Scooper @MyTimeToShineH recently revealed that Speak No Evil's James Watkins is being eyed to direct Clayface. Deadline has today confirmed that he's in the mix; however, Watkins is not alone.
According to the trade, Kick-Ass 2 director Jeff Wadlow is among those being invited to pitch their take on the DCU movie. Beyond his comic book movie experience (which includes the script for 2020's Bloodshot), the filmmaker has helmed critically panned horror flicks like Truth or Dare, Fantasy Island, and Imaginary.
Ultimately, DC Studios will choose the filmmaker they believe is right for the job but Watkins feels like the better fit given his filmography includes the likes of Eden Lake and The Woman in Black.
As for why writer Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) isn't set to helm Clayface, it's said he was never going to be among those considered due to commitments to other projects, including the upcoming Exorcist reboot.
The trade adds that while casting buzz has begun, an actor will only be chosen once Clayface has a director. It sounds like DC Studios has a shortlist but wants to allow its chosen filmmaker to weigh in.
According to this report, "Clayface is rumored to be a horror-thriller-tragedy, with the lead protagonist not expected to be portrayed as the notorious villain he’s known as in the Batman canon."
The first iteration of Clayface debuted in the 1940s, mere months after The Joker. At the time, Basil Karlo was little more than a deranged B-List actor and killer who dressed up as the sinister "Clayface" character he'd played in the past. Furious he'd been recast in the monstrous role, Karlo went on a killing spree that saw him target the cast of the film made without him.
Karlo eventually gained shape-shifting abilities. Matt Hagen, an adventurer who turned into a monster after encountering a radioactive pool of protoplasm, is perhaps the most popular version of the villain thanks to his role in Batman: The Animated Series.
In the show, he was portrayed as an actor who used an anti-ageing cream to look younger. After getting on the wrong side of its creator, Roland Daggett, Hagen is doused in a vat of the stuff and transforms into a monster. The third Clayface was Preston Payne, with Sondra Fuller, Cassius Payne, Peter Malley, Todd Russell, and Johnny Williams all following.
Clayface arrives in theaters on September 11, 2026. Stay tuned for updates as we have them.