Clayface has found its director.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, James Watkins has been hired to direct Clayface for DC Studios. DC co-CEO James Gunn reportedly met with Watkins on Thursday. A deal is now being hammered out.
Watkins recently helmed Speak No Evil, the remake of the 2022 Danish psychological thriller. Released in October, Speak No Evil grossed $76 million worldwide on a $15 million budget.
Clayface was greenlit in December, with Mike Flanagan penning the screenplay. Flanagan, the prominent horror creator who recently helmed The Life of Chuck, could not direct Clayface due to his commitments to a TV adaptation of Carrie and a new Exorcist movie.
Clayface is a shape-shifting villain who serves as a primary antagonist to Batman. However, the movie will likely lean into horror and not be a vehicle to interact with Batman. THR’s reporting states Clayface is a “Hollywood horror tale centering on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay.”
The film is rumored to be budgeted at $40 million.
No casting announcements have been made. Gunn and his DC co-CEO Peter Safran initially stated that the actors who portray characters in DC animation will also play them in live action. For example, Frank Grillo voiced Rick Flag Sr. in the animated Creature Commandos. Grillo will soon appear as the live-action Flag in Superman and Peacemaker season 2. Currently, Alan Tudyk voices Clayface in two animated series: Creature Commandos and Harley Quinn.
Clayface will reportedly film later this year. Gunn and Safran will produce alongside The Batman’s Matt Reeves and Lynn Harris.
Clayface will be released in theaters on September 11, 2026.
