“The Flash” may be left in the dust by studio executives.
Warner Bros. is considering pulling the plug on its upcoming superhero flick as its star, Ezra Miller, continues to be in the news for a pattern of disturbing behavior that includes felony charges, a report from The Hollywood Reporter said.
The movie studio’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, has already shockingly scrapped “Batgirl” despite the film being completed.
The big-budget “The Flash” — estimated to have cost $200 million to make — is set to hit theaters on June 23, 2023, but Miller has been generating troubling headlines for the past year.
Miller, 29, was charged with felony burglary on Monday over missing bottles of alcohol from a local home in Stamford, Vt. A surveillance video led police to Miller, officials said.
Two days later, child services in Vermont said they were attempting to locate a mother and three children who have allegedly been residing at Miller’s “drug-and-gun-filled Vermont farmhouse,” according to Rolling Stone.
The “Perks of Being a Wallflower” actor was also arrested in Hawaii in March for disorderly conduct and in April for second-degree assault. Miller was accused of being the subject of 10 calls to 911 in less than a month while living in the Aloha State.
Ezra Miller’s mugshot when he was arrested in Hawaii earlier this year. APMiller was also involved in a bizarre incident earlier this year in which the star, who goes by they/them pronouns, allegedly groomed young girls in a cult-like situation, The Post previously reported.
All the bad publicity now has Warner Bros. preparing for three possible scenarios for the “The Flash” as pressure mounts for action, THR reported.
The first scenario calls for the actor to seek help and then do limited press for “The Flash,” including an interview explaining the erratic behavior, the report said. The movie would open in theaters as planned.
Even if Miller doesn’t get help, the publication said a second scenario could see the actor remaining on the sidelines when it comes to publicizing the film. Moving forward, Miller’s role would be recast.
The third scenario, if things get worse in terms of more allegations and charges, would involve the drastic measure of scrapping the movie — something that was once unheard of for a big-budget release but may be plausible after “Batgirl” got killed off.
Warner Bros. may pull “The Flash” as its star Ezra Miller faces mounting allegations and charges.©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett C
Warner Bros. is reportedly mulling a handful of options, including pulling “The Flash” as its star, Miller, keeps making headlines. ©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett CWarner Bros. did not return a request for comment.
Reps for Miller declined to comment when contacted by The Post.
At least one project has already distanced itself from Miller, THR said.
Earlier this week, the Salvador Dali Biopic “Daliland” excluded Miller from its press release in an announcement about its debut at the Toronto Film Festival. The actor plays a young version of the artist in the film, which also stars Ben Kingsley as an older version.
The firestorm surrounding Miller comes as Warner Bros. Discovery is banking on “The Flash” to bring in a windfall and usher in a new era for its DC Comics, mimicking the bonanza reaped by the rival Marvel universe.
Miller was charged with felony burglary earlier this week in Stamford, Vt. Getty ImagesDuring the company’s earnings call last week, WBD CEO David Zaslav revealed his strategy for its superhero movies while praising Miller’s flick.
“We have some great DC films coming up: ‘Black Adam,’ ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Flash,’” the CEO said. “And we’re working on all of those. We’re very excited about them. We’ve seen them. We think they’re terrific.”
The CEO, who is in the process of slashing costs and maximizing profits has taken an axe to the company’s costly film projects.
“We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,” he added, referring to “Batgirl.”
Zaslav decided to chop the completed “Batgirl,” starring “In the Heights” star Leslie Grace, to the outrage of many fans.
