Ezra Miller May Not Do Press For “The Flash” Because It’s Not A “PR-Driven Film”
After Ezra Miller went on a tour of terror by allegedly assaulting, abusing, kidnapping, grooming, stealing, and harassing the populace, they checked into a treatment facility and tried apologizing a bunch of times. But despite all the bad press and legal issues, Warner Bros’ big DC movie, The Flash, starring Ezra, is finally coming out this summer. The movie premiered last week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, where Ezra was praised for their work in the film. Audiences in Vegas also loved the movie. Even other execs had to grudgingly give props to the film. But what’s gonna happen when Ezra has to actually talk to journalists during a press tour? Well, don’t worry–a DC exec says The Flash isn’t a PR-driven movie. Reminder: it had a Super Bowl commercial. But sure, Jan–we believe you.
Vulture says that test audiences have been loving The Flash since they started test screenings, but CinemaCon was the first time the movie was going to be seen by people who were going to talk about it, and at least Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ executive vice-president of domestic theatrical distribution, was nervous and admitted to them his “stomach had been in knots for hours” before the premiere. Just wait for how knotted his stomach gets when Ezra Miller is in front of a reporter next–save some anxiety for then, buddy!
Following The Flash’s screening at CinemaCon, reporters and people at the screening took to social media to rave about it. An exec from a competing studio even got sassy with Vulture about the movie getting so much praise.
Immediately following the screening, an executive from a competing studio gave The Flash backhanded compliments as a corrective to the commercial underperformance of the DCEU’s most recent entries: October’s Black Adam and the franchise-killing Shazam! Fury of the Gods. “Audiences want nostalgia, and they want feel-good. Execution is less important,” this exec said. “The Flash is like Spider-Man: No Way Home in that it has the right amount of nostalgia, which the fans love, and the right amount of feel-good. This is DC righting the ship.”
Other people at the event had less backhanded things to say about the film:
#TheFlash is fantastic. I know Ezra Miller has made a lot of mistakes but they are soooooo good in this movie. Loved Keaton, the action, humor and emotion. Andy Muschietti has crafted something special. Thumbs way up.
WB didn’t show the after the credits scenes. pic.twitter.com/J8KsdrKVwz
— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 26, 2023
DC’s #TheFlash is TREMENDOUS! Forget DC, it is without a doubt among the best superhero films ever made. An all-timer. Inventive storytelling, FANTASTIC action sequences, great cast. SO MANY nerdy details. I’m in tears at the end. Everything you want from a superhero film & more pic.twitter.com/xYSn0zuXMm
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) April 26, 2023
After the screening, Vulture also caught up with the co-chairperson and CEO of the Warner Bros. film group, Mike DeLuca, and asked about how Ezra would fare doing promo for such a big movie when everyone thinks they’re a predatory abuser:
I asked if the studio had a plan in place for how they were going to speak to the press. “In a weird way, it’s not a PR-driven film,” DeLuca said. “So we don’t necessarily have to put Ezra out in front of its push. They’re doing really well these days. We’ll see how they’re doing closer to release.”
I’m sure that when Ezra met with the Warner execs last year to “reaffirm their commitment” to the movie, a part of it was making sure Ezra says as little as humanly possible during the release of this film. What big-budget film on EARTH is not a PR-driven film!? What Mike means is that everyone is already talking about the movie enough already, and they don’t need to add to the already-raging shitstorm.
Pic: John Nacion/Startraksphoto