UPDATE: On August 16, 2022,Ezra Miller apologized for their “past behavior"and said they would beseeking treatment for “complex mental health issues.“A complete timeline of Miller’s controversies can be found here.
Warner Bros. is likely weighing its options when it comes to whetherThe Flashwill see the light of day amidrising controversiessurrounding its starEzra Miller, according to an industry expert.
The 29-year-old actor, who uses they/them pronouns, has already completed filming the DC project, which reportedly cost an estimated $200 million so far to make.
After some postponements,The Flashis currently set to hit theaters June 23, 2023, though a string of compounding legal troubles in recent months for Miller may affect the film’s release.
“It’s a huge investment, and the last thing Warner Bros. wants to do is have this [movie] go away,” Gary Rosen, a crisis management PR expert, tells PEOPLE. “For this to go on the shelf would be an enormous loss. I would think they want this movie to come out. And since it’s not scheduled to come out until June 2023, there’s time.”
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Ezra Miller as The Flash (L); Ezra Miller.Everett; Roy Rochlin/Getty
Rosen says Warner Bros. is likely “playing wait-and-see” at the moment. “Right now,” he says, “Warner Bros. does not have to make any decision. I would advise Warner Bros. to hold tight. We’re around 10 months away from a release. They really don’t have to make a decision right now unless something really tragic were to happen, which we don’t want.”
Spokespersons for Warner Bros. and reps for Miller did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during the company’s Q2 earnings call that the creative team has “seen” a cut ofThe Flashand other completed DC moviesand “are very excited about them.“He added, “We think they are terrific, and we think we can make them even better.”
Ezra Miller as The Flash.Clay Enos/Warner Bros.
That came after the studiocanceled a nearly-doneBatgirlmovie, cutting its losses and not planning to release it on streaming or in theaters. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery explained, “The decision to not releaseBatgirlreflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.”
The actor debuted as The Flash in 2016’sBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and reprised the role in 2017’sJustice League. Earlier this year, Miller appeared in the thirdFantastic Beastsmovie for Warner Bros.
source: people.com
