DC And Mike Flanagan's Clayface Movie Taps Director Of James McAvoy's 2024 Horror Remake With 83% RT Score

DC's Clayface movie finds its director as the villain-centered DCU project advances in production. Set to release on September 11, 2026, the DCU's upcoming Clayface movie will follow the titular shapeshifting character, who was previously introduced in animated form in Creature Commandos episode 5. Clayface will be DC's next live-action project based on a single villain after Lauren LeFranc's The Penguin and Todd Phillips' Joker, though it will be the first project of this kind in James Gunn's DCU. While the DCU's Batman could appear in Clayface, Clayface is more likely to be a standalone story.

Almost exactly one year and a half before Clayface's scheduled release date, THR reports that Clayface has officially found its director in Speak No Evil's James Watkins. Watkins joins writer Mike Flanagan, producer Matt Reeves, and DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, all of whom will oversee their respective areas of Clayface's development and production. Whether voice Actor Alan Tudyk will reprise his Creature Commandos role is yet to be confirmed.

What DC's Clayface Movie Director Update Means

Director James Watkins Will Likely Inject His Horror Skills Into The DCU's Clayface

Paddy (James McAvoy) looking insane, trying to force his way into a room in Speak No Evil (2024)

James Watkins wrote and directed the 2024 movie psychological horror Speak No Evil, which reached an 83% critics score and an 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Watkins also wrote 2012’s The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe and The Descent Part 2 after his directorial debut in 2008 with Eden Lake, starring Michael Fassbender. Watkins also directed Black Mirror season 3 episode 3, "Shut Up and Dance." Needless to say, James Watkins has a knack for horror, which will come in handy for Clayface’s body horror themes.

Our Take On DC's Clayface Movie Director Update

Clayface Will Likely Be A Dark DCU Movie

James Watkins’ horror skills will be enhanced by horror maestro Mike Flanagan, who has built an impressive filmography that includes hits such as Hush, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Haunting of Bly Manor. James Gunn also has experience in horror, having worked with Zack Snyder on 2004’s Dawn of the Dead; and Peter Safran has produced every installment of The Conjuring franchise. If any DCU project is almost guaranteed to have a well-defined tone, it’s certainly Clayface.

Casting Clayface For A Live-Action Movie (The Batman 2 or DC Universe)

Clayface could appear as a major villain in Batman: The Brave and the Bold or The Batman - Part II, with a wealth of options for possible performers.

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However, Clayface may not be a full-fledged horror movie. Clayface's origin story could be a tragic one, as shown by Batman: The Animated Series, which presents a version of the villain who gets manipulated into altering his appearance, resulting in disfigurement. The DCU’s Clayface could take an empathetic approach to its protagonist similarly to Todd Phillips' Joker, but also set up his future villain role, similar to Lauren LeFranc's The Penguin.

Source: THR