Kevin Smith’s relationship to directing the work of others is long and complicated. There was a time when the idea was unpalatable to Smith. Years ago Smith directed the pilot for a show titled “Reaper” about a boy who on his twenty-first birthday finds out his parents have sold his soul to the devil, this seemed to have been an overall pleasant experience, though Smith speaks poorly of his experience with “Cop Out” a 2010 buddy cop movie starring Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis.
Smith has only directed his own work since then, up until earlier this year that is, when he was invited to direct an episode of “The Flash.” Smith has spoken at length about this experience in manic, infectious fashion. His love for the material is palpable and it shows. The writer/director has since expressed interest in sitting in the high seat on the set of “Arrow” and recently announced that he will be directing an upcoming episode of “Supergirl.”
Andrew Kreisberg told me the name of the episode is ‘Supergirl Lives.”
Smith’s catalogue has always been bedfellows with the comic book industry. The content and community make up a sizeable portion of most of the movies he makes and there are more than a few titles at your local brick and mortar bearing Smith’s moniker. While Smith might be a perfect director to man the helm of a favored comic property, he seemingly has no desire to commandeer the ship, content to be able to touch the world, to be a part of it.
While announcing the upcoming stint on “Supergirl” during a recent episode of one of Smith’s many podcasts, “Fatman on Batman,” Smith gets emotional when discussing the project, due mainly to the episode’s tentative title.
“Andrew Kreisberg (one of the creators and writers for the entire slate of DC television shows) told me the name of the episode is ‘Supergirl Lives.” The episode’s title is a nod to a script Smith wrote twenty years ago for a Superman movie that never was called “Superman Lives.” Smith famously tells the story of beginning on his Superman journey in “An Evening With Kevin Smith” relating hilariously how the movie ties to the steampunk Will Smith flick “Wild Wild West.”
Part One
Part Two
For Smith’s part, the cast and crew of “The Flash” equally enjoyed the experience. It seems, both from Smith’s movies and his podcasts that his primary objective in life is to spread happiness (did I mention he recently adopted a sick dog and is nursing it back to health?) and have a little fun. In this he succeeds and that energy transfers to those around him and through the airwaves making all involved better for the experience. In fact, Smith has already been invited back to the set of “The Flash” next season.