The Flash is one of those comic character where a movie version has been stuck in development hell for so long, it’s difficult to believe it’s ever going to actually happen. However with Warner and DC fully merging last year, they promised this would mean the studio would have more control over the characters and could shepherd comic based projects to the big screen more efficiently. And it would seem that’s what’s happening with The Flash.
THR spoke to Warner chairman and CEO Barry Meyer, who told them the studio was ‘nearing’ a greenlight for The Flash and that films featuring Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Mad magazine characters are also still in development. It’s particularly good news for Wonder Woman fans, as that film has got near the starting gate numerous, before falling apart, but it seems Warner is now serious and really wants to make the most of the DC properties. As yet, there’s no news of a director for The Flash, although a few months ago Greg Berlanti (Life As We Know It, the Green Lantern screenplay) was mooted for the job, while Dan Mazeau was on scripting duties.
It appears the DC properties are becoming increasingly important to Warner, not just because Marvel has had so much success on the big screen in recent years, while they’re only really had Batman, but also because with Harry Potter ending next year, the studio knows they’ve got a massive hole to fill in their roster of blockbuster franchises.
Incidentally, Meyer also mentioned they’re planning a Green Lantern animated series for Cartoon Network, to be launched after the Ryan Reynolds starring film arrives in cinemas, and he also confirmed that Sherlock Holmes 2 will arrive in cinemas December 2011 (which everyone had pretty much guessed already).