‘Clayface’ Behind-the-Scenes Teaser Puts James Gunn and Matt Reeves Inside Gotham’s Body Horror Nightmare

Superhero movies have a reputation for being bright, loud and built for the whole family. ‘Clayface’ is aiming for something very different. The DC horror film is promising gore, dread and a villain who loses his face before he ever gains his powers.

The road to the screen has been unusually winding. Mike Flanagan first pitched his tragic horror take on the shape-shifting Batman villain years before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios. He then sold the two on a stand-alone body-horror film in the vein of classic David Cronenberg.

Now the first behind-the-scenes teaser for ‘Clayface’ has arrived, and it brings insights from both Gunn and Matt Reeves. The movie arrives in theaters on October 23.

First behind the scenes teaser for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ — including insights from James Gunn and Matt Reeves. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/sUOU8uAPX0

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 7, 2026

Seeing both men in the same promo makes sense, because their fingerprints are all over this project. Reeves is a producer alongside Gunn, Safran and Lynn Harris. Reeves had previously considered using Clayface as a villain in his sequel to ‘The Batman,’ as well as exploring a solo project in the style of ‘The Penguin.’

Gunn has been careful to draw a line between the two worlds. He has said the film sits within the DC Universe, set before the events of his ‘Superman,’ and offers the first look at the new DCU’s Gotham City. He also recently replied to a fan on Threads that the project was never developed with Reeves’ Batman universe in mind.

The studio has described the film as a horror thriller from director James Watkins, who previously made ‘Eden Lake’ and ‘Speak No Evil.’ The screenplay comes from Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with a story by Flanagan. The R-rating cites strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity and brief drug use.

Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, a Gotham street kid who becomes a Hollywood leading man before a crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Naomi Ackie plays Caitlyn Corr, Max Minghella plays John, and the cast also includes David Dencik, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James. Gunn has said that he and Reeves chose Harries after being blown away by his auditions, following what he called a long and exhaustive search.

Earlier footage already showed how grisly the tone will be. April’s teaser featured Hagen lying bandaged in a hospital bed, a masked figure, a syringe being used on his face and flashes of his skin melting. Another shot showed his silhouette on a brick wall as his arm morphed into a giant mace.

The behind-the-scenes push arrives at a pivotal moment. The film was originally scheduled for September 11 before the studio moved it to October 23, in the heart of the Halloween season. It will face competition that weekend from ‘Klara and the Sun,’ ‘Wildwood’ and ‘Ali G: Who Iz I?’

Tracking has reportedly been soft, but the numbers offer some cushion. The film reportedly cost around $40 million to make, and some estimates suggest it needs roughly $100 million worldwide to break even. That is a realistic target for a horror release timed right before Halloween.

There is also a creative gamble at stake. Gunn has said the DCU will not have a single house style and that not every movie will resemble ‘Superman.’ If ‘Clayface’ connects, it could prove that the new DC slate has room for genuine horror, something no other DC Studios release has attempted so far.

For now, the new teaser is a reminder that the countdown is on. Fans have a little over two weeks to decide whether they want to face the horror of Matt Hagen’s transformation on the big screen.

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