Andy Muschietti Is On To Direct 'The Brave and the Bold' Batman Movie Despite A Polarizing Reaction To 'The Flash' And Its Odd VFX
Mathew Tsang. Getty Images.[Variety]
"Andy Muschietti is officially suiting up to direct a new Batman film, Variety can report exclusively. The film is one of several new DC Studios titles mapped out by leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran earlier this year.
"Muschietti, behind this weekend’s superhero release 'The Flash,' will direct 'Batman: The Brave and the Bold.' The project is based on the comic series authored by Grant Morrison, who Gunn called 'exceptionally influential' on in the DC Universe in January. The comics imagine a 'Bat family,' where Bruce Wayne’s biological son Damian serves as Robin to his dad’s Batman."
Really, really, really interesting development here. Andy Muschietti had been heavily rumored and speculated to be involved in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but now we have confirmation just as The Flash releases in theaters.
Here's what co-DC Studios chief executives James Gunn and Peter Safran had to say about Muschietti taking the reins of the Caped Crusader's upcoming flick, per the Variety report:
"We saw 'The Flash'; even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan…It’s a magnificent film – funny, emotional, thrilling – and Andy’s affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for 'The Brave and the Bold,' there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes."
Pretty strong words there from Gunn and Safran for a superhero tentpole that's steadily dropped in recent days to a respectable-but-not-Certified Fresh 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. Check out Kenjac's review, by the way:
For all the positive buzz that Muschietti's latest film had early on, it seems like critics and the general public are turning on Barry Allen's first big-screen solo adventure. Michael Keaton's return as Batman lacked the depth and gravitas some people expected. Ezra Miller's off-set behavior alienated at least a decent chunk of would-be moviegoers, which is liable to hurt the box office numbers. Then, obviously, James Gunn is rebooting the entire DC Universe, and The Flash was more or less meant to reset everything. That can detract from The Flash's dramatic weight in and of itself.
…But perhaps the biggest point of contention about The Flash actually has to do with the bizarre visual effects in certain parts of the movie. Without spoiling anything since today is the day of its release, I'll simply direct you to Muschietti's remarks about the strange VFX from a recent Gizmodo interview:
"The idea, of course, is…we are in the perspective of the Flash…Everything is distorted in terms of lights and textures. We enter this 'waterworld' which is basically being in Barry’s POV. It was part of the design so if it looks a little weird to you that was intended."
I also got to see The Flash yesterday…I don't know. Maybe I was just in a really chill mood or have a million other things distracting my brain so as not to get too pissed off at a superhero movie. Or perhaps it's an oversaturation of those sorts of films that left me a little more, um…readily pliable? I know which particular VFX are being called in question. It didn't bother me that much, or take me out of it.
To be honest, I went into the theater with lowered expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised. Ezra Miller crushed his dual-role performance. Say what you want about them. The humor landed with me way more often than, say, many of the recent Marvel offerings. The storytellers broke down time travel and the multiverse in a different way than I've ever seen before. That was refreshing, even if it didn't make 100% sense (what does in time travel?). Lots of heart and emotion throughout.
Best comic book movie ever? Nah, not by a long shot. On par with The Dark Knight? Nope. Better than most I've seen recently, though. Worry not, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was farrrrrr superior.
This is what happens these days: You must have a TAKE and it must be as strong as possible so as to create a polarizing dynamic to stir debate. I had some problems with The Flash's final act, how the big external conflict wrapped up, and the lack of resolution for multiple main supporting characters. AND. I really liked a lot of things about it.
Saying all that to say this: Andy Muschietti is a fine filmmaker. Everyone's going to overreact to him getting the nod for Batman: The Brave and the Bold and say the sky is falling because of how The Flash turned out. Try to bear in mind that Flash was one of the most beleaguered productions in the whole fucking history of Hollywood. I don't recall seeing a single project change creative hands more often than that one. Hell, at one point, Ezra Miller was co-writing the screenplay with comic book legend Grant Morrison. That was, like, the fifth iteration of however many and Warner Bros gave them two weeks to hammer it out.
Muschietti turned in a solid Flash after all the chaos around that character. Before that, he took an unwieldy, borderline impossible novel to adapt in Stephen King's epic It, split it into only two parts, and made Warner Bros. a lot of money. Not bad for a guy with exactly one feature film under his belt to that point.
Just saying, maybe consider the bigger picture of The Flash, the hits that are on Muschietti's resume to date, and consider that with a longer runway, he might actually nail this new DCU Batman and Bat family. The action that Keaton's Batman got in The Flash was pretty awesome. Stands to reason Muschietti can crank that up even more with a slightly more youthful Bruce Wayne. We shall see.