DC Studios is taking one of Batman’s strangest villains in a much darker direction with Clayface, a new horror thriller arriving in theaters next fall.
Directed by James Watkins, the film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, the cult favorite member of Gotham’s famously crowded rogues gallery. Rather than treating Clayface as another oversized comic book spectacle, the movie appears to be leaning into the body horror and psychological tragedy at the heart of the character.
Hagen begins the story as a kid from the streets of Gotham who manages to reinvent himself as one of Hollywood’s fastest rising leading men. His career and identity are destroyed when the actions of a local crime boss leave him severely disfigured.
Abandoned by the people who once surrounded him and desperate to reclaim his former life, Matt agrees to undergo an experimental medical treatment. The procedure appears to work, restoring his appearance and giving him the chance to become himself again.
This being Gotham, naturally, there is a fairly serious catch.
The treatment begins affecting Matt’s grip on reality, sending him into a violent descent fueled by obsession, anger and revenge. His physical transformation may repair what was taken from him, but it also unleashes something far more dangerous.
The premise positions Clayface closer to a tragic monster movie than a traditional superhero adventure. The character has always carried echoes of classic Hollywood horror, particularly stories about identity, vanity and the terror of losing control over the human body. Giving him a full theatrical feature offers DC Studios an opportunity to explore one of its villains without forcing the story into another familiar battle over the fate of the universe.
The supporting cast includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, along with Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.
Watkins directs from a screenplay written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, based on a story by Flanagan and characters from DC. Flanagan’s involvement immediately makes the horror direction more interesting, given his work on emotionally driven projects including Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House.
Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran serve as producers. Michael E. Uslan, Chantal Nong Vo, Lars P. Winther, Rafi Crohn and Paul Ritchie are executive producers.
Behind the camera, the creative team includes cinematographer Rob Hardy, production designer James Price, editor Jon Harris and costume designer Keith Madden. Volker Bertelmann composed the score.
Clayface will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and released exclusively in North American theaters on October 23, 2026. International audiences will begin seeing the film on October 21, 2026.
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