DC Studios released a teaser trailer for Clayface, its first foray into the horror/thriller genre, this week.
Horror director James Watkins (Speak No Evil, The Woman in Black) will helm the project, with Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries playing the title role of the Gotham City villain.
The film, which hits theaters on October 22, is billed as “the story of one man’s terrifying fall from rising Hollywood star to vengeful monster, exploring the loss of identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.”
The teaser trailer leans into the body horror that is Clayface’s origin story. He is an up-and-coming actor whose face was severely disfigured by a gangster.
To restore his good looks, he seeks help from a scientist who turns his body into clay.
The short trailer is packed with several jump scares of Clayface’s terrifying appearance. And so far, DC fans seem excited to see the studio dabbling in Substance-esque body horror compared to recent comic book hero movies.
“This is what DC needs,” one fan raved on YouTube, and the teaser has already racked up more than 3 million views since its release yesterday.
Another viewer wrote, “There’s no need for another trailer after this one. The tone, fear, and atmosphere have already captured my full interest.”
Another commenter praised DC for “finally showing off a Batman villain that isn’t the Joker.”
“Clayface” is one of several upcoming films from DC Studios, sandwiched between “Supergirl,” scheduled for release in June, and “Superman” sequel “Man of Tomorrow,” scheduled for release next July.
DC titles have had mixed fortunes lately. While last year’s Superman reboot was a huge hit, making more than $600 million worldwide, 2024’s critically-acclaimed Joker: Folie à Deux was a box office flop, barely making back its $200 million budget.
One DC movie that has yet to see the light of day is 2022’s Batgirl. It was one of three films that parent company Warner Bros. shelved in favor of substantial tax credits.
By the time the decision was made to block its release, Batgirl had already been completed and test screenings were taking place.
The decision is coming back to haunt DC fans this week, as the first trailer for another of Warner Bros.’ three canceled films has been released.
The Looney Tunes classic “Coyote vs. Acme” will finally be released in theaters in September, more than three years after it was originally scheduled to be released, after Warner Bros. gave the filmmakers permission to distribute it through other channels.
Two other completed films that Warner Bros. had in the can, the Batgirl and Scooby-Doo animated films, were not given a similar reprieve.
