DCU’s Clayface Will get Thrilling Manufacturing Replace as Acclaimed Horror Director Jumps on Board

James Gunn’s DC Universe has created plenty of anticipation, with the brand new franchise set to debut this summer time with the upcoming Superman. The brand new superhero franchise may even embody Clayface, which has simply secured its director.

The film was confirmed in December 2024, with critically acclaimed filmmaker Mike Flanagan set to jot down the script however no director. The seek for the one that would direct the movie continued nicely into 2025, with two potential horror administrators reportedly within the closing phases to direct the movie, Jeff Wadlow (Fact or Dare) and James Watkins (Communicate No Evil). Per The Hollywood Reporter, Watkins is formally set to direct Clayface.

In a latest THR e-mail e-newsletter, an insider revealed Wadlow wasn’t within the combine, however Watkins was anticipated to satisfy with the DC execs. The experiences turned out to be true, and Wakins met with Gunn on Thursday, Feb. 20, for a “closing presentation,” which resulted with him scoring the undertaking.

The e-newsletter additionally teased what Clayface is about: “Clayface is a Hollywood horror story, utilizing the most well-liked incarnation of the villain – a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to maintain himself related solely to seek out out that he can reshape his face and type, turning into a strolling piece of clay.“

James Watkins has a historical past with the horror style, which is able to turn out to be useful for the upcoming undertaking. He simply had plenty of success with 2024’s Communicate No Evil, which acquired constructive critiques from the critics and the viewers, with an 83% Licensed Recent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 84% from the viewers. He additionally directed the critically panned Idris Elba movie The Take, and Daniel Radcliffe’s 2012 horror movie, The Girl in Black, which acquired blended critiques.

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The 2 DC filmmakers gave the web precisely what it wanted.

Clayface reportedly has a price range of $40 million. The Batman director Matt Reeves will produce Clayface, together with Lynn Harris and DC Studios co-CEOs Gunn and Safran. The movie has a Sept. 11, 2026 launch date.

Who Is Clayface?

Clayface is an alias that a number of Batman supervillains used. The character was initially launched in 1940 in Detective Comics #40 by Invoice Finger and Bob Kane. He was described as a “B-list actor who started a lifetime of crime utilizing the id of a villain that he had portrayed in a horror movie.”

Hollywood has additionally seen a number of portrayals within the media and appeared in numerous kinds over time. Brian McManamon performed a live-action model within the TV present Gotham, whereas Lorraine Burroughs performed one other within the sequence Pennyworth. Ron Perlman loaned his voice to the character in a number of tasks, with Alan Tudyk voicing Clayface within the animated Harley Quinn and Creature Commandos.

Up to now, there isn’t a forged connected to the undertaking, however the two DC Studios co-CEOs shared that the actors who voice the characters in DC Studios can play the characters in live-action variations, as nicely.

Clayface will premiere in theaters on Sept. 11, 2026.

Supply: The Hollywood Reporter

Clayface

Launch Date

September 11, 2026