Jump to content

Draft:Clayface (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clayface
Directed byJames Watkins
Written byMike Flanagan
Based onCharacters from DC
Produced by
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • September 11, 2026 (2026-09-11)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budgetapprox. $40 million[1]

Clayface is an upcoming American superhero film based on the eponymous character from DC Comics. Produced by DC Studios and 6th & Idaho Productions, and to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it will be the third film in the DC Universe (DCU). The film is directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan.

After expressing interest in a Clayface horror film both publicly and to DC Films for their DC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise, Flanagan pitched the project to the newly formed DC Studios in March 2023. The film and Flanagan's involvement were confirmed in December 2024 as part of the DCU, the successor to the DCEU. Flanagan was unable to direct the film due to scheduling issues. Watkins was hired in February 2025, with filming scheduled to begin in the middle of that year.

Clayface is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 11, 2026. It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.

Premise

[edit]

Clayface is a body horror Hollywood story about a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to remain relevant but becomes made entirely of clay.[1][2]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

In January 2021, filmmaker Mike Flanagan publicly expressed interest in making a standalone film focused on the DC Comics character Clayface.[3] A fan of the Batman: The Animated Series (1992–95) episodes featuring the character,[4] Flanagan wanted the project to be a horror film that was also a thriller and a tragedy.[3] He had previously discussed making a "horror-leaning" film featuring the character for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) franchise in a general meeting with DC Films producer Jon Berg. Flanagan felt the meeting "kind of went nowhere",[5][6] and said DC did not "bite on" his idea but he was ready to commit to the project at any time.[7]

Discovery, Inc. and Warner Bros.' parent company WarnerMedia—the owner of DC—merged in April 2022 to become Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEO David Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructure DC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[8] James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were announced as the co-chairs and co-CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios at the end of October 2022.[9] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun planning a new DC Universe (DCU) that would be a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.[10][11][12] By the time they were hired, filmmaker Matt Reeves was meeting with directors and writers about multiple potential film and television spin-offs related to his standalone DC film The Batman (2022). These projects were in early development and centered on members of Batman's rogues gallery, such as Clayface.[13] The Batman and its spin-offs were expected to be kept separate from the new DCU shared universe under the "DC Elseworlds" label.[14][15]

In March 2023, Flanagan and his Intrepid Pictures partner Trevor Macy met with Gunn and Safran to pitch a Clayface film in which the character would not be portrayed as a villain like he is in the comics. At that time, the character was expected to appear in Reeves's The Batman sequel (2027) but Flanagan did not pitch his project as being connected to Reeves's films. Should the film move forward, it was unclear whether it would be part of the DCU or Elseworlds.[16][6] Flanagan said the report was "entirely speculative",[17] and in May he added that a Clayface film was not in development and he was participating in the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.[18] In August, the film was reported to be in development with Flanagan as writer and director. Reeves, Gunn, and Safran were listed as producers.[19] Clayface was introduced to the DCU in the first season of the animated series Creature Commandos (2024–25), the first DCU project to be released, with Alan Tudyk providing the character's voice after previously doing so for a different version of Clayface in the non-DCU animated series Harley Quinn (2019–present).[20]

DC Studios officially greenlit Clayface in December 2024,[21] as part of the DCU. Gunn explained that he had not planned to make a film about Clayface but was won over by Flanagan's pitch and subsequent script drafts.[22] Filming was expected to begin in early 2025 and the studio was searching for a director due to Flanagan's commitments to his The Exorcist film (2026) and a Carrie television series.[21][16] Several days after the greenlight was revealed, the studio scheduled the film for release on September 11, 2026. Gunn, Safran, and Reeves were confirmed to be producing alongside Lynn Harris of Reeves's company 6th & Idaho Productions.[23] The film was intended to be produced on an approximate budget of $40 million.[4] Safran said the film would not have a campy tone and instead compared it to the horror film The Fly (1986).[24]

Pre-production

[edit]

DC Studios was eyeing J. A. Bayona to direct the film by the end of 2024.[25] The studio was set to hear pitches from potential directors in the week of February 17, 2025, including James Watkins. Casting had begun by then, and the director was expected to be involved in that process once they were hired.[26][25] Anthony D'Alessandro and Justin Kroll at Deadline Hollywood reported that Jeff Wadlow was also on the list of potential directors,[26] but Aaron Couch and Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter said Wadlow was not and had never been in the mix for the film. They added that the film was considering potential production locations in North America, unlike other DC Studios films that were based in the United Kingdom, due to its lower budget. The film was described as a "Hollywood horror story" about the original incarnation of Clayface,[25][1] and was expected to be set in both Hollywood and Gotham City. It was unclear whether filming would take place in Los Angeles following the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.[27] Watkins was confirmed to be directing the film on February 21 after he gave a final presentation to Gunn the day before, though a deal was yet to be finalized.[1] A few days later, Gunn and Safran confirmed that Watkins was in talks to direct, casting was underway, and the film would be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate. They were aiming to start filming in the middle of 2025. Safran called it "an origin story for a classic Batman villain that we want to have" in the DCU, and Gunn hoped it would work for horror fans who were not interested in DC, describing it as a body horror film. He said Tudyk would not reprise his role as Clayface, despite Gunn's intention to have the same actors portraying characters across different mediums, because the character was not Tudyk's "primary role" in the DCU; Tudyk primarily voiced Alex Sartorius / Doctor Phosphorus in Creature Commandos.[2][27][28] Journalist Jeff Sneider reported that Daniel Radcliffe was one of two actors eyed to portray Clayface in the film,[29] but Gunn denied that Radcliffe was being considered.[30] Sneider reported in March that another writer had joined the film to perform a "significant pass" on Flanagan's script.[31]

Filming

[edit]

Principal photography is expected to begin in mid-2025.[2]

Release

[edit]

Clayface is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 11, 2026.[23] It will be part of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.[27]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (February 21, 2025). "DC's 'Clayface' Lands 'Speak No Evil' Director James Watkins (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Vary, Adam B. (February 24, 2025). "DC Studios Update: Two 'Batman' Movies, a Possible 'Teen Titans' Film and 'Penguin' Season 2, and Why James Gunn Posted a Photo With Zack Snyder". Variety. Archived from the original on February 27, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Dick, Jeremy (January 9, 2021). "Doctor Sleep Director Is Keen on Making a Standalone Clayface Movie". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (December 13, 2024). "Heat Vision". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Miller, Leon (March 16, 2023). "Midnight Mass Creator Mike Flanagan Pitched a Clayface DCEU Movie". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  6. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony; Grobar, Matt (March 29, 2023). "Mike Flanagan Pitches Pic On Clayface To Warner Bros DC – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  7. ^ Schaefer, Sandy (October 7, 2021). "Midnight Mass Boss Is Ready to Shoot His Clayface Film Whenever DC Asks". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  8. ^ Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (April 14, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery Exploring Overhaul of DC Entertainment (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  10. ^ Couch, Aaron (November 10, 2022). "James Gunn, Peter Safran Are Mapping Out "Eight- to 10-Year Plan" for DC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  11. ^ Outlaw, Kofi (October 25, 2022). "Warner Bros. Confirms "DC Universe" As Official Name of DCEU". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  12. ^ Newby, Richard (February 3, 2023). "6 Burning Questions About DC Studios' New Slate". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  13. ^ Kit, Borys (October 17, 2022). "DC at a Turning Point: James Gunn Pitches Secret Movie, Dwayne Johnson Flexes His Superman Power (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  14. ^ Anderson, Julia (January 31, 2023). "The Batman and Joker Are Officially DC Elseworlds Franchises, Reveals James Gunn". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Sharf, Zack (January 31, 2023). "'The Batman Part II' Sets 2025 Release Date as Part of Newly Branded 'DC Elseworlds' Projects". Variety. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Garner, Glenn; D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 11, 2024). "DC Studios' 'Clayface' Being Written By Mike Flanagan". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  17. ^ Jackson, Gordon; Codega, Lina (March 30, 2023). "Mike Flanagan Wants to Direct a Standalone Batman Villain Film". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Flangan, Mike [@flanaganfilm] (May 27, 2023). "I've already commented about this. And at the moment, no development is happening anywhere – I am a member of the WGA, and I am on strike" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023 – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Browski, Rich (August 17, 2023). "Production Weekly – Issue 1363 – Thursday, August 17, 2023 / 144 Listings – 31 Pages". Production Weekly. No. 1363 (published August 16, 2023). p. 6. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  20. ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (November 19, 2024). "Alan Tudyk Plays Clayface in DC's Creature Commandos and Possibly 2025's Superman Movie". IGN. Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (December 11, 2024). "'Clayface' Movie Officially Underway at DC Studios With Mike Flanagan Writing". Variety. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  22. ^ Lussier, Germain (December 20, 2024). "James Gunn Explains How the Clayface Movie Seemed to Happen so Fast". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  23. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 13, 2024). "DC Studios Dates 'Clayface' For Fall 2026; Animated 'Dynamic Duo' For 2028". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  24. ^ Bradley, Ollie (December 22, 2024). "DC's Clayface Movie: Writer, Release Date & Everything We Know". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (February 14, 2025). "Heat Vision". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  26. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony; Kroll, Justin (February 13, 2025). "Jeff Wadlow, James Watkins In The Mix To Direct DC's 'Clayface' – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  27. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 24, 2025). "James Gunn & Peter Safran Provide Update On DC "Gods & Monsters" Film & TV Plans: Details On 'Clayface', 'Lanterns' Premiere, 'Batman Brave & The Bold' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 26, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  28. ^ Lussier, Germain (February 24, 2025). "James Gunn Reveals What's Up With Supergirl, Batman, and Everything Else in the DCU". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on February 27, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  29. ^ Coman, Monica (February 26, 2025). "Harry Potter Actor Daniel Radcliffe Eyed to Star in DCU's Clayface Movie". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 27, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  30. ^ Sharf, Zack (February 28, 2025). "Daniel Radcliffe as Clayface? 'We Haven't Talked to or Considered Him,' Says James Gunn Amid Casting Rumors: 'This One Is 100% False'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  31. ^ Schreur, Brandon (March 27, 2025). "Clayface DCU Movie Gets New Writer for Batman Villain Story". SuperHeroHype. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025. – via Sneider, Jeff (March 26, 2025). "Chair-vengers Assemble! Marvel Takes Five Hours to Announce 'Doomsday' Cast — "That Could've Been an Email"". The InSneider. Archived from the original on March 27, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
[edit]


This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.
Categories:
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Clayface_(film)&oldid=1285414644"