Ahead of the upcoming premiere date, Warner Bros Korea is all about promoting the movie The Flash.
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While it all seems harmless, the movie—and its full-blown promotions around Korea—has sparked a considerable amount of criticism from Korean movie-goers. This superhero film, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, stars Ezra Miller, an American star embroiled in multiple controversies since 2020.
In April 2020, Miller was caught on tape allegedly choking a woman and throwing her to the ground outside of a bar… In February 2022, Miller reportedly intimidated and verbally harassed a woman they were meeting with in Berlin, Germany… In March 2022, Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment at a karaoke bar in Hawaii, cited as yelling obscenities, grabbing a microphone from a woman, and lunging at another bar patron…
…In June 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported that the parents of 18-year-old Sioux teen Gibson Iron Eyes had obtained a protective order against Miller, accusing them of ‘psychologically manipulating, physically intimidating and endangering the safety and welfare of’ their child, who had reportedly run away with the actor… In June 2022, Rolling Stone reported that Miller was ‘hosting’ a 25-year-old mother and her three children at their Vermont property… The Daily Beast chronicled Miller’s interactions with a 12-year-old child in Massachusetts, whose mother alleged was being inappropriately targeted by the actor…
…In August 2022, Miller was arrested and charged with felony burglary in Vermont after allegedly entering private property and stealing several bottles of liquor.
— Mashable
Koreans have since expressed great concern toward Warner Bros Korea for pushing forward with the movie’s premiere…
https://twitter.com/WarnerBrosKorea/status/1664557466200461318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
A whole new kind of hero that we’ve all been waiting for.
Watch the exclusive trailer, available ONLY in Korea!
Flash to the theaters on June 14 to watch <The Flash>!
#TheFlash #June14 #DCComics #Batman
#Supergirl #EzraMiller #MichaelKeaton #SashaCalle— @WarnerBrosKorea/Twitter
…and some have even declared to protest The Flash with decisions not to watch the movie.
- “F*ck the pedophile.”
- “They’re the lead…?”
- “I can’t believe they’re still making movies and having those movies premiere without a problem.”
- “Do Americans just not care at all…?”
- “WTF?”
- “I thought the US is serious about protecting their minors or whatever. I guess not? To have someone like Ezra Miller get off the hook and keep making movies, right?”
- “I’m not going to watch this movie because of the lead… I was so confused when the movie started being promoted all over the place. Like, what the heck?”
- “How does it make sense for Ezra Miller to continue acting, though? I’m baffled. I’m never going to watch this movie.”
- “Wait. They were arrested for burglary, too?!”
- “Whaaat? I had no idea. I signed up for the premiere, but I don’t think I want to go now… I can’t believe someone so problematic is going to be shown as a superhero.”
It’s not all hate and disgust for Warner Bros Korea, though. The trailer has received positive reviews from Koreans who have high hopes for The Flash, regardless of Ezra Miller’s troubled life.
- “No other DCEU movie has made me wait this bad…”
- “People who went to the pre-release left such good reviews of the movie. So I’m sure it’s going to be a fun one. I can’t wait until June 14.”
- “From what I heard, this got such rave reviews that it had to be released despite the whole Ezra Miller thing. I have such high hopes now.”
- “This movie can’t go wrong, though. It’s going to be so good. I’m going to watch as soon as it gets released.”
- “This is insane. Like, insane in a good way! I’ll be watching as soon as it premieres.”
- “I’ve never been so excited for a DC movie before… It looks super interesting!”
In the past, regarding the lead’s controversies, production designer Paul Austerberry commented, “the upcoming DC Studios film will make people forget about star Ezra Miller’s crimes and legal issues.” Could Austerberry’s dream be coming true?
https://twitter.com/CBR/status/1653397571056857091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Possibly. As of now, The Flash remains on schedule to premiere on June 14.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time Warner Bros Korea got heat for distributing American movies. Read more about the time WBK “disrespected” the Barbie movie with its Korean-localized posters.
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