DCU’s ‘Clayface’ Movie Plot & Budget Revealed, Featuring Tom Rhys Harries

The upcoming DCU movie about Clayface, starring Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries, is shaping up to be a fresh take on the character. Unlike the usual portrayal of Clayface as a villain, this film will explore a different side of him.

This info comes from talks back in March 2023, when filmmaker Mike Flanagan and his partner Trevor Macy met with James Gunn and Peter Safran to discuss the project.

At that point, it wasn’t clear if the movie would be part of the main DC Universe or an Elseworlds story. The character is also expected to appear in Matt Reeves’s The Batman: Part II set for 2027.

By December 2024, DC Studios officially gave the green light to the Clayface film, with Mike Flanagan writing the script. Peter Safran compared the tone of the movie to the 1986 body horror film The Fly, which is about a scientist’s tragic transformation.

Matt Reeves, known for directing The Batman, is producing the movie alongside Lynn Harris, but Flanagan couldn’t direct due to other projects. Instead, James Watkins, director of Speak No Evil, was brought on board to direct.

Hossein Amini was brought in to rewrite the script by May 2025. Filming is set to start in August 2025 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England, and the movie is planned for release on September 11, 2026.

The story is described as a Hollywood body horror tale about a struggling B-movie actor. After a gangster disfigures his face, the actor seeks help from a controversial scientist, similar to an Elizabeth Holmes type.

The experiment initially works but takes a dark turn, leading the actor to transform into a being made entirely of clay. Sources suggest the movie’s budget is around $40 million.

The film is one of the early projects in the new DC era under James Gunn and Peter Safran, coming before other big names like Wonder Woman. Naomi Ackie, known for her roles in Mickey 17 and Blink Twice, is in early talks to join the cast alongside Tom Rhys Harries.

Reading sessions recently took place in England, and Ackie is reportedly the frontrunner. Official negotiations are expected to begin soon, according to several insiders.

This new Clayface movie promises a darker, more personal story, blending horror with superhero elements in a way that hasn’t been seen before in the DC Universe.

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