<em>The Flash</em> Was on Life Support—Then the Muschietti Siblings Stepped In
The Flash, DC Comics’ speedy superhero, has plenty of costumed enemies, but for many years, the speedster’s biggest nemeses have been the people trying to make his movie. A solo picture has been in the works since 2014, when Ezra Miller was cast as the character. Originally set for release in 2018, and attached to multiple directors during what became a lengthy production process, the project has evolved from hot ticket to hot potato, bedeviled by rewrites, the changing demands of DC’s cinematic universe, and a mountain of disturbing allegations against its lead actor.
But if nonetheless resonates with audiences, much of that will have to do with Andy and Barbara Muschietti, a brother-and-sister creative team (he directs; she produces) who have some experience with troubled Hollywood productions. A few years ago, they concluded—a box-office sensation that somehow found a coherent narrative in the gleeful chaos of King’s 1,100-page, decades-spanning horror novel while also managing to be fun and zippy. After the hectic development of , they’ve achieved something similar, taking a property that seemed cursed and somehow delivering a breezy and charming film.
