One of DC Studios' most intriguing projects is Clayface. Described as a "complete horror film" by James Gunn and being a super-villain origin story, Clayface stands out among DC Studios' upcoming slate, which consists of hero-focused projects like Supergirl, Lanterns and Man of Tomorrow. Adding to the movie's appeal is the creative team behind it, with James Watkins (Speak No Evil) directing from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini (Snow White and the Hunstman, Obi-Wan Kenobi).
Production kicked off around September. Multiple set photos were released throughout filming, giving people a better idea of what to expect from Batman and his world in the DCU. Now, we've gotten a major update for the horror-focused standalone adventure, as it's been revealed production has wrapped. Clayface star Tom Rhys Harries announced the end of filming on an Instagram Story. The picture was taken in front of a mirror, seemingly in a makeup trailer.
The actor captioned his story with "CF PICTURE WRAP." Though the picture looks fairly simple, there are actually a lot of interesting details hidden in it.
Upon closer inspection, the room features some cryptic (and downright creepy) writing. A message written on the upper-right corner of the wall reads: "Want in one hand, sh*t in the other. See which gets full first." This is a variation on the phrase that roughly goes, "Wish in one hand, sh*t in the other. See which one fills up first," which is used to refer to goals that are deemed impossible to accomplish. The saying can also refer to the futility of dreams and wishes.
On the desk at the bottom of the picture, written in red, is, "Go where the chalk-white..." The phrase comes from a verse in "Where the Sidewalk Ends," a children's poem by writer and songwriter Shel Silverstein. The verse goes: "Yes, we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go."
Lastly, there's a phrase written in black on the mirror, which, from I could gather, partially reads, "Kids part--" This writing is particularly difficult to make out, however, so that may be inaccurate.
The phrases––while widely different from one another––could give us some insights into Clayface's mindset. The "Want in one hand" saying, for example, may allude to the character's hopeless outlook on life. The idea of Clayface fighting depression makes sense, given the various misfortunes he's expected to face through the story, as detailed in a plot description provided by The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision newsletter (via CBR): "Clayface is a Hollywood horror story, using the most popular incarnation of the villain––a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay."
Furthermore, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" may hint at a more childish or innocent side to the shape-shifting villain. Other relevant elements from the post are the various photographs and pictures throughout. On the mirror, there is a happy face, a black-and-white photo of an unknown muscular man, and a newspaper cut-out that reads, "Cock a Doodle Do!" There's another black-and-white picture on the mirror, that, while difficult to make out details of, appears to depict a human-shaped body, but with a seemingly disfigured head––possibly a reference to Clayface's condition.
Then, hanging on the wall on the right, there are five pictures. One is a black-and-white photo of a man in a long coat crossing a street, and another is a black-and-white BTS picture of a filming crew. There is also a picture of a red Ross 70 vintage bicyle, and a drawing of a person with a paper bag covering their head. Lastly, next to the drawing is a picture of three men shrouded in darkness, faintly lit by red outlines. The font of the writing also gives the messages a frightening vibe, which fits for Clayface's horror leanings.
Clayface will hit theaters on September 11, 2026.
Are you excited about DC Studios' Clayface? Drop your thoughts in the comments!