After years of numerous discussions, rumors, and shutdowns, it’s official: Clayface, a fan favorite villain of the Caped Crusader, is finally debuting on the silver screen next September! The film is directed by James Watkins, known for his films Eden Lake (2008) and Speak No Evil (2024), and written by modern horror legend, Mike Flanagan, known for Doctor Sleep (2019) and Midnight Mass (2021) with rewrites by Hossein Amini, who’s known for The Wings of the Dove (1997) and Drive (2011).
The upcoming film stars relative newcomer Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, an up-and-coming actor disfigured in a horrific assault who turns to a fringe, Elizabeth Holmes-esque scientist, portrayed by Naomi Ackie, to heal him, resulting in him becoming a horrific, shape-changing monster. Clayface was first brought up by Flanagan in January of 2021, after being asked by a fan account on Twitter which character from DC he would like to make a movie about. “Well, I’ve wanted to do a Superman movie since I was a kid, but I would be really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy,” he responded. On an episode of the Script Apart podcast, he spoke about how he had pitched the movie to DC Films producer Jon Berg, and how his meeting “kind of went nowhere.” In a later interview, Flanagan revealed that his screenplay was heavily inspired by the ‘Feat of Clay’ two-parter from Batman: The Animated Series (1992).
The film was in a nebulous space for the next couple of years, and the character of Clayface was rumored to be appearing in Matt Reeves’s The Batman: Part II (2027), which was unconnected from the previous slate of DC films and appeared in the animated series Creature Commandos (2024), which was part of the new DC Studios series of projects. During this time, Flanagan and his Intrepid Pictures partner, Trevor Macy, met with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran with his pitch for the film. Though it was first considered speculation, the film was officially greenlit in December of 2024 as part of the new DCU. Gunn explained that he “didn’t plan on making a Clayface movie,” but was won over by the script. After searching for a director due to Flanagan’s commitment to other projects, the film finally began pre-production.
James Watkins was ultimately chosen to direct the film, and casting began afterward. The first name thought of was Alan Tudyk, who had previously voiced the character on Creature Commandos (2024), but Gunn said that Tudyk would not return to play him, due to it not being his “primary role.” Many actors were rumored to have been in the running, the first being Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame, who was rumored by the controversial journalist Jeff Sneider. Other names included George MacKay (known for 1917 and Private Peaceful) and Jack O’Connell (known for Sinners and Skins), before Tom Rhys Harries was chosen. Naomi Ackie was confirmed to have been cast in August alongside Max Minghella as her character’s love interest, a Gotham police detective.
Principal photography began in late August of 2025, in Liverpool, under the film’s working title ‘Corinthians.’ Location shooting took place in the Liverpool city centre, and prop cars were spotted at the former Mersey Police headquarters. All within the same day, more and more of Liverpool was being transformed into Gotham City, with buildings in Derby Square, parts of North John Street, and the Liverpool Central Library doubling for Gotham’s architecture. During the scenes’ filming, fans in the local area began spotting these changes, one of which showcased that actor Eddie Marsan had joined the cast in an unknown role. Filming later moved to New Brighton, where the set for Amusement Mile, a fictional carnival from the DC mythos, was built. More leaked photos show us even more, such as the mangled face of Matt Hagen, references to characters like The Penguin, The Joker, and Nightwing, and even footage of Harries running from an in-universe film premiere and referencing Nosferatu upon a large set of stairs.
Whether you are a fan of Batman and his iconic rogues gallery, a fan of body horror, or just wanting a new movie to see, this is a film with so much potential and talent, and I guarantee you, buying a ticket won’t be a mistake!
