Seminal horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan explains the inspiration behind his work penning the initial script upcoming Clayface movie at DC.
Mike Flanagan has helmed some of the finest horror series we’ve seen in recent years. From Midnight Mass, to The Haunting of Hill House, to The Fall of the House of Usher, and so on — he’s had hit after hit. Naturally, he’s turned his attention to comic book movies, specifically at DC, with a Clayface movie set to release in 2026 as part of DC’s new interconnected universe helmed by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Flanagan penned the initial script for the movie, but will not be directing — James Watkins (The Woman in Black) has the please of helming it.
Clayface is a psychological, body-horror tragedy, following a B-movie actor who continually uses a substance to stay ahead of the curve. However, the cruel consequence of the substance results in him becoming a monstrous being made of clay.
In a recent interview with ComicBook, Flanagan recently weighed in on the movie, citing fan-favorite two-part episode “Feat of Clay” from the original Batman: The Animated Series as the catalyst for his inspiration. “Of course it was. I mean that is the perfect [story],” he said. “‘Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely that is what inspired my script. That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Serieswhen I was growing up was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman.”
Flanagan’s work on scripting the movie is now done, and it’s down to the rest of the crew to deliver a satisfying movie worthy of the beloved animated duology. “I don’t know what they’re doing with Clayface. I’m not directing it, and that filmmaker will need to make it their own,” he explained. “I know that they’re doing work on the script. I’m off doing other things now, I really hope it remains true to the spirit of what I wanted it to be. But it’s not my movie, so I’ll be in the audience with you, anxious to see how it comes out.”
The character of Clayface has been one of the more underutilised in comic book projects in recent years. One notable involvement of the character came in Prime Video’s animated series Batman: Caped Crusader (2024).
Mike Flanagan’s Clayface movie is slated for release on September 11, 2026.
