DC Studios is diving deep into the horror genre with its upcoming Clayface movie, promising a terrifying origin story for the classic Batman villain.
During a recent presentation, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran revealed that cameras will roll on Clayface this summer, with Speak No Evil helmer James Watkins currently in talks to direct from a screenplay by horror master Mike Flanagan. “This is an amazing body horror film that reveals a compelling origin of a classic Batman villain,” Safran teased.
Safran doesn’t believe Clayface’s relative obscurity will hinder the impact of the movie. “Clayface is not as widely known as Penguin or Joker, but we think his story is equally resonant and thrilling and, frankly, even more terrifying,” he stated in front of a group of journalists.
Mike Flanagan’s Clayface script made the project happen
DC’s James Gunn echoed Safran’s enthusiasm while discussing the origin of the Clayface movie. “We had no plans on making a Clayface movie,” the filmmaker admitted. “Mike came in and he pitched the Clayface movie, and it was great.” He noted that while having a talented filmmaker like Flanagan increases the chances of a good script, it’s not a guaranteed success.
First introduced in 1940, Clayface has been portrayed in various forms across DC media, often depicted as a shapeshifting villain capable of molding his appearance into anyone or anything. According to previous reports, Clayface is budgeted at $40 million and will center on a B-movie actor who injects himself with an experimental substance to stay relevant. However, the procedure goes horribly wrong, turning him into a grotesque, ever-changing creature made of living clay.
For Gunn and Safran, the project represents a passion project. “James and I love horror movies,” Safran said. “So the opportunity to make a horror movie for DC was kind of like a gift.”
With Alan Tudyk currently voicing Clayface in the animated series Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos, speculation arose about his potential live-action casting. When directly asked if Tudyk would play Clayface, Gunn was clear: “You got to ask yourself, is that the same Clayface? No, he’s not going to play — Alan is not the star of the movie.”
Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the Clayface movie and the future of the DC Universe.
