There was a ton of buzz for Supergirl, the most recent film in James Gunn’s DCU, but it turned out to be all bad. So what does it mean that Clayface, an attempt to meld superheroes and body horror, has no buzz at all? A film centered on one of Batman’s less recognizable foes was always going to be a gamble, and we’ll see if it pays off for DC Studios next month. But first, the final trailer has arrived.
Directed by James Watkins, Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as the Matt Hagan version of the character. The film bears almost no resemblance to a superhero movie, which is exactly as it should be. Instead, the film resembles a classic Cronenberg-esque tale of tragedy and transformation.
Also in the cast is Naomi Ackie as Dr. Caitlin Corr, the fringe scientist who performs the procedure on Matt. Max Minghella plays Gotham City police detective John Pearlman. Also in the cast are Eddie Marsan, David Dencik, and Nancy Carroll.
The script is by horror maestro Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. This version of Clayface has already been seen in the DCU, as well, appearing in James Gunn’s animated Creature Commandos series.
Clayface opens in theaters on October 23rd, just in time for Halloween. I still think it looks pretty good, and the big swing that Gunn needed to take.
