DC Movie About Batman Villain Clayface in Development With Hill House Creator

As a seasoned movie buff who’s spent countless nights huddled in the Bat-cave, I can hardly contain my excitement for the upcoming Clayface feature film! Having grown up with the campy 60s TV show and the darker, grittier modern interpretations, I’ve always found something captivating about this shape-shifting villain.

One of Batman’s most well-known adversaries made a significant impact in HBO’s popular Penguin series, and another antagonist of the Dark Knight is now set for the big screen in a feature film. According to Variety, DC Studios has given the go-ahead for a movie centered around Clayface, the shape-shifting villain, with Mike Flanagan, creator of Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House, penning the script as per a source within the production team. Details are scarce, but filming is anticipated to start in early 2025.

Flanagan has been incredibly occupied lately, yet he’s eager to tackle the character of Clayface, whom he’s long wanted to develop. As far back as 2021, Flanagan expressed his enthusiasm for a standalone Clayface film in the horror, thriller, and tragedy genres via a tweet. He also reportedly proposed a Clayface project to DC Studios in 2023. Now, this project is coming to fruition, making it a particularly eventful month for this formidable villain.

The reason for this is that Alan Tudyk is portraying the character in the debut series of DC Studios, Creature Commandos on Max, which premiered its first two episodes last week. This follows his interpretation of Clayface from previous appearances in the Harley Quinn series. If things move quickly, we might witness as many as three distinct versions of Clayface across various screens within a span of two to three years, which is quite remarkable.

In 2026, Flanagan is set to offer a fresh perspective on Universal’s The Exorcist, following which he’ll be introducing one of Batman’s iconic villains onto the big screen. This development piques curiosity given his prior proposal of blending horror, thriller, and tragedy genres. It leaves us intrigued to see how Flanagan will seamlessly combine these two universes into a distinct, potentially chilling outcome.

One reason we considered Clayface as an ideal character for his own series or film is because his unique origin story, which intertwines with the realms of Hollywood and theater, offers a rich backdrop for creative exploration. The exceptional Batman: One Bad Day – Clayface one-shot brilliantly demonstrated this potential.

If the upcoming movie incorporates certain concepts as a basis while emphasizing the horror aspects, we might just create an extraordinary piece with a unique twist – distinct from previous screen adaptations.

Regarding the portrayals of his character on-screen, Tudyk has clarified the significant disparity between the two versions in a conversation with Rotten Tomatoes. His character in Creature Commandos is expected to bring about substantial changes compared to the bumbling character he played in Harley Quinn.

Later, in the series known as ‘Creature Commandos’, Clayface is portrayed as a ruthless killer. We have an intense battle, and he exhibits homicidal tendencies. However, this character remains the same. I find it fascinating that DC allows me to play this character two distinctly different ways, and I enjoy both versions equally. It’s wonderful that James gave me the opportunity to portray Clayface in ‘Creature Commandos’, I was so thrilled I didn’t even have to ask. I had planned to ask when I noticed it in the script, but he informed me that I could do it instead.

Are you looking forward to the upcoming Clayface film? Feel free to discuss everything related to DC Universe, including Batman, with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb or Bluesky @knightofoa!

2024-12-12 06:09

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