A year after pitching the idea to DC, Mike Flanagan is officially writing a Clayface movie

Clayface in Batman: The Animated Series
(Image credit: Fox Kids)

A new movie about Batman villain Clayface is officially in the works at DC Studios, and The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan is writing the script after he first pitched the project to DC back in 2023.

The Batman director Matt Reeves is on board as a producer and filming is due to start in early 2025. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps but, back in 2021, Flanagan tweeted that he was "really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy." With Netflix series like Midnight Mass and The Fall of the House of Usher and movies like Doctor Sleep under his belt, it's safe to assume that his take on Clayface will also be a horror project.

The antagonist, best known for his shape-shifting abilities, first appeared in DC Comics all the way back in 1940. On the screen, animated versions of Clayface have been voiced by Ron Perlman and, more recently, Alan Tudyk. In live-action, the character was played by Brian McManamon in Gotham and Lorraine Burrough in Pennyworth.

Next up for Flanagan is The Life of Chuck, which he wrote and directed, starring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill. Based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, the movie is made up of three separate parts that, together, tell the story of a man's life in reverse. The movie arrives in theaters on May 30, 2025.

While we wait for Clayface to hit the big screen, check out our guide to the other upcoming superhero movies on the way in 2025 and beyond.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

Read more
Matt Hagen
DC Studios boss says Batman villain Clayface is "even more terrifying" than Penguin and Joker
Clayface in Batman: The Animated Series
Clayface attracts attention of two horror directors as the upcoming movie in James Gunn's DCU is rumored to be a "horror-thriller-tragedy"
Daniel Radcliffe in The Lost City / Clayface in DC comics
James Gunn denies DC casting rumors that Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe will play Clayface: "We certainly haven’t talked to or considered him"
Robert Pattinson in The Batman
Matt Reeves explains why The Batman 2 is delayed to 2027, but says they still want to film this year
The Batman
The Batman 2 director teases "completely different" sequel, as he promises the movie's main villain will surprise DC fans
James Gunn
James Gunn's DC Studios puts several projects on the backburner, including Waller, The Authority, Booster Gold, and its Batman reboot
Latest in DC Movies
James Gunn
James Gunn reacts to Jason Momoa almost spoiling his Lobo costume in an interview: "I just want to profoundly thank Jason’s publicist"
Jason Momoa next to Lobo
Jason Momoa has gone method taking on the role of Lobo: "I asked everybody to call me by my character's name"
Batgirl movie
Unearthed Daredevil-like fight scene from DC's canceled Batgirl movie gives us a taste of what we could have had
Jason Momoa in A Minecraft Movie
Jason Momoa says the DCU's Lobo is "exactly like" the comic book character in upcoming Supergirl movie
Guy Gardner Green Lantern in Superman
Nathan Fillion says his version of Green Lantern in James Gunn's Superman is "a jerk": "He's not nice, which is very freeing as an actor"
Zack Snyder's Justice League
Zack Snyder celebrates 4 years of the Snyder Cut of Justice League: "Still humbled by the fact that this exists at all"
Latest in News
Four Helldivers lined up on base ship
A year after Malevelon Creek became Helldivers 2's fiercest battleground, it looks like the Automatons are coming back for more
Kurt Russell in The Thing holding a stick of dynamite.
43 years later, John Carpenter has hinted at who turns into The Thing in the horror movie and one eagle-eyed fan has worked it out
Amid Assassin's Creed Shadows' controversies, shrine popularized by Ghost of Tsushima bans all tourists after "unforgivable act of disrespect"
A WoW Classic player chased by a dinosaur in a green forest
"If this is just how it is, then yeah, that's the end": WoW Classic's most famous hardcore guild calls time for now after multiple raiders lose their MMO characters to DDoS attacks
Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in Jennifer's Body
Star of cult hit Jennifer's Body says marketing "ruined" the horror movie's chances, but they may get another shot with a sequel 16 years later
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight: Silksong gets unprecedented second update in 2 weeks, with a Steam page tweak pointing to a 2025 release