James Gunn had zero plans to make Clayface movie until Mike Flanagan's 'wonderful idea'
James Gunn has admitted he didn't see himself making a standalone 'Clayface' movie until he received a "wonderful idea" from writer Mike Flanagan.
James Gunn had zero plans to make a 'Clayface' movie until he received a "wonderful idea" from writer Mike Flanagan.
The DC Studios co-chairman has revealed it wasn't until he received a solid pitch from the acclaimed horror writer - who is also working on the upcoming 'Exorcist' reboot and has penned the likes of 'The Haunting of Hill House, 'The Fall of the House of Usher' and 'Doctor Sleep' - that he considered making a film all about DC Comics' shape-shifting supervillian.
He told io9: "I didn’t plan on making a Clayface movie. Mike came in. He pitched this wonderful idea. I was like, ‘Damn, I can’t believe you got me to want to make a Clayface movie.’ But he’s got to write the script and who knows how that’s going to work. He goes and he writes the script. First draft is great. Second draft is even better. And then I’m like, ‘Let’s do it.’ So we found a place for it because if there’s quality stuff, we can find a way to work it in.”
The 'Clayface' film is slated for release on September 11, 2026.
Meanwhile, there were suggestions Clayface could be a key addition to Matt Reeves' 'The Batman 2' sequel, with Robert Pattinson once again returning as The Dark Knight.
Back in 2021, Flanagan was asked if there was a specific DC character he wanted to bring to the big screen.
He replied on X - formerly Twitter - at the time: "Well I’ve wanted to do a Superman movie since I was a kid, but I would also be really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy.”
Clayface was first introduced in Detective Comics #40 back in June 1940, with the initial origin story focused on a moderately successful actor who turned to crime and took on the identity of a character he played in a horror film.
He has appeared in plenty of films, series, animated works and more over the years, with Brian McManamon and Lorraine Burrough taking on the role in 'Gotham' and 'Pennyworth', respectively.
In the 1970s, the character was developed as a scientist suffering with hormone irregularities.
Currently, Flanagan is working on a reboot of 1973 horror classic 'The Exorcist', which is set to be released in March 2026, after a new trilogy was scrapped after the release of 'The Exorcist: Believer'.
He previously revealed he fought "very aggressively" to land the rights to the iconic horror franchise, and he wanted to radically re-imagine the beloved flick.
In September this year, he told The Hollywood Reporter: "We aren't making this easy on ourselves. But I've always felt that there's no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there's something new you can bring.
"I chased 'The Exorcist' very aggressively because I was convinced I had something I could add. This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise – something that honours what came before it but isn't built on nostalgia.
"I really just saw an opportunity to make the scariest movie I've ever made. I know expectations are high. No one's more intimidated than I am."
