The Flash’s director,AndyMuschietti, thinks he knows whyThe Flashfailed at the box office.
As a guest on the showLa Baulera del Coso, on Radio Tu, Muschietti said:
[Translated ] The Flash failed, among all the other reasons, because it wasn’t a movie that appealed to all four quadrants. It failed at that. When you spend $200 million making a movie, [Warner Bros.] wants to bring even your grandmother to the theaters. I’ve found in private conversations that a lot of people just don’t care about the Flash as a character. Particularly the two female quadrants. All of that is just the wind going against the film, I’ve learned.
Muschietti also briefly acknowledged the PR woes that engulfed lead-actorEzra Millerahead of the film’s release and how that impacted audience interest.
The Flashgrossed $271 million worldwide but had a budget of $200 million. That doesn’t include marketing costs.
What Are The Four Quadrants?
What was Muschietti referring to when he said “four quadrants”?
I’m going to give you four movie concepts. Try and figure out which one would appeal to each quadrant.
A successful four-quadrant movie might be something like the Harry Potter films. Or, more recently,Nosferatu.A Complete Unknownbeing about Bob Dylan would bring in the over-25 crowd, while Timotheé Chalamet would appeal to the under-25 crowd.
Our Take On Andy Muschietti’s Comments
I’ll say it. I think Muschietti’s making excuses. Just because a movie hits four quadrants doesn’t mean it will be a box office success. Just look at another DC movie:Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetlehad a budget of $100 million but only grossed $130.8 at the box office. It starred a young actor with star-power in Xolo Maridueña, and heavily featured the character’s family, to the point where the grandmother is a key contributor in the big final fight. It’s a movie that’s expertly crafted for four-quadrant appeal. Xolo’s love interest was played by Brazilian actor, model, and influencer Bruna Marquezine, who has over 45 million Instagram followers.
Xolo didn’t have the same controversies as Ezra. The movie was better-positioned thanFlash. But it also didn’t do well.
I would argue that both movies suffered from what every bad superhero movie suffers from: lackluster scripts and cartoonish filmmaking.
The Flash Has One Of The Most Underwhelming Climaxes Ever
I didn’t like the part where Barry said, “It’s Flashin' time”
The most beloved superhero movies tend to take the material somewhat seriously—The Dark Knight,Endgame/Infinity War,Spider-Man: No Way Home,Blade 2,X2,Logan,Black Panther,Joker,Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,Watchmen.
While the most disliked tend to be goofy.Ant-Man: Quantumania,Spider-Man 3,Thor: Love & Thunder,Hancock,Wonder Woman 1984,X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The Flashwas goofy. It didn’t matter if it appealed to one quadrant or four. The lack of quality was the issue.
Muschietti’s supposed to direct the DCU’s first Batman movie,The Brave and the Bold.
