One of the things that might get overlooked as audience members sit down for The Flash is the fact that Ezra Miller is giving two completely different performances as Barry Allen in the time-traveling thriller. As you can tell from the trailers that have played before The Flash opens this weekend, Barry Allen manages to travel back through time, where he runs into a younger version of himself. And Miller played both iterations of the classic DC hero, only, they filmed their performances months apart. Which is remarkable, when you watch the comedic timing between the two Barrys, the unique way that they interact in fight sequences, and just the way the characters play off of each other throughout the story.
The effect is seamless. And we understood how difficult it must have been to pull off during production. So when we got the chance to sit down with The Flash director Andy Muschietti and his producer/sister Barbara Muschietti, we asked if the root of the chemistry between the two Ezra Miller performances was captured on the set, or in the edit. And Andy explained to us:
It was only when we got Andy Muschietti as a guest on the ReelBlend podcast that he had the time to elaborate even further on the process of creating dual Barrys. It was amusing for Muschietti to call out an old Michael Keaton movie, Multiplicity, as Keaton is a major part of The Flash, returning to his role as Batman.
Getting far more technical, Andy Muschietti explained to ReelBlend:
But it wasn’t something as simple as layering two performances next to each other. Barbara Muschietti went on to elaborate:
That’s insane. According to the Muschiettis, the volume capture footage was so detailed, thanks to 360-degree cameras worn on Ed Wade’s head, that Ezra Miller could SEE their earlier performance reflected back at them, allowing themselves the chance to literally play off of themselves. Or be two Barrys. Hollywood is amazing.
I hope that answers one of your questions with regards to The Flash. We also have discussed whether or not the new movie honors the SnyderVerse, and also where it fits into the grand scheme of the upcoming DC movies… many of which will change once James Gunn implements his growing content plan.