DC Studios has released a new trailer for “Clayface,” confirming the film as the studio’s first R-rated theatrical release since relaunching its shared universe, according to Complex. Based on the shapeshifting Batman villain, the movie opens October 23.
Directed by James Watkins (“Speak No Evil”) from a script by horror writer Mike Flanagan (“Doctor Sleep”) and Hossein Amini (“Drive”), the film reframes Clayface’s origin as a body-horror story. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a rising Gotham actor whose career is cut short when a local crime boss leaves him disfigured. Desperate to reclaim his looks, he turns to an experimental treatment from a scientist played by Naomi Ackie — one that restores his face but slowly unravels his grip on reality, according to Just Jared. David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan round out the supporting cast.
The trailer marks a tonal departure from anything DC Studios has released under James Gunn’s rebooted universe so far, which up to now has consisted mostly of PG-13 films, according to CBR. Reactions to the footage have leaned toward body-horror comparisons rather than typical superhero marketing — the trailer was likened to the Kevin Bacon film “Hollow Man,” with some unwelcome shades of “Morbius” in its execution, according to SlashFilm. Elsewhere, comparisons leaned toward “Darkman” and David Cronenberg’s filmography, alongside “The Fly” and “The Substance,” per World of Reel.
Gunn didn’t initially plan on making a Clayface movie at all. Speaking to reporters earlier this year, he said the project only came together after Flanagan turned in an unsolicited script strong enough to fast-track into production, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gunn shared the new trailer himself on social media Wednesday, captioning it “Meet the new face of Gotham,” per The Source.
The film arrives with some added pressure after DC’s previous 2026 release, “Supergirl,” failed to make much of a mark at the box office, World of Reel noted. Producers have reportedly kept the budget modest, around $40 million, a choice that suggests the studio is treating the project as a contained genre experiment rather than a traditional tentpole.
The story draws from the Matt Hagen version of Clayface, one of several comic-book iterations of the character and distinct from the original Basil Karlo incarnation, according to Just Jared. Minghella, who plays a Gotham police detective in the film, confirmed last year that the finished movie will fully earn its R rating, per CBR.
