'The Flash': 'Dope' Actress Kiersey Clemons Top Choice for Female Lead

By Justin Kroll, Variety

The Flash director Rick Famuyiwa is already zeroing in on a familiar face for the DC film’s female lead.

Sources tell Variety that Famuyiwa’s top choice for the female lead in The Flash is Kiersey Clemons, who also starred in Famuyiwa’s critically acclaimed dramedy Dope.

Warner Bros. had no comment on the casting.

Related: ‘The Flash’ Movie Finds ‘Dope’ New Director

The film stars Ezra Miller, who first appeared as the superhero in WB’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

While details are still vague on who the character may be, insiders say it is likely to be Iris West, the tough-as-nails journalist and friend of Barry Allen, the alter ego of the Flash.

The Flash had to overcome the hurdle of replacing the film’s original director, Seth Grahame-Smith, who parted ways with the project over creative differences. The film, however, appears to be able to meet its start date. Production is expected to commence sometime this year.

The studio is keeping Smith’s most recent draft of the script, which is based on a treatment by Chris Miller and Phil Lord.

Clemons star has risen significantly since her breakout performance in Dope. Since the pic, she landed a role as one of Chloe Moretz’s sorority sisters in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising as well as one of the leads in Sony’s remake of Flatliners.