Screen Junkies brings word today that Back to the Future‘s Robert Zemeckis has entered early talks to helm The Flash for Warner Bros.
Following the back-to-back departure of Seth Grahame-Smith and Dope helmer Rick Famuyiwa, Barry Allen’s solo movie entered a state of limbo to the extent that the Powers That Be quickly ordered a total overhaul of the film’s screenplay. Casting the net in search of a replacement director has been the next port of call, and though he was seemingly one of the many filmmakers shortlisted for Suicide Squad 2, three weeks ago Jonathan Levine‘s name became attached to The Flash. Alas, one would assume that Levine has since dropped out of the race based on this new development, with Zemeckis emerging as the new (and possibly final?) frontrunner.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it’s important to place Screen Junkies’ scoop under the microscope for further inspection. This isn’t an outlet known for breaking news – particular an announcement of this magnitude – which has resulted in some notable Twitter accounts calling the veracity of the scoop into question.
Does Screen Junkies (YouTube channel) break news? They say Robert Zemeckis is in talks to direct The Flash. @TheInSneider @elmayimbe
— Batman-News.com (@BatmanNewsCom) April 27, 2017
Not true. NOT in talks. He took a meeting and that is it. They're still meeting with other directors. https://t.co/I6jcXsmcVa
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) April 27, 2017
TheWrap reporter and all-around Internet sleuth Umberto Gonzalez weighed in on the matter, too, claiming that at least so far, Warner Bros. has only held a meeting with Robert Zemeckis with regards to The Flash, and that the decorated filmmaker is one of many directors in contention for the coveted gig. The saga continues, then, but with Justice League looming on the horizon (November 17th), surely it won’t be too much longer before the fate of the DCEU’s Scarlet Speedster has been decided? We’ll keep you posted as this story unfolds.
In closing, Robert Zemeckis is the latest director to purportedly have his named linked with The Flash solo movie. It’s by no means a done deal, nor does it mean that the Back to the Future helmer is the only horse in the race, but you can share your knee-jerk reaction in the usual spot below.