© Warner Bros./Courtesy of Everett C
“The Flash” is set to sweep through CinemaCon 2023, where Warner Bros. Pictures will screen the superhero blockbuster at the cinema owners’ annual convention in April, multiple sources told Variety.
Showing the film in this capacity is another mark for Warner Bros.’ passionate support for the project, which has saddled with controversy over the problems surrounding star Ezra Miller. It’s the first full screening of The Flash, which hits theaters June 16.
CinemaCon takes place in Las Vegas from April 24th to 27th. Big studios typically bring sizzle-reels, first-look trailers, and celebrity trots to the annual gathering, which serves to get exhibitors excited about the films they’ll be bringing to their shows’ screens in the coming year.
Screening of a finished film usually goes beyond the bounds of this crowd, which is packed with cineplex honchos and theater executives looking to mingle with Hollywood insiders. Last year, Paramount dedicated its hour-long presentation to the first full screening of Tom Cruise’s blockbuster sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, which played like gangbusters in cinema owners’ rooms before becoming a box-office sensation.
Warner Bros. is still expected to make a formal presentation in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, allowing The Flash to play late afternoon April 25 after the studio announced its upcoming film slate.
Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
The Flash is a remnant of a former DC Films regime, but internal reception is apparently so strong that it has the full support of new studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. Gunn recently dubbed the film “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” noting that Miller’s path forward as the Scarlet Speedster would be based solely on her recovery from ongoing emotional issues.
“Ezra is fully committed to her recovery,” Safran said at the time. “And we fully support this journey that they are on right now.”
In recent years, Miller has exhibited troubling behavior that has led to legal troubles and allegations of assault and abuse. In mid-January, the actor pleaded guilty to unlawful trespassing in a Vermont burglary count. They face a one-year suspended sentence and a $500 fine. In addition to the Vermont incident, Miller was caught on camera engaging in aggression against Hawaii police and appeared to a fan at a bar in Iceland in 2020.
Miller, who identifies as non-binary and uses she/them pronouns, has self-described mental health issues and has addressed ongoing concerns about her behavior.
“Having recently gone through a period of intense crisis, I now understand that I suffer from complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller said in the summer. “I would like to apologize to anyone I have alarmed and upset with my behavior in the past. I am committed to doing the work necessary to return me to a healthy, safe and productive phase in my life.”
Andy Muschietti directed The Flash, which also stars Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton (both returning as their respective Batmans), Kiersey Clemmons and Michael Shannon.