CLAYFACE Reportedly Targeting THE HANDMAID’s Tale Star Max Minghella for Major Role in DC Horror Movie

DC Studios’ upcoming horror-tinged Clayface film continues to build a fascinating cast, and now there’s word that Max Minghella (The Social Network, The Handmaid’s Tale) may be next in line to join the twisted transformation tale.

Following recent reports that Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) is in talks to play a key character named Caitlin Bates, Clayface is now reportedly eyeing Minghella for the role of John, described as “a detective and fiancé to Caitlin Bates, who’s suspicious of his fiancée’s relationship with Matt Hagen/Clayface.”

Ackie is believed to have officially been offered the role of Bates, while Tom Rhys Harries is set to portray the tragic figure of Matt Hagen.

The film is set to follow “an ascending actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. As a last resort, the actor turns to a fringe Elizabeth Holmes-style scientist for help. At first, the experiment is a successful but … well, it wouldn’t be a horror movie if the story ended right there, would it?”

This reimagining of the iconic Batman villain is said to be embracing a full-blown body horror approach, drawing heavy inspiration from The Fly and Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance.

Peter Safran teased that Mike Flanagan’s original script leans into horror in a big way, describing it as a “Hollywood horror story” focused on “a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay.”

James Watkins (Speak No Evil) is directing, while James Gunn, Safran, and The Batman director Matt Reeves are producing. Lynn Harris and Chantal Nong are on board as executive producers. While Flanagan wrote the initial script, he stepped away due to commitments to a Carrie TV series and the next Exorcist film. Screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive) was recently brought in for rewrites.

Clayface is slated to hit theaters on September 11, 2026, and while it takes place within the DC Universe, don’t expect many crossover cameos or nods to Batman. This story is set to stand on its own, diving deep into horror, identity, and the madness that comes from trying to stay relevant in a brutal Hollywood landscape.

Source: Nexus Point News