Horror movies and superhero franchises are two of Hollywood’s most popular genres. And with “Clayface,” Warner Bros. is betting that a combination of the two will make for a Halloween box office hit.
Directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, the film places one of the most gruesome villains from the DC universe front and center. The character, who is known for his shapeshifting abilities and clay skin, is played by Tom Rhys Harries in a Hollywood-tinged origin story about an actor whose run-in with the local mob leaves him disfigured.
An official synopsis for the film reads: “Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’ actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self … but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.”
The film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll, and Joshua James.
“Clayface” is perhaps the clearest example yet of DC boss James Gunn’s stated vision of using superhero IP to explore other genres. While Clayface might not have been high on many lists of popular DC characters, Gunn has maintained that he greenlit it so early in his tenure on the strength of Flanagan’s pitch for a true superhero horror movie.
“We’ve got Clayface, which is a totally different thing,” Gunn said in 2025. “Although it’s in the same universe, it’s a complete horror film. That’s one of the things we want to do. There’s not a company style. It’s not like every movie is going to be like ‘Superman.’ The artists — the directors and the writers — each one will bring their own sense to it … That’s what we want to bring to the films because we don’t want people to get bored. We want to invigorate people.”
While Gunn’s DC film universe launched with last year’s “Superman,” it really begins to take shape in 2026. In addition to “Supergirl” and “Clayface,” the studio is also rolling out its most ambitious TV project to date, HBO’s “Lanterns.” Given that Gunn did not write or direct any of the projects (he’s busy with his “Superman” sequel “Man of Tomorrow”), the projects will be seen by many as the first real looks at his work as a studio head alongside co-CEO Peter Safran.
Warner Bros. will release “Clayface” in theaters on Friday, October 23. Watch the trailer below.
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