DC Studios has found a director for their Clayface movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, James Watkins will helm the story of an actor who injects himself with a substance that eventually allows his shape to change. The character is mostly known as one of Batman’s many villain. But even if that connection has defined that character for many years in the pages of DC Comics, it remains to be seen if the movie’s narrative will be isolated and away from The Dark Knight.
Clayface has been in development for a long time. Mike Flanagan was hired by the studio to write the screenplay for the feature, after the artist directed Doctor Sleep for Warner Bros. a few years ago. Flanagan has built a career out of mastering the horror genre. The director has developed plenty of horror television series for Netflix, including The Haunting of Hill House and the recent Fall of the House of Usher. It made perfect sense for DC Studios to hire Flanagan for a project that would be rooted in the horror genre. Years after making a statement thanks to his television shows, Mike Flanagan is ready to take the new DCU to horrifying heights.
James Watkins will be taking on Clayface after working on Speak No Evil. The recent horror thriller presented James McAvoy as Paddy, a serial killer who lures people he meets on vacation in order to trap them in his home. The movie received positive reviews and quickly became a profitable endeavor for Universal Pictures. Taking into account how Speak No Evil was capable of keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, it made sense for James Gunn and Peter Safran to consider James Watkins‘ pitch for Clayface. The titular role hasn’t been cast, though in his debut in Creature Commandos, the character was briefly voiced by Alan Tudyk (who not only also voices Dr. Phosphorus in the show, but also voices Clayface in the non-DCU animated series Harley Quinn). The project is aiming to start principal photography later this year, which is why more information surrounding Clayface should be making its way to the internet in the coming months.
The DC Universe Takes Over the Big Screen
Clayface is only one of the stories Warner Bros. is working on in order to launch a new DC Universe. Creature Commandos was the first story set in the franchise, with the animated series giving audiences a taste of what to expect from this world. This summer’s Superman will be the first theatrical release of the new DC Universe. After Clark Kent (David Corenswet) saves Metropolis from a powerful threat, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will allow a different Kryptonian to make her way to the big screen.
Clayface will be released in theaters on September 11, 2026.
via Collider