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'The Flash': Matthew Vaughn, Robert Zemeckis, Sam Raimi on Shortlist to Direct

R

Ross61

Member
Warner Bros.’s big-screen take on The Flash has narrowed down it's search to three directors: Matthew Vaughn, Robert Zemeckis and Sam Raimi have all met in recent weeks and are each strong contenders for the gig.

The trio of directors emerge as Warners is in the final throes of its search for a filmmaker to tackle the Scarlet Speedster after losing Rick Famuyiwa, who made Sundance sensation Dope, in October 2016 over "creative differences.”

Those differences emerged even as casting was ramping up and his departure put Flash on the skids, temporarily shelving production and a release date.

Famuyiwa was the second departure after Seth Grahame-Smith, who had written the script and was slated to make his directorial debut.

The recent search for a Flash director was a closely guarded affair and each of the names rose and fell on studio's heat index even as each had challenges, schedule or otherwise, to overcome. Even Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were re-considered to possibly return to a project for which they wrote a treatment years ago.

The current frontrunner appears to be Back to the Future and Forrest Gump director Zemeckis. He is now focused on a new project, an untitled drama that will star Steve Carell and that will shoot this fall and that appeared to sideline him from the gig. But now some sources say that Warners is willing to wait for him.

Jon Berg and Geoff Johns are producing Flash, which is working with a new draft by Joby Harold, writer on the studio’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Vaughn, the filmmaker already deeply experienced in comic book movies with films such as X-Men: First Class and Kingsman: The Secret Service and counts Kick-Ass in his comic book movie repertoire, is readying his latest film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, for a Sept. 22 release.

Raimi spent the better part of the 2000s working on Columbia's Spider-Man trilogy, which starred Maguire as the Marvel Comics hero along with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. The second movie, which featured Alfred Molina as villain Dr. Octopus, is considered a landmark in the comic book movie form. The trilogy grossed almost $2.7 billion dollars. The last movie Raimi directed was Oz the Great and Powerful, the 2013 Disney movie that acted as a prequel to Wizard of Oz.

Zemeckis last directed Brad Pitt in the WWII spy drama Allied.
Click to expand...

From Hollywood Reporter
 
L

liquidtmd

Banned
$10 this is just one of those times these amazing respected directors are touted and then three days later it goes to some guy that makes you go

YRZLkFC.gif
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
I'd actually like Zemeckis the most out of those picks. But really, Edgar Wright would be my pick if I thought he'd ever be interested in a project like this again after the Antman debacle.

Raimi would have the tone down pat the most. But Zemeckis has a better handle on effects whilst still having a good control on tone.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I'd like to see what Zemeckis could do. Even though Allied wasn't that great, he directed some really good action sequences there. And it looked spectacular. I already know what the expect from a superhero flick by the other two.
 
Charles Brandon

Charles Brandon

Member
First Class was the only X-Men film I liked. I haven;t seen Stardust but it seems to be well regarded.

I did look him up though and noticed Swept Away...
 
B

Busty

Banned
Posted this is the other thread but it's probably more at home here...,

"It's interesting that we keep hearing the same variation of names for these future DCU gigs. Between Vaughn, Zemeckis and Raimi I wouldn't be surprised if they all ended up directing DC projects at some point.

I have a feeling that it'll be Zemeckis for The Flash and either Vaughn or Raimi for the next Man Of Steel film. We won't see The Flash until 2019 (or more likely 2020) at the very earliest so there's plenty of time for this all to come to fruition.

Vaughn has been rumoured to be getting into bed with Warners under the new regime for months so I wouldn't be surprised if the studio gives him the pick of whatever he wants to do in the DCU or otherwise."
 
A

Ashhong

Member
liquidtmd said:
$10 this is just one of those times these amazing respected directors are touted and then three days later it goes to some guy that makes you go

YRZLkFC.gif
Click to expand...

Eh...DC uses pretty high profile directors for the most part. It's Marvel who is using the unknowns yet still pulling it off
 
G

garth2000

Member
Zemeckis might be a good pick. He knows his way around movies involving wise cracking young men who continously come very close to breaking the world after learning how to time travel....
 
B

Blader

Member
I haven't seen Allied, but thought Flight and The Walk were...so-so. What I read of Allied sounded similar. Zemeckis would be an okay choice, but he's the least impressive of the three for me.

Give it to Raimi and have Vaughn do Superman.
 
L

liquidtmd

Banned
I just can't see them bagging Vaughn or Raimi, nor certainly letting them off the chain creatively (though both have big production studio experience)

Zemeckis will always always get a pass for BTTF with me but I have reservations they actually want him, more the association of being seen to consider the 'BTTF and classics' guy before choosing someone else.

Happy to be proved wrong
 
A

Ashhong

Member
liquidtmd said:
I just can't see them bagging Vaughn or Raimi, nor certainly letting them off the chain creatively (though both have big production studio experience)

Zemeckis will always always get a pass for BTTF with me but I have reservations they actually want him, more the association of being seen to consider the 'BTTF and classics' guy before choosing someone else.

Happy to be proved wrong
Click to expand...

Vaughn has been in talks for quite some time. I swear there was an article saying he was basically confirmed for Man of Steel 2. He's definitely going to be doing a DCEU movie at some point
 
S

Sgt. Kabukiman

Banned
Not so sure about Zemeckis these days but I'd take it.
My order of preference for Flash: Vaughn > Raimi > Zemeckis
But I'd rather have Vaughn on Superman tbh.
 
D

DeathoftheEndless

Crashing this plane... with no survivors!
Zemeckis would be a weird choice. Vaughn would be fine. I'd like to see Raimi get another shot at a superhero franchise.

I hope Ezra Miller surprises me in Justice League because he comes off as pretty annoying in the trailers.
 
M

MHWilliams

Member
Lukewarm on Zemeckis for Flash. Vaughn or Raimi would be a better choice.

Honestly, I think Raimi is the guy you want on Cyborg. I think he could do something odd, off-kilter, and interesting. Zemeckis could do a good Superman though.
 
N

neurosisxeno

Member
The great irony here is that given how fond he is of Slow-mo and how adept he is at using it, the best person to direct this would probably be
Zack Snyder
. But of the directors listed I think Sam Raimi is the best bet.
 
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