The studio had started courting various directors to helm the film in 2017, and they finally decided on Goldstein and Daley earlier this year. WB was especially interested in the pair after they achieved critical acclaim for writing the story for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming as well as directing WB’s latest comedy, Game Night. Unfortunately, the deal between them and the studio wasn’t finalized… until now. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are confirmed to direct DC’s Flashpoint movie.
This news comes on the heels of The Flash solo film reportedly being scheduled to start filming later this year after Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 2 gets underway. It will be based on DC’s Flashpoint comic book crossover series from 2011 – written by current DC Films co-chief Geoff Johns – which follows Flash as he travels back in time and prevents the Reverse-Flash from murdering his mother, thus sending the entire DC Universe into an alternate timeline, known as Flashpoint, in which the Amazons and Atlanteans are at war, Kal-El never became Superman, and Thomas Wayne was Batman, amongst other things.
If Flashpoint finally does enter production this year, it’s possible that the film may end up in one of WB’s 2020 release dates. But the film’s production schedule depends entirely upon what Goldstein and Daley plan on doing with the film’s current script, which was recently rewritten by King Arthur scribe Joby Harold. If the duo plans on rewriting parts of the script themselves, then there might be a slight delay in getting the film off the ground. If not, then Flashpoint might actually start rolling cameras this fall.
The bigger question that the WB has not considered is whether the film should be made. One of the criticisms of the Zack Snyder’s approach in establishing the DC Cinematic Universe is that he tried to do too much with Batman V Superman without setting the groundwork for the characters first. While the Man of Steel which established the character Superman, Batman V Superman introduced Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, the Flash, and Aquaman. The big three were featured Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman with a short clip of Aquaman, Flash and the making of Cyborg with the Mother Box.
Snyder tried to mix a Frank Miller story about an older Dark Knight with the Doomsday story about the death of Superman and failed to make us care for the heroes that we barely knew. I left the theater empty and wondering what Snyder was trying to accomplish. It was way too early in the DC Cinematic universe for a huge complicated story even with these iconic DC heroes involved.
With Snyder not involved anymore why is the studio creating a Flashpoint story about time travel and a very complicated series of events that in the original story changed everything in the pre 52 Universe of comics? We hardly know this version of the Flash and he is inexperienced as a superhero. We found out that one thing in Justice League. We literally have seen Flash on film for less than an hour and now we are going to see the biggest event in DC history since Crisis on Infinite Earths. It does not make sense to me.
A Flash film should show us Barry Allen and how he is adjusting to life as the Flash and introduce the supporting cast with a couple of villains who put him in compromising positions and develop the wonderful character called the Flash so we get to know him. What’s the hurry unless DC Films wants to change or reboot the Cinematic Universe as it stands? They need more discipline in advancing multiple superheroes in a big story like Flashpoint. Maybe down the road, they can do something of this magnitude in filmmaking.
The success in making movies is made through good stories about people we are invested in because of how they are portrayed on film not just because they are superheroes or have abilities. There are established traits and a track record of the great characters that make us admire these iconic fictional people. Entertain us with something special that fulfills our need to see them on screen and you will have success.
I hope I am wrong in my assessment of the movie Flashpoint and I sincerely wish the studio success in putting together a great movie that moviegoers will enjoy but I wonder if they have learned from their mistakes in the past. Stay tuned for more and join us regularly at Comics Talk. 🙂 Walt
With all that is coming from Marvel Studios these days I don’t think people can get into what DC Flims is doing.