WATCH: 'Clayface' First Trailer: Batman Villain Horror Movie

Clayface will be the next entry in the long-running history of Batman villains going on their own cinematic journey without the Dark Knight involved.

The Gotham City-set film, starring Tom Rhys Harries as a disfigured actor turned monster, is written by the great Mike Flanagan (Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep), who pitched the project to DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. The screenplay also had rewrites from Hossein Amini (Drive).

Clayface will take heavy inspiration, story-wise, from "Feat of Clay," the critically acclaimed two-part episode of Batman: The Animated Series. By all accounts, the DC movie, directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil, Eden Lake), will have a much darker tone, creating one of the first true horror movies set in a superhero universe.

The first official poster for Clayface was released online today as well, setting the tone for the dark story to come.

#ClayfaceMovie only in theaters October 23. pic.twitter.com/CwgZFYQSXK

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 22, 2026

In an interview with CBS Mornings, co-head of the DCU James Gunn made clear the studio's intentions to make a real horror film.

"And then we got Clayface, which is like a totally different thing," Gunn said. "Although it's in the same universe, it's a complete horror film. That's one of the things we want to do … there's not a company style. It's not like every movie is going to be like Superman."

Clayface is confirmed to be R-rated, from Gunn himself. The film will debut in theaters the week before Halloween, on Oct. 23. Perfect timing.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 12:16 PM.