James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chairs and co-CEOs at DC Studios, want audiences to have a different experience with each of the movies and TV shows they create.
And watching a body horror thriller under the DC banner is certainly a whole new experience.
“One of the things that’s really important to us is that our slate of movies, television, gaming and experiences covers a vast spectrum of entertainment,” shares Safran. “We want to make sure that everything feels different. The idea of doing a horror movie under the DC banner is something that audiences have never seen before and are not expecting but I think are going to embrace fully. The fact that we can make a true R-rated horror movie for DC Studios, that’s just a dream come true. Clayface is one of the great Batman villains, and he’s never had his time in the sun. And so along with this, we’re getting an opportunity to tell his origin story. You’ve certainly never seen anything like it in the comic book space, but we’re really excited to bring it to the world.”
“Clayface,” the first horror thriller from DC Studios, stars Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the cult favorite villain from Gotham’s rogues gallery. Written by Mike Flanagan (horror film “Oculus” and “Doctor Sleep,” and TV series “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Carrie”), the movie tells the story of Matt Hagen (Harries), whose meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/Xk_QQyvEERE?
There’s definitely a lot of horror in the story, says director James Watkins: “We all have those anxieties. Fears of losing our ability to work, our reputations, our identity. These are horrors we can all really identify with – likewise, fears of our bodies going wrong – I think these primal fears make the most compelling horrors, and I wanted to lean into them. I find the dangers of revenge fascinating, because it’s also such a primal human instinct to want to right wrongs. To some extent, we are all hostages to our primal urges and I thought this was an interesting element to Matt’s tragedy: to make the film ask whether we can control our emotions, or do they control us.”
Though jump scares are a horror staple, Watkins says he finds psychological horror to be more frightening. “Whether you call them horror or psychological thrillers, I like to operate in the space between those two things,” he says. “Doing clockwork scares doesn’t particularly interest me. I want to have scares that get under your skin and that speak to anxieties we all share, so when you leave the theater, they stick with you more than just a jump scare. Body horror taps into such a primal fear – essentially fear of our bodies betraying us – and I think both that and Matt’s struggle with his unconscious desires offered such a relatable human story and thematic richness that I could explore through horror set pieces that really get under people’s skin.”
For James Gunn, part of what he enjoys about horror movies are the fans. “I love making horror movies. It is a lot of fun. And I think horror fans are probably the nicest fans in the world,” says the filmmaker. “There’s something about the vibe of people who like to watch this really crazy, scary stuff, who have this other side that’s just so nice.”
Get ready to look fear in the face. “Clayface” opens in cinemas October 21. Rated R-18 by the MTRCB.
About “Clayface”:
DC Studios’ “Clayface” is a horror thriller from director James Watkins, starring Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the cult favorite villain from Gotham’s rogues gallery.
Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
The film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.
James Watkins directs from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, story by Flanagan, based on characters from DC. The film is produced by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran, with Michael E. Uslan, Chantal Nong Vo, Lars P. Winther, Rafi Crohn and Paul Ritchie executive producing.
Watkins’ creative team includes director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer James Price, editor Jon Harris and costume designer Keith Madden. Music is by Volker Bertelmann.
DC Studios Presents a 6th & Idaho Production, a James Watkins Film, “Clayface.” The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and released only in theaters in North America on October 23, 2026, and internationally beginning 21 October 2026.
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