The road to finally bringing aFlashmovie to the big screen took a major step forward last month, when it was revealed that writers/directorsJohn Francis DaleyandJonathan Goldsteinhad entered negotiationsto take the helm of the long-developingFlashpoint. Daley and Goldstein weren’t necessarily obvious choices as their screenwriting background is more on the comedy side with films likeHorrible BossesandVacation, but they most recently directed the upcoming action-comedyGame Nightfor Warner Bros. and co-wrote Marvel Studios’ wildly successfulSpider-Man: Homecoming, so when you take a closer look, the fit actually makes quite a bit of sense.
TheFlashmovie has already gone through two different directors, asSeth Grahame-Smith(Dark Shadows) was originally attached to write and direct (marking his directorial debut) before being replaced byDopehelmerRick Famuyiwa. But Famuyiwa left the project in November 2016, a few months before filming was supposed to begin, and Warner Bros. put the brakes onThe Flashwhile starEzra Millerwent off to filmFantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Now that Miller’s schedule is opening back up, Warner Bros. looks to have finally settled on Daley and Goldstein to getFlashpointoff the ground. So when Collider’s own Steve Weintraub spoke with the duo at the press day forGame Night—which is a pretty large-scale action comedy starringJason BatemanandRachel McAdams—he asked the filmmakers how they came to be involved withFlashpoint. As Daley tells it, Warner Bros. approached them to see if they had any interest in the DCEU:
“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.”
Goldstein adds that it was their experience with Warner Bros. onGame Nightand what they did withSpider-Man: Homecomingthat led the studio to consider them for one of its major superhero properties:
“They were interested in us because ofGame NightandSpider-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.”
Daley adds that what also drew them to Flash was his general unrefined quality when it comes to being a superhero:
“Just the fact that the character is unique from other superheroes in that he doesn’t completely have his shit together like Superman does. It’s more of a ground-level superhero.”
Goldstein said that this approach—crafting a story in which the lead in your superhero movie isincrediblyrelatable—is whatFlashpointandHomecominghave in common:
“It’s a relatable way in to a superhero movie in some of the same ways that Peter Parker was for the Marvel side of things.”
The two stressed that they’re still in the dealmaking stage, working on their contract, so they aren’tofficiallyonboard to directFlashpointjust yet. But they clearly have a passionate take on the material and to be quite honest, their track record points to a refreshing kind of DC movie. From a cinematic standpointGame Nightproves they can handle big effects and set pieces, and while their comedy is fantastic inHorrible Bosses, their take onSpider-Man: Homecomingalso proves they can tell a funny story in a human, grounded way. So here’s hoping that deal works out and thisFlashpointmovie finally gets off the ground.
Look for Steve’s full interview with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein next week.
