In Shell, desperate to reclaim her career, once-beloved actress Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss) is drawn into the glamorous world of wellness mogul Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson), only to uncover a monstrous truth beneath its flawless surface.
The body horror movie is a must-watch, and also stars Arian Moayed, Este Haim, with Elizabeth Berkley and Kaia Gerber. The Handmaid's Tale star Max Minghella steps behind the camera to direct—marking a reunion with Moss—and delivers one of the year's weirdest, most compelling releases.
In recent weeks, Minghella has been spotted on the set of DC Studios' Clayface. Based on what we've seen in those, he's playing a Gotham City police detective in a movie that explores actor Matt Hagen's transformation into a shapeshifting monster.
We recently caught up with the actor and filmmaker to discuss Shell and asked what he could tell us about the DCU's first R-rated horror movie.
"I'm really enjoying working on the movie. It's a tremendous collection of people making it," he says in the video below. "James Watkins is directing it. I've been a fan of his forever. He did a film called Eden Lake, and that was a movie that really affected me for quite a while when I first saw it."
"Hossein Amini is doing a pass on the script, who I actually produced a movie with and directed many years ago. We have a very personal connection," Minghella continued. "Rob Hardy is shooting it, and he's an extraordinary cinematographer who I've long admired. To get to play with these amazing people in the world of Gotham is very fun. I'm really enjoying it, and I hope people will like it when it comes out."
Clayface has indeed attracted an impressive lineup of talent both behind and in front of the camera. It's still not clear how connected to the wider DCU—and Batman—Clayface will be. With any luck, Minghella is playing a GCPD cop from the comics.
Earlier this month, his co-star, Eddie Marson, sat down with us to discuss his new horror movie, All the Devils are Here, and shared his take on what we can look forward to from this unexpected addition to the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters: slate.
"James is a wonderful director, and I think Tom is an incredible actor," Marsan teased. "You're going to see an amazing performance."
The cast of Clayface will be led by newcomer Tom Rhys Harries, with Eddie Marsan, Max Minghella, and Naomi Ackie confirmed to join him in undisclosed roles. The movie, written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini and directed by James Watkins, is set to arrive in theaters on September 11, 2026.
Shell will be released in Select Theatres and on Digital on October 3, 2025.