Director David Nutter Comments On Boarding CW’s THE FLASH Pilot

Frequent pilot director David Nutter – who helmed the pilots for Smallville and Arrow – was previously confirmed to be on board for The CW’s planned Flash spin-off. Now, he has discussed his involvement with the pilot. In an interview with DGA, Nutter reveals that he joined the project before he even saw the script. “Well, interestingly enough, this year is the first time I’ve said yes to a pilot before the script was finished. That was for The Flash [a spinoff from Arrow]. But I did that after having worked with Greg Berlanti on Jack & Bobby, and Andrew Kreisberg and Berlanti on the Arrow pilot, which was a wonderful experience. But beyond that, I only go with my gut instincts. I hear a lot of pitches, but I wait until I read the script, which has been the bottom line for me. I don’t really care who’s producing or if a person [is] a big name; I can’t look at that. If it’s not on the page, I can’t formulate it. ” 

The director then talks about his interest in the comic book world that he developed from a young age, naming The Flash specifically as a character he liked. “My father died when I was a year-and-a-half old and my mother raised me as a single parent. I lived in West Virginia and the one thing I used to do as a child was buy comic books. I would cut out the characters, and their angles, and how they looked and so forth, and create my own characters for these stories. I’d have Captain America, or Iron Man, or The Flash, or Superman, and I’d create my own stories.” For DGA’s full interview with Nutter, click the link above. 

The Flash will see Grant Gustin reprise his role as Barry Allen from Arrow, and the pilot will feature the debut of him in the Flash costume. Casting for Iris West and other roles are underway, with production scheduled for the spring. If picked up for a full series, which is likely, it’s expected to air on The CW next fall.