmed he was directing the Flash film in an interview with Fandango [31]. And then on December 11, 2019, Warner Brothers announced The Flash would release on July 1, 2022 [32]. The following month while talking to That Hashtag Show on January 8, 2020, Andy said the film would adapt the famous DC story Flashpoint, but it would be a "different version of Flashpoint than you're expecting [33]" - confirming Warner Brothers were still interested in adapted Flashpoint, as they previously announced at Comic-Con 2017 [20]. The film's release date then moved forward - from a July 1, 2022 release, to June 3, 2022 - on April 20, 2020, [34].

In June 2020, Andy Muschietti contacted Ray Fisher about reprising his role as Cyborg in an optimistic call but took issue with Warner Brothers framing a two-week shoot as a "cameo," offering only a fraction of his expected pay [35]. Fisher also had a problem with the creative team not adopting his script notes revolving around his character [36] - unlike Chris Terrio, who sat with Fisher to write all his scenes for Justice League [37]. In the same month, on June 22, 2020, The Wrap exclusively broke the story that Michael Keaton had entered early talks for the film to reprise his role as Batman from the 1989 Batman universe [38].

 

Two months later, on August 20, 2020, Ben Affleck was also confirmed to be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne in the film after only receiving the script a week prior. Talking with Vanity Fair about Affleck's return, Andy Muschietti said: "His Batman has a dichotomy that is very strong, which is his masculinity - because of the way he looks, and the imposing figure that he has, and his jawline - but he's also very vulnerable. [Affleck] knows how to deliver from the inside out that vulnerability. He just needs a story that allows him to bring that contrast, that balance. He's a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck's Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven't seen before," the director said. "It's Barry's movie, it's Barry's story, but their characters are more related than we think. They both lost their mothers to murder, and that's one of the emotional vessels of the movie."

 

In the same article that confirmed Affleck's return, Andy officially confirmed Michael Keaton's return in a "substantial" part for The Flash. He went on to say, "that's where the Affleck Batman kicks in. He's the baseline. He's part of that unaltered state before we jump into Barry's adventure [-] there's a familiarity there. This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we've seen before are valid. It's inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you've seen exists, and everything that you will see exists in the same unified multiverse" [39].

 

On August 22, 2020, DC came through with an event of their own called DC FanDome - despite COVID cancelling all conventions for the foreseeable future - where Andy Muschietti showed concept art featuring Keaton's Batman with Ezra's Flash in a new suit [40]. Andy went on to say, "As you can see, it's more organic. You can see light embedded in it. It has been built by his friend Bruce Wayne this time." [41] During the Q&A segment of The Flash panel, Ezra Miller, Andy Muschietti, and Barabara Muschietti answered a few questions about the movie, revealing some fascinating information [42]:

 

"My Flash is not gonna be light or dark in tone - it's gonna have everything. So what we'll see in Flash is a very deep, emotional story - but it's also gonna be very funny (hopefully) and a great epic adventure at the same time, and also terrifying sometimes" - Andy Muschietti.

"I have yet to see [the new suit]. But, I've heard some things about it, and they're extremely exciting. There will be some twists - in some ways, I believe it will be a more traditional, comic-based costume, but in other ways, I think that it might be somewhat unconventional. I've heard that it'll potentially be lighter weight than my last suit, as an example of some of the changes" - Ezra Miller.

"Yes [my Flash can travel to anywhere in the DCEU]. Maybe, even beyond the DCEU - I say 'yes.' In fact, we've already seen it a little, and it's my dream, vision, and sincere belief, that Barry Allen can truly - at the height of his powers - travel anywhere" - Ezra Miller.

"Yes, our movie The Flash is based on Flashpoint, but it's not gonna be exactly like Flashpoint. Our movie is inspired by the original comic book saga. So you're gonna find a lot of surprises and new events - and a lot of thrilling things that are not in the comic book" - Andy Muschietti.

"Well, I want you to go see it, so I'm not gonna tell you a lot. But what I will tell you is that it's a ride. It's gonna be fun and exciting, and there are a lot of DC characters in it. Flash is the superhero of this film because he is the bridge between all of these characters and timelines. And in a way, it restarts everything and doesn't forget anything" - Barbara Muschietti.

 

The Flash Concept Art By Vincent Proce (DC / Warner Bros.)

The day after DC FanDome, August 23, 2020 - Concept Artist, Vincent Proce, confirmed that Alexandra Byrne is the costume designer for The Flash [43]. Then October 2, 2020, Billy Crudup entered talks to rejoin The Flash film. And in the same article, THR gave a synopsis of the film: "Barry will go back in time to prevent the murder of his mother in an act that proves to have unintended consequences for his timeline" [44]. And on October 5, 2020, Deadline reported Warner Brothers pushed The Flash release from June 3, 2022, to November 4, 2022, due to COVID [45]. Unfortunately, by January 6, 2021, Ray Fisher's role in the film got written out due to Warner Brothers and Fisher's inability to agree [46].

 

On January 27, 2021, Screen Daily reported that Andy and Barbara Muschietti were already in the UK, three months before production [47] - most likely overseeing the constructions of sets, camera set-ups, casting directors, and much more. The following week, February 5, 2021, James Gunn mentioned in a Tweet that Henry Braham is the cinematographer of The Flash [48]. And on February 16, 2021, Barbara took to Instagram to post an image of the Studio in Leavesden, hinting at the sets inside, confirming Andy and Barbara were there early [49]. While in Watford, England, Andy cast Sasha Calle as Supergirl via a zoom call, which he posted to Instagram on February 19, 2021 [50] [51]. And then, much to everyone's delight, THR confirmed Kiersey Clemons to be reprising her role as Iris West on March 11, 2021, after rumour she may get recast [I]. In addition, THR announced Maribel Verdú would play Nora Allen - Barry's mother - the following day, March 12, 2021 [52].

Michael Keaton threw doubt in peoples minds on March 22, 2021, when Keaton suggested he may not reprise his role because of COVID, saying: "It's Covid. I'm more concerned. I keep my eye more on the Covid situation in the UK than anything. That will determine everything, and so that's why I'm living outside the city here on 17 acres, staying away from everybody, because the Covid thing has got me really concerned. So, that's my first thing about all projects. I look at it and go, is this thing going to kill me, literally? And you know, if it doesn't, then we talk" [53]. The same week, Variety confirmed Billy Crudup would not return as Henry Allen on March 24, 2021, citing scheduling conflicts with The Morning Show and The Flash. Instead, Ron Livingston will be taking on the role of Henry Allen, with Ian Loh cast as a young Barry Allen, and undisclosed roles for Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Rudy Mancuso [54]. The following month, Brother and sister team Barbara and Andy Muschietti formed the production company "Double Dream" on April 16, 2021, to produce many projects, including their current film, The Flash [55]. 

 

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A post shared by Andy Muschietti (@andy_muschietti)

 

On April 19, 2021, THR announced Benjamin Wallfisch would compose the film [56]. The next day - April 20, 2021 - Andy Muschietti posted an animated logo reveal, showing off an updated suit concept while teasing some score [57]. However, we are yet to know if that is a temp track or official score from the film, as Wallfisch was only publically announced as the composer the day before. The Instagram post also featured a caption that read, "Here we go!!! THE FLASH Day 1." Presumably, at Warner Brothers Studios, Leavesden [58]. Filming then moved to Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, around May 1, 2021, to stand in for Michael Keaton's Wayne Manor [B]. Then in Late May 20 and 21, Andy teased the fans by posting photos of cast chairs with "Barry" written on one and "Bruce Wayne" on the other [59] [60]. Fan's eagerly waited to see the new Batsuit, and they didn't have to wait too long, as Andy took to Instagram on June 4, 2021, to share an up-close look at Michael Keaton's updated Batsuit - teasing the fans even more [61].

 

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A post shared by Andy Muschietti (@andy_muschietti)

 

Thanks to Izzy Ailish Emily - Co-Producer at Brighton Spiegeltent - who posted a selfie with Ezra Miller on June 14, 2020 (two months into production or 55 days) [62]. Emily's post could confirm that we may get a Barry with longer hair, similar to Batman V Superman - though Barry's hair was considerably longer and in a bun [just watch BvS!].

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A post shared by Izzy Ailish Emily (@izztb)

 

The same day, according to a report by The Illuminerdi, on June 14, 2021, Grant Gustin will have a cameo in the film [63], which isn't surprising or unlikely considering the push to feature Ezra's Flash in the TV show [64]. Behind-the-scenes photographer, Canadagraphs, posted an article on May 22, 2021, featuring photos he snapped of Grant filming the last episode [65]. Given that Canadagraphs captured the images more than a month ago - filming would have presumably finished by now, meaning Gustin would be free to film in the UK. So far, there have been no reports of Gustin at any airports or in the UK.

Andy Muschietti took to Instagram again on June 15, 2021, to share a close-up of The Flash's logo [66]. The suit appears to have an organic-like look, differentiating it substantially from the previous suit he wore in Zack Snyder's Justice League. The wild change begs the question of "where and when this suit is from?" Andy Muschietti previously said it's "more organic" and "built by his friend Bruce Wayne" [42] - but what Bruce Wayne? The design is a vast departure from the previously established DCEU aesthetic, which leads me to believe it's a Bruce Wayne from an alternate universe.

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A post shared by Andy Muschietti (@andy_muschietti)

 

According to Edinburgh Live, filming flashback scenes will begin in June with Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton - presumably doubling for both of their Gotham Cities [67]. At the time of publishing, it is currently July 1, with no sign of production currently in Edinburgh and Ben Affleck reportedly seen in Malibu, USA, leaving it quite late. Edinburgh Live's sources could be slightly off with the timeline.

 

Four days later - June 19, 2021 - Andy posted another close-up - this time of Sasha Calle's Supergirl suit, featuring a Henry Cavill-inspired House of El crest [68].

 

Re-post from Instagram: @/Andy_Muschietti | @TheFlashMovie pic.twitter.com/x0YqlDdvnL

— The Flash (@theflashmovie) June 18, 2021

 

Next, RSTSnyderVerse and Geckochan1 (Dave Sorkin) took to Twitter to start translating the Kryptonian writing embedded in Calle's Supergirl crest, with Geckochan1 writing a post detailing what they could figure out on Daily Planet DC. Sorkin noted that the Supergirl crest was more in line with the script form of the Kryptonian language, and gave his best translation: [??] [ɛl sa͡odɪn nɛdɛv nænjɛlɹo guna zoɹ]-[??], which translates to, [??] El alone never [nænjɛlɹo] [guna] Zor-[??] [69].

 

On June 20, 2021, fans saw Sasha Calle dressed as Supergirl in the streets of London near St. Paul's Churchyard, where Andy was shooting scenes for what people speculate is a court hearing of Henry Allen. Out of respect for Andy and Barbara Muschietti and Sasha Calle, I won't directly reference the unofficial images of the Supergirl suit [70]. On top of many finding Calle, Instagramer Ian (cdbaring2021) also spotted Michael Keaton and Ezra Miller out in the open before they were on set [71]. Ian has since deleted the images with Miller and Keaton from his Instagram, though. In the images, Miller sported long hair, yet again - meaning Barry will have long hair for a portion of the film. Later in the day, The Girl Sun reported on unofficial behind-the-scenes images of the London shoot featuring Ezra Miller in a suit, tie, and a big gold ring - potentially The Flash ring, where he stores his costume. In the same article, images show Michael Keaton in a blue suit with a new silver haircut and his car, a Mercedes Maybach 6. The Girl Sun's article also prominently features high-quality pictures of Sasha Calle's Supergirl, so be careful [72].

 

Who Inspired This Supergirl?

 

Many characters could have served as inspirations for Sasha Calle's Supergirl. Super-women of the comics have had many suits, names, histories, and haircuts - and I believe Calle's Supergirl inspiration won't be as straightforward as you may think. I have dug through dozens of comics and storylines to track down every girl and woman who is super, with a similar-ish costume and haircut as Sasha's.

During the Pre-Crisis era of classic DC, Supergirl (Kara Zor-El - Earth-One) got her first new suit drawn by Carmine Infantino, featuring a red shoulder design - though, without the neck - in the "The Daring New Adventures Of Supergirl" Vol. 2, #13, November 1983 [73] [74]. And then in 1986, artist Jim Mooney presented his rendition of the same suit in "Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe" Vol. 1, #22 [75].

The Daring Adventures Of Supergirl #13 / Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #22 (DC Comics)

Two reboots later, Supergirl appeared again with a new costume drawn by Mahmud Asrar in a New 52 reboot solo series (November 2011) with a cape attaching around her neck [76] [77]; while it's not precisely like Calle's, I thought it was worth mentioning anyway.

 

Supergirl #1 - The New 52 (DC Comics)

 

At first, most thought Calle's Supergirl would be Cir-El, based on her haircut and the fact The Flash can run through time. Cir-El first appeared in "Superman: The 10¢ Adventure" (March 2003), drawn by Scott McDanie [78] [79]. Though, after seeing Calle's suit, we don't think this Supergirl served as inspiration anymore. 

 

Cir-El - Superman: The 10¢ Adventure (DC Comics)

 

On March 1, 2012, DC Comics revealed Earth-2 Kara Zor-El's [80] new Supergirl's designed by Kevin Maguire [81]. The costume briefly appeared on the cover of "Worlds' Finest" #1 in July 2012 by artist George Pérez, and in a few flashbacks throughout the book, before Kara Zor-El donned another new design featuring a red neck (also seen on the cover) [82].

Kevin Maguire Design / Worlds' Finest #1 (DC Comics)

Later, Tomás Giorello would go on to revise the suit in "Earth 2" #0, released in November 2012 [83].

 

Earth 2 #0, Page By Tomás Giorello (DC Comics)

Ardian Syaf also brought back the design for "Earth 2: World's End" #1, released in December 2014 [84]. 

 

Earth 2: World's End #1, Page By Ardian Syaf (DC Comics)

After Kara Zor-El finally adopted her classic Power Girl costume, Eduardo Pansica introduced the house of El crest to it in "Earth 2: World's End" #16 [85], which got revised on the front covers of "Earth 2: Society" #1 by Jorge Jimenez and Paulo Siqueira in August 2015 [86]. Though, the interiors of issues 1 and 2 by Jorge Jiménez do not feature the new design until issue 3 in October 2015 [87].

Earth 2: World's End #16, Page By Eduardo Pansica / Earth 2: Society #1 (DC Comics)

A suit that does feature the red shoulders and a half collar is the Kara Kent Supergirl suit for "Smallville Season 11: Alien" #1 from November 2013, designed by Cat Staggs and drawn by Edgar Salazar [88] [89].

Cat Staggs Suit Concept Art / Smallville Season 11: Alien #1 (DC Comics)

The leading contender most fans think inspired Sahsa Calle's Supergirl is Lara Lane-Kent from "Injustice: Year Three" #7, January 2015, drawn by Mike Miller [90] [91]. Lara Lane-Kent features the cape from crest to shoulders and a collar similar to Calle's suit. While Calle's may have used Lara Lane-Kent as the visual inspiration - Calle's suit says "Zor-El" on it, leaving her first name unknown.

Lara Lane-Kent - Injustice: Year Three #7 (DC Comics)

In more recent comics, Lois Lane-Kent - when she becomes Superwoman in "DC Universe: Rebirth - Superwoman" #1, October 2016 by writer/artist Phil Jimenez [92] - supports a design with the red shoulders, leading from the crest to the cape [93].

 

Superwoman #1 Cover By Rachel and Terry Dodson (DC Comics)

 

As for a narrative point of view, Calle's Supergirl might take aspects from one or two here - but I believe her character will mainly take the place of Superman from Flashpoint in this film.

Cast

Ezra Miller - Barry Allen / The Flash [2] [30].
Kiersey Clemons - Iris West [11] [I].
Michael Keaton - Bruce Wayne / Batman (Batman '89 and Batman Returns) [38] [39].
Ben Affleck - Bruce Wayne / Batman (Batman v Superman, Justice League, and Zack Snyder's Justice League) [39].
Sasha Calle - Supergirl [50][51].
Ron Livingston (replacing Billy Crudup) - Henry Allen (Barry's father) [13] [44] [54].
Maribel Verdú - Nora Allen (Barry's mother) [52].
Ian Loh - young Barry Allen [54].
Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Rudy Mancuso - undisclosed roles [54]. 

 

If you made it this far, thanks for the read! I appreciate you taking the time to read this lengthy article that took me way longer than it should have - but every minute of it was fun. I can't wait to see more about The Flash and what is going on in it. The Flash release November 4, 2022. Let me know what you think here or on Twitter @AfterHoursMedYT!