Ezra Miller really, really wants to keep playing The Flash. So much so that he is teaming up with DC Comics writer Grant Morrison to pen his own script for “The Flash” standalone movie.
Miller stole scenes as the Scarlet Speedster (real name: Barry Allen) in “Justice League,” so it was only natural for the character to gets his own movie. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein boarded the project in January 2018.
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the directors and star have clashing visions for the film. Daley and Goldstein — who previously made “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Game Night” — plan to take a light-hearted, fun approach. That’s more in line with the direction that DC/Warner Bros. movies are taking after the success of “Aquaman” and the positive buzz for the upcoming “Shazam!”
But Miller reportedly wants a darker take on the story. Now, in an extremely unusual move, he’s writing a version of the script himself with Morrison.
If Warner Bros. doesn’t go with Miller’s script, he may end up speeding away from “The Flash” altogether. THR notes his holding deal for the movie expires in May.
Then again, the studio seems to have no problem rebooting even recently-occupied characters. Ben Affleck retired as Batman and Idris Elba may replace Will Smith in “Suicide Squad.” Miller, meanwhile, still has a big franchise to call home, as one of the stars of the “Fantastic Beasts” saga.
In terms of the winter movie cycle, Thanksgiving is a great time to get caught up.
You have a couple of days off, are probably stuffed with, er, stuffing, and want to be prepared for the Christmas movie onslaught that is just around the corner, when both Mary PoppinsandSpider-Man will be vying for your attention (amongst many, many others). So we’ve prepared a handy viewing guide for the Thanksgiving break, for when you want to escape to the theater with your loved ones, or leave them behind while they digest their turkey and watch whatever football game is on. And don’t worry, if you want to watch Netflix instead, we’ve got that covered, too.
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald‘
Warner Bros/Wizarding World
Remember “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” 2016’s ambitious but somewhat confusing fantasy romp that was supposed to serve as an extension of the lucrative Warner Bros. franchise but instead was kind of just huh? Well, they made another one! And this one is much better.
With Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne, again) dispatched to Paris to track down the powerful Credence (Ezra Miller) and foil the plot of villainous wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), the movie adds some international intrigue, a more admissibly knotty plot and, thanks to an appearance by sexy young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), some concrete connections between the various strands of this franchise. Just be warned — before you pile the family into the station wagon, it might be a good idea to re-watch the first movie. Consider that your magic spell for understanding “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
‘Widows‘
Fox
Given the pedigree, it’s very clear that “Widows” isn’t your run-of-the-mill thriller. Based on a British prime time series from 1983, it concerns a group of women (among them: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo) who are forced into a sticky situation when their criminal husbands are killed in a heist-gone-wrong.
Directed by Academy Award-winner Steve McQueen and co-written by Gillian Flynn (who wrote “Gone Girl” and “Sharp Objects”), this is a movie that thrills on both an intellectual and visceral level. “Ocean’s 8” it is not.
‘The Favourite‘
Fox
This is the time of year when the studios unleash their stuffy period movies and, yes, there are even a few of those this year. But “The Favourite” is not one of them.
Rambunctious, sexy, and unpredictable, it’s the antithesis of every boring costume drama that they throw Oscars at with willful abandon. This is electrically alive in a way few films, period or otherwise, ever are, anchored by a trio of brilliant female performers (Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz) and some of the finest direction this year (courtesy of Greek genius Yorgos Lanthimos). Set during the reign of Queen Anne (Colman) in the early part of the 18th century, it features palace intrigue, love triangles, and people getting pushed into muddy ditches. What more do you want?
‘Ralph Breaks the Internet‘
Disney
In the sequel to the hit 2012 animated film, Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) head to the Internet, where they fall in with online auctions, meme-creation, and a particularly violent “Grand Theft Auto”-style game called “Slaughter Race” that is lorded over by a bad-ass, leather-clad ringleader named Shank (Gal Gadot). Also, the Disney Princesses show up. As you can imagine, it’s a lot of fun.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is one of those rare family sequels that won’t leave you with a toothache from it being so sweet, there’s actual pathos and emotionality but nothing feels syrupy or forced and it’s honestly one of the most visually ravishing animated features you’re ever likely to see.
‘Green Book‘
Universal
Up until this point, Peter Farrelly has directed as one-half of the Farrelly Brothers — serving as the tag-team provocateurs behind gross-out extravaganzas like “Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary,” and the underrated classic “Kingpin.” So it’s interesting to see Farrelly emerge as something of an Oscar frontrunner for his work directing “Green Book,” a based-on-a-true-story racial drama starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.
In the film. Ali plays Don Shirley, a classical pianist, who hires New York tough guy Tony Vallelonga (Mortensen) to escort him on a tour of the South. This could be the feel-good movie of the fall, which makes it a perfect after-Thanksgiving family outing.
‘Creed II‘
MGM
Finally. The follow-up to 2015’s brilliant “Rocky” refresh “Creed” is now upon us. Let us give thanks.
In “Creed II,” Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, who this time turns to going toe-to-doe with Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who famously killed Apollo in the ring (in 1985’s Cold War classic “Rocky IV“). Oh, and Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is still around! So there’s that. Hopefully the sequel builds on the intensity and excitement of the first film, while supplying some new wrinkles as well. We can already feel ourselves getting inspired.
‘Roma‘
Netflix
Yes, “Roma” is a Netflix movie. But in a rare move, the streaming service is debuting the movie in theaters first, before it hits the platform in mid-December. And, really, you should do everything in your power to see it on the big screen. In fact, try and see it on the biggest screen possible. Because this movie is absolutely jaw dropping.
An epic on a miniature scale, the highly autobiographical film from “Gravity” filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron follows a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s dealing with heartache, political upheaval, and the day-to-day domestic drama that every family deals with. What makes this story even more captivating is that it’s told through the eyes of the family’s housekeeper Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio, giving one of the year’s best performances even though she’s not a professional actor). You have to see this with an audience in a theater. It just won’t be the same on your iPad.
‘Overlord‘
Paramount
If your family is really annoying you over Thanksgiving, it might be time to watch a little more muscular movie at the multiplex. Perhaps something like “Overlord,” a high-concept World War II romp that features thrills, chills, and the cathartic experience of watching sweaty hunks brutally murder Nazis.
Conceived by mystery box magnate J.J. Abrams, “Overlord” is a hard-core horror movie mixed with an equally hardcore war movie, wherein a group of Allied soldiers (among them Jovan Adepo and Wyatt Russell) parachute into France to take down a radio tower on the eve of D-Day and wind up finding a gnarly zombie conspiracy. You know, that old story. But there are some definite grindhouse pleasures to be had as Nazis get shot, blown-up, and lit on fire and then come back from the dead to do it all again.
The Flash isn’t racing into theaters anytime soon.
Warner Bros. is delaying the start of production on the still untitled standalone movie centered on the speedster character, played by Ezra Miller in “Justice League.”
According to Variety, even though the film never received a formal greenlight, it was due to begin filming in March. Now, filming is more likely to commence in late 2019, for a 2021 release.
The delay is reportedly all Harry Potter’s fault, or we should the Harry Potter universe. Miller has a key role in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, and the third film is set to begin filming in July. That would’ve caused major scheduling headaches had The Flash movie started this spring.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. replaced director Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope”), who had left the project due to creative differences, with “Spider-Man: Homecoming” writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
The DC Extended Universe has plenty going on, even with The Flash’s delay. “Aquaman” and “Shazam” are coming soon, and everyone is excitedly waiting for “Wonder Woman 1984” in November 2019.
It’s now official that Claudia Kim‘s character is the same Nagini who later becomes Lord Voldemort’s snake Horcrux.
Fans got their suspicions up when it was revealed that Kim’s character was a Maledictus, which denotes a person whose blood had been cursed from birth leading them to eventually turn into a beast.
Claudia Kim talked to Entertainment Weekly about her character, showing emotion when she was finally able to confirm that she’s playing the famous HP character Nagini:
Kim told EW that, in the second film’s storyline of 1927, Nagini “feels this pressure that the clock is ticking” because at some point she will be permanently transformed into a snake.
And while Potter fans know Nagini as Voldemort’s closest ally — who kills Snape and is killed by Neville — this film will show the real woman behind the curse:
“You’ve only seen her as a Horcrux. In this, she’s a wonderful and vulnerable woman who wants to live. She wants to stay a human being and I think that’s a wonderful contrast to the character.”
In “Fantastic Beasts 2,” Nagini is basically the only friend of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), who has run off and joined the circus.
“It’s amazing these two broken souls are able to form some kind of friendship within the circus,” Kim told EW. “Credence is special to her because he encourages her to use her power.”
Harry Potter author and “Fantastic Beasts” screenwriter J.K. Rowling has been answering questions, and teasing out more information, on Twitter:
They're different conditions. Maledictuses are always women, whereas werewolves can be either sex. The Maledictus carries a blood curse from birth, which is passed down from mother to daughter. https://t.co/wYfvPeQFRW
“Nagini (d. 2 May, 1998) was a previously Human Maledictus with the ability to transform into a snake. During the 1920s, she was a performer at the Circus Arcanus where she met Credence Barebone. By the 1990s, Nagini, seemingly trapped in snake form, belonged to Lord Voldemort, with whom she had a special bond largely due to becoming a Horcrux, after her master had killed Bertha Jorkins in 1994.
After Voldemort’s initial downfall, he used Nagini’s venom as one of the ingredients for a Potion in order to regain strength, which eventually led to his Rebirth. In 1995, she attacked Arthur Weasley, but he managed to survive. During the Second Wizarding War, she had to be destroyed in order for Voldemort to be finally defeated. Nagini was killed by Neville Longbottom with Godric Gryffindor’s Sword in 1998, and was the last Horcrux to be destroyed.”
A new version of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” is currently in the works at Warner Bros., and according to a one report, the studio has already zeroed in on a trio of potential leads — and it’s a list that’s almost as quirky as the titular character himself.
Collider is reporting that the three actors currently on the shortlist for the part are Donald Glover, Ryan Gosling, and Ezra Miller. As the site points out, that’s a pretty oddball grouping of guys, since they’re all such different actors who would bring completely different interpretations to the role.
For our money, Glover would be the obvious choice, given his comedic background and his current wave of successes (the box office haul of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” notwithstanding — though many fans seem to agree he was the highlight of the flick). Plus, he’d be a totally different, surprising selection for the role, ensuring that audience curiosity would be piqued.
But both Miller and Gosling have existing relationships with Warner Bros. (Miller in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise and as the Flash in the DCEU, Gosling in a string of flicks including “Crazy Stupid Love” and “Blade Runner 2049”), making their selection seem more likely. Still, Collider reports that Glover “has actively been chasing this role.” You wouldn’t want to upset Lando Calrissian, would you, Warner Bros.?
This new “Willy Wonka” is still in the early planning stages, so there’s not likely to be a selection anytime soon. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the studio makes the right decision, whenever that may be.
The Flash slowed down long enough to appear in a new photo from the upcoming team-up flick “Justice League,” and the tense image teases that the latest DC superhero to step into the spotlight will have a lot on his plate in the near future. And that doesn’t even count the villains he will fight alongside the rest of the titular team.
Played by Ezra Miller, The Flash (alias: Barry Allen) has made cameo appearances in both “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad.” But when “Justice League” premieres, the hero will get more screen time, and also a bit more than he bargained for when he clashes with the big personalities who have already gotten their due onscreen.
In the new photo, premiered by Entertainment Weekly, The Flash is seen alongside Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), with the trio about to spring into action against an unseen foe. But first, all the heroes in the League will need to figure out how to get along with each other — and that’s especially difficult for The Flash, described by EW as “the league’s overly excitable kid brother who uses humor to mask his pain.”
“Flash is Ringo Starr,” Miller explained to EW, comparing the hero to the goofy, put-upon former Beatle. “He annoys everybody, but he doesn’t have any specific beef with anyone.”
Fans will get to witness firsthand this awkward new dynamic when “Justice League” debuts on November 17, 2017.
It’s a wrap on filming “Justice League,” and to celebrate the momentous occasion, director Zack Snyder released a juicy, 93-second video with brief bits of footage and a look behind the scenes.
“Last day filming in the UK. It has been an amazing shoot. Big thanks to everyone involved!” he tweeted.
The video shows glimpses of Ben Affleck as Batman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. The actors mug for the camera, train in the gym, and perform stunt work in front of green screens. Oh, and Momoa has a blooper moment when he drops Aquaman’s trident and takes up Wonder Woman’s sword instead!
“Justice League” is set to open in theaters November 17, 2017.
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The Flash slowed down long enough to appear in a new photo from the upcoming team-up flick “
It’s a wrap on filming