San Diego Comic-Con is set to begin tomorrow, and DC Studios and Warner Bros. are generating excitement by unveiling the first full Clayface trailer, part of the DC Universe’s “Gods and Monsters” storyline.
The movie originated from a concept by Mike Flanagan, renowned for his horror masterpieces like The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Doctor Sleep. Flanagan drew inspiration from the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series episode featuring Clayface, aiming to blend body horror with a tragic thriller narrative. James Gunn and Peter Safran, executives at DC Studios, were impressed with Flanagan’s vision and incorporated the film into the rebooted DC Universe.
Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, Flanagan stepped away from the project, and director James Watkins took over. Despite this change, Gunn confirmed that the final script remains true to Flanagan’s original story with revisions by Hossein Amini. This film reveals the origin story of Matt Hagen, the character known as Clayface, who was first introduced in the animated series Creature Commandos, voiced by Alan Tudyk.
The official synopsis describes:
Matt Hagen’s dramatic rise from a Gotham street kid to a Hollywood mogul is tragically interrupted when he is disfigured by a local crime boss. Abandoned and desperate, Matt seeks an experimental treatment that promises to restore his former self, but it alters his perception of reality in unforeseen ways, pushing him toward a path of revenge.
This reimagining of the classic shape-shifting villain, who was once a successful actor in the 1940s before turning to crime, reflects on the character’s extensive history. The cast features Tom Rhys Harries (Doctor Who, The Gentlemen) alongside Naomi Ackie as Hagen/Clayface (Mickey 17) and Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale) as a Gotham City police detective involved with Dr. Caitlin Bates, portrayed as Hagen’s love interest. The ensemble cast also includes Eddie Marsan, David Dencik, Francesca Corney, Ruby Shear, and Will Coban in undisclosed roles.
Source: arstechnica.com