DC Films' THE FLASH Loses DOPE Director Rick Famuyiwa

More trouble is brewing behind the scenes at DC Films.

The Hollywood Reporter brings word that director Rick Famuyiwa, who was set to direct Warner Bros./DC Films' The Flash, has dropped out of the project due to "creative differences." The director previously helmed Dope, a coming of age movie that was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. He released a statement about leaving the superhero film:

When I was approached by Warner Bros and DC about the possibility of directing The Flash, I was excited about the opportunity to enter this amazing world of characters that I loved growing up, and still do to this day.

I was also excited to work with Ezra Miller, who is a phenomenal young actor. I pitched a version of the film in line with my voice, humor, and heart. While it’s disappointing that we couldn’t come together creatively on the project, I remain grateful for the opportunity. I will continue to look for opportunities to tell stories that speak to a fresh generational, topical, and multicultural point of view. I wish Warner Brothers, DC, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns, and Ezra Miller all the best as they continue their journey into the speed force.

So much for DC Films being "filmmaker-driven," huh? This is the second director for this project alone; writer Seth Grahame-Smith was originally on board to direct before he parted ways.

Look, it would be easy to sit here and make snarky comments about the perceived inner workings of DC and how this announcement makes it appear as if they don't know what the hell they're doing over there, but Flash fans are probably reeling right now, so I'll avoid that line of thinking for now. The report says that because of Famuyiwa's departure, the film (which was originally scheduled to hit theaters on March 16, 2018) will likely be delayed because Miller has another movie to shoot next summer. (Filming on this was supposed to begin in March of 2017.)

The report also claims that Famuyiwa's take was too edgy for the studio, which could be indicative of a drastically different creative direction inside DC Films. Everyone knows Man of Steel, BVS, and Suicide Squad were pretty grim, and the studio went out of its way to try to convince press that Justice League will have a much lighter tone. It sounds like Famuyiwa may have wanted something a little darker, but the studio could be taking a page out of the TV playbook and wanting to give audiences a version of The Flash with a bit more levity. We'll see how this plays out, but what do you think about the director leaving the project? Who should step in to take his place?