New CLAYFACE Movie Details Involving The Plot and a New Character For The Horror-Fueled Origin Story
With Superman ushering in James Gunn’s new DC Universe, the next wave of DCU films is already drawing attention, especially Clayface. That movie is being directed by The Woman in Black filmmaker James Watkins with White Lines actor Tom Rhys Harries set to star.
This one is shaping up to be a major tonal shift for the DCU. According to Nexus Point News, Harries is playing Matt Hagen, but this isn’t your standard comic book take. The film will blend elements of multiple Clayface incarnations, specifically merging Hagen with Basil Karlo’s origin.
It’s reported “that Hagen is a handsome, up-and-coming actor who’s attacked and disfigured. Originally from Gotham, he moves to Hollywood to escape his troubled past and begin a career as an actor. With his disfigurement, his career and outlet as an actor is ruined and is eventually transformed into a shapeshifting monster.”
This version of Clayface diving right into body horror territory. The transformation from struggling actor to tragic monster seems like the backbone of what Watkins is crafting… a horror story with a broken soul at its center.
One of the more surprising updates is the introduction of a brand-new character, Dr. Caitlin Bates. According to the report:
“Bates is the CEO of a biotech startup seeking to create cutting-edge medicine and medical technology. Bates sees Hagen as a way to grow her company and cure his condition.
“Throughout the process she falls in love with him while her fiance John grows suspicious of their relationship. John is a detective and committed to Caitlin and his job. The antagonist of the film is set to be a crime boss, who like Caitlin and John, is another original character.”
Clayface is described as a “character-driven horror film” filled mostly with original characters, which is an interesting move in a franchise-heavy universe, but one that might give this story the creative freedom it needs.
Gunn said of the film: “[It’s] pure f***ing horror, like, totally real. Their version of that movie, it is so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross.”
If DC wants to carve out a space for villain origin tales with real depth and dread, this sounds like a good start.
Production is expected to begin this fall, with a theatrical release set for September 11, 2026.