The Flash (film)

The Flash
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAndy Muschietti
Screenplay byChristina Hodson
Story by
Based onCharacters from DC
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyHenry Braham
Edited by
Music byBenjamin Wallfisch
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
Running time
144 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$200–220 million[4][5]
Box office$271.3 million[6]

The Flash is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash. Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and a story by Joby Harold and the writing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, it is the 13th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Ezra Miller stars as Barry, who travels back in time to prevent his mother's death and becomes stranded in an alternate past. Sasha Calle also stars in her film debut, alongside Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.

Development of a film based on the Flash began in the late 1980s, with multiple writers and directors attached to the project through 2014. The film was then redeveloped as a part of the DCEU, with Miller cast as the title character. Multiple directors were attached to the film over the following years, with Seth Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, and the duo of Daley and Goldstein all departing the project over creative differences. Muschietti and Hodson joined the film in July 2019, and pre-production began in January 2020. The film is influenced by the comic book storyline Flashpoint (2011), featuring other DC characters, such as Calle's Supergirl and multiple versions of Batman, including Keaton's portrayal. Filming took place from April to October 2021 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden and on location around the United Kingdom.

The Flash premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 12, 2023, and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on June 16, following multiple delays caused by the director changes and the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its humor, action sequences, and the performances, but criticized the visual effects and third act. It was also a box-office bomb, grossing $271.3 million worldwide against a budget of $200–220 million. Its box office performance was attributed to factors such as Miller's legal issues and controversies, the franchise's imminent reboot with the DC Universe (DCU), an overall decline of the superhero genre, and the film's mixed reception and marketing practices.

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