Clayface, the DC Studios horror thriller directed by James Watkins, hits French cinemas on October 21, 2026. Starring Tom Rhys Harries, the film traces the transformation of Matt Hagen, an actor whose Hollywood ascent spirals into horror.
Hailing from the streets of Gotham, Matt Hagen rises to Hollywood stardom. His ascent is brutally cut short when a local criminal leaves him hideously scarred. Abandoned by those around him, he undergoes an experimental treatment that restores his appearance but gradually distorts his sense of reality, driving him into a spiral of vengeance.
In the comics, Clayface isn’t a single character so much as a mantle carried by several different figures since his debut in 1940. The film centers on Matt Hagen, the second canonical incarnation of the shape-shifting monster, while reworking his backstory to portray an actor driven to reclaim his face and his career.
The trailer pulls back the curtain on a descent into Hollywood drama, a scientific experiment, and physical transformations. Naomi Ackie plays Caitlyn Corr, the scientist tied to Matt Hagen’s treatment, as the story probes the loss of identity and humanity sparked by her metamorphosis.
The cast also includes David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James. James Watkins directs the screenplay written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, based on a story conceived by Mike Flanagan.
The production is headed by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran. Cinematographer Rob Hardy, production designer James Price, editor Jon Harris and composer Volker Bertelmann complete the creative team. Presented as DC Studios’ first foray into the horror-thriller genre, Clayface revisits a Gotham figure through the prism of bodily horror rather than the classic superhero film.
While awaiting its release, check out the films hitting cinemas in October 2026, the movies to watch right now and our selection of the horror films to discover in theaters.
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