Everything interesting we’ve found about DC’s upcoming horror film Clayface. This article will continue to be updated.
Image via Entertainment Weekly
Tom Rhys Harries filmed ‘Clayface’ with a torn ACL
“I actually shot all of Clayface with a torn ACL. I hadn’t told the stunts or anyone on production.”
“I was hobbling because I was like, ‘I don’t know if my knee’s gonna give out.’ I was running around Liverpool at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. trying to get away with it.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he recalled filming a scene where he was hit by a car.
“They were like, ‘Alright! So we’re gonna do this in camera. Are you ready? The car’s not gonna hit you too fast,’ … But we got away with it! And my knee’s still intact.”
Matt Reeves is producing because he’s drawn to more ‘grounded’ DC characters
“I’m drawn to the more grounded DC Comic characters, and coming off The Batman wanted to expand that interest to other characters and stories. Clayface presented a unique opportunity to dive into an origin story within a specific genre — it’s a tragic character journey wrapped in terrifying body horror.”
The film is fully focused on Clayface, but there will be Gotham Easter eggs
“There are little Easter eggs for those really in the know, but they’re very light sprinklings, whether it’s name references or occasional background references or visual illusions. If you didn’t know this world, you wouldn’t spot them — and they’re not there to pull people out [of the story].”
Tom Rhys Harries when asked what other DC characters he wants to come across
“Well, I’m Clayface, so I could become other DC characters”
James Watkins names two directors who influenced the film
“Sam Raimi … the way he can push horror almost to ridiculousness, and humor … in a good way … the boldness of what he does. The other person is Brian De Palma … how he creates his mise-en-scène, how he uses the camera.”
Clayface’s final form Is being kept secret
The Clayface trailers have shown Matt Hagen’s face melting, oozing and falling out of shape, but the character has remained recognizably humanoid so far. That apparently won’t be the case for the entire movie.
Rhys Harries revealed that Clayface will eventually undergo a much more complete transformation, but audiences won’t see his final form until the film hits theaters.
“It’s fucking sick!” Harries told Empire of the transformation.
The actor also recalled surprising friends and family while wearing his prosthetics during production, saying they eventually became accustomed to talking to him while half of his face appeared to be disintegrating.
The production budget is ~$30M
This is according to Hollywood Reporter.
“We always talked about the idea that a DC slate should have tremendous scope of tones and vibes and scales and scopes and budget levels. The fact that we get to make a DC movie that is a pure body horror movie, that is a dream come true.”
“James [Gunn] and I are both steeped in horror backgrounds. The fact that we get to make a horror movie and wrap it in the DC packaging with the great mythology of a classic Batman villain, that is really what we came out to do. James Watkins delivered that fully. If you don’t know the character, if you don’t know the comics, it doesn’t matter. You will love it just as a great horror movie.”
— Peter Safran.
Batman is active during the events of Clayface
“Batman is there. This is the introduction to the live-action Gotham. We showed a silhouette of Batman in Creature Commandos, so you know he’s around, but this is the first step into the world of Gotham for us.”
— Peter Safran
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