DC Studios’ "Clayface" hits theaters October 23, 2026. Although the project began with an idea and screenplay from acclaimed horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan, he has once again stressed that the finished product cannot be considered his movie—and revealed that he has yet to see the completed film.
"Clayface" was initially seen as a passion project for Flanagan, who began developing it with "The Batman" director Matt Reeves before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios.
Flanagan later became tied up with Prime Video’s "Carrie," prompting DC Studios to move forward with his screenplay while bringing in Hossein Amini and director James Watkins to continue shaping the project.
Discussing his original approach to the adaptation, Flanagan said, ""Clayface" had never truly been adapted outside the animated series and other animated projects. He had never appeared in a live-action feature, much less served as its central character. To me, that made "Clayface" wide open territory. We were among the first people to really step inside that world and try to figure out how to make it work."
When it came to the version now heading to theaters, however, Flanagan made the creative ownership clear: "With that said, "Clayface" really isn’t my movie. It’s James Watkins’ film."
"I wrote a script that I loved and handed it in, and that was basically the end of it. I haven’t even seen the movie yet. I’m excited to watch it and find out what James ultimately did with it, but this is James Watkins’ movie. I genuinely can’t wait to see what he made."
It remains unclear how much of Flanagan’s original screenplay survived in the finished film. The story centers on Matt Hagen, charting his rise from a Gotham City street kid to a Hollywood star before a crime boss leaves him horribly disfigured. An experimental treatment restores his appearance but gradually fractures his mind, sending him down a devastating path of revenge.
via： CBM