The Flash director Andy Muschietti has confirmed rumours that Tom Cruise called him out of the blue to praise the Ezra Miller-led superhero movie.
A report emerged back in March that the Mission: Impossible star had seen a preview of the forthcoming DC Studios film and loved it.
Producer Barbara Muschietti told GamesRadar+ in a new interview: “It’s a very cynical industry, and to hear people that really have no skin in the game, because they have nothing to gain, just say something that lovely. In the case of Tom Cruise, he called us, talked for 15 minutes, praising Andy, praising the film, and it just feels very good because we really work very hard to make these movies.”
Muschietti added: “[We got] more confidence in the thing that we did, because the movie was finished by the time that [Cruise] saw it, so it was a confidence boost if anything.”
The movie has won a number of fans already including famed horror author Stephen King who called it “special” and DC’s co-CEO James Gunn, who said it was “probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made”.
However, in The Independent’s three-star review, critic Clarisse Loughrey called it a “morally tricky” film to enjoy due to its star’s legal troubles.
Miller was involved in a string of controversies in the run-up to the film’s release, which culminated in multiple arrests and reports of erratic behaviour stretching from Hawaii to Vermont.
The actor, who uses they/them pronouns, alluded to their legal troubles at The Flash’s Hollywood premiere on Monday (12 June).
According to Variety, Miller thanked the DC team – including Gunn and his co-CEO Peter Safran, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Warner Bros Film Group bosses Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy – for “your grace and discernment and care in the context of my life”.
The actor also thanked them for “bringing this moment to fruition”, seemingly addressing the film’s many delays amid a threat of a boycott by fans.
Speaking to director Andy Muschietti, Miller said: “I love you, maestro. I think you’re amazing, and I think your work is monumental.”
The Flash is out in cinemas on 16 June.
