We’re just a few weeks out from the release of Clayface, and part of the appeal, at least for me, is knowing the story originated from Mike Flanagan. However, the filmmaker has cautioned that the movie shouldn’t be regarded as his project, telling ComicBookMovie that he hasn’t actually seen the film and doesn’t even know how much of his work remains.
“Clayface, you know, very much is not mine. It’s James Watkins’ movie,” Flanagan said. “I wrote a script I loved and I turned it in and then that’s the last… I haven’t even seen it. I’m excited to see it and see what James did with it. But that’s James’ film, and I’m so excited to see what he made.“
I’ve seen some taking this comment to mean Flanagan is distancing himself from the film, but I think he’s just acknowledging that while he may have gotten the ball rolling with his initial script, others have taken it over the finish line. It’s not purely his work. The screenplay is credited to both Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Flanagan also getting a Story By credit.
The official description for Clayface reads: “Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.“
Clayface has been directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) and stars Tom Rhys Harries (The Gentlemen), Naomi Ackie (No Time to Die), and Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale). The film has received an R-rating for “Strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity and brief drug use.“
DC Studios co-head James Gunn has described the movie as a “complete horror film,” adding that he never actually intended to make the project, but the Flanagan’s original script was just too good to ignore. “I didn’t plan on making a Clayface movie. Mike came in. He pitched this wonderful idea. I was like, ‘Damn, I can’t believe you got me to want to make a Clayface movie,’” Gunn said. “But he’s got to write the script and who knows how that’s going to work. He goes and he writes the script. First draft is great. Second draft is even better. And then I’m like, ‘Let’s do it.’ So we found a place for it because if there’s quality stuff, we can find a way to work it in.” Clayface is slated for a October 23 release.