By: Myriam Akbar
Clayface is an upcoming film in the DC Universe, directed by James Watkins. The screenplay is written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, based on the eponymous character from the comics. It’s a stand-alone film serving as an origin story, but it’s still connected to the broader DCU narrative. The plot follows Matt Hagen, an actor whose face is mutilated by gangsters, resulting in an experimental procedure that transforms him into a clay-like monster. Hagen’s Clayface was first introduced in Detective Comics in 1961; however, it's not his origin story that’s being used in the film. Flanagan was inspired by the character’s portrayal in the two-part Batman: The Animated Series episode “Fear of Clay” (1992).
A week ago, the trailer for Clayface was released, and not only did it generate widespread enthusiasm, it also received high praise from fans and critics. Commenters applauded its dark tone and disturbing nature; however, some people were shocked by the body horror elements, which are uncommon for comic book films. Ironically, the original Clayface, Basil Karlo’s origin is directly tied to horror. Karlo was an actor who became a serial killer, after learning that a remake of a film he starred in was being made. He adopted the persona of the film’s villain, killing cast and crew members of the remake.
Both Watkins and Flanagan are best known for their work with horror films, so you could say Clayface in good hands. From the beginning, Flanagan wanted it to be a combination of horror, thriller, and tragedy. Producer James Gunn describes it as being body horror and says that he hopes it works for horror fans, even ones that aren’t interested in DC. Peter Safran, another producer of the film, compares it to The Fly and says that it won’t have a campy tone.
I decided to ask some TikTok content creators how they feel about the Clayface trailer and the film’s direction overall. MovieFiles says the trailer reminded him of Brandon Cronenger’s 2020 film, Possessor. “I’m a fan of Clayface and Mike Flanagan, so I’m excited. The teaser gave us a good idea of the tone and vibes the film is going for,” he says.
Alexsorcist says, “I knew nothing about Clayface before watching the trailer. If people hadn’t mentioned that it was DC, I would have thought it was just a horror movie. I like that they are trying something new.” However, she has slight doubts about its delivery and whether the filmmakers can find that bridge between comic book and horror. “I say this because there will be a need to satisfy the fandom. I will watch it for sure, but I think I probably have low expectations,” she adds.
“James Gunn is keeping that promise that every project is going to feel different; you can see that with the trailer and tone of the film,” Caz Cinema says. He is feeling optimistic about Clayface and thinks the DCU is headed in the right direction. He emphasizes that comics books vary from each other all the time; for example, having different writers or artists. “Unfortunately, many people will compare it to the MCU, without admiring its bravery to do something distinctly different from their competitor,” he adds.
Miss Deisy thinks incorporating horror into a comic book film will bring in a different crowd than with previous ones. “I love the horror elements. I found the skin melting and face distorting to be so unsettling,” she says.
Cinespidey thinks leaning towards horror is a clever move for any comic book studio to take. “You can tell by the trailer that the filmmakers want you to feel Matt Hagen’s loss of identity. Now the world can understand that horror isn’t just all about scares, there’s always something deeper,” he says.
The film’s visual effects are what stood out to KB’sFlix, admiring the realistic and practical look. “With studios overworking VFX artists and the increasing pressures to rely on AI, I’m glad that filmmakers are returning to the roots of sci-fi and horror movie magic,” she says.
“If the film sticks the landing, it could be one of those projects that really proves comic book movies don’t have to follow the same formula every time,” SweeneyIsOdd says. He’s really excited about Clayface, despite being mostly a fan of Marvel, and thinks it’s the perfect character for DC to tap into the darker genres. He argues that horror has always been a core part of comics, even if it doesn’t always translate on screen.
Screen & Scored also thinks Clayface is the kind of character that fits the horror genre and feels it’s the best way to approach the story. However, he questions the financial gain due to parents not wanting to take their young children to see it, considering they’re a big demographic for comic book films. “I hope the trailer isn't being deceiving, it’s one of my most anticipated films of the year,” he says.
Although originally scheduled for early September, the release of Clayface was pushed back to late October to benefit from Halloween time. Considering this is the horror community’s favorite time of year, I believe the turnout will be amazing. With the amount of buzz generated from the trailer, I can only imagine it tripling after people finally get to watch the film.
Sources: Wikipedia.com & IMDB.com
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