DC Studios' upcoming body horror film, Clayface, has just unveiled its historic runtime ahead of its October 23 release. The film follows Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen, an actor whose life takes a turn for the worse after a gangster disfigures his face, eventually becoming the villain Clayface. The movie is the first of its kind in the DCU, and its length is just as unique as its plot, inking its name in DC's record books.
Clayface's runtime was revealed in a listing from Czech distributor Vertical Entertainment, which handles the cinema distribution of Clayface for the Czech market, confirming that the upcoming horror movie runs for only 1 hour and 48 minutes (108 minutes), making it the shortest film of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe so far alongside Supergirl, which had the same runtime.
The Milly Alcock-led film broke a six-year record when it released on June 26, becoming the first DC movie in six years to run under 120 minutes since the DCEU's Birds of Prey. Clayface is one of the shortest DC films in recent memory, with 2010's Jonah Hex being the last DC movie to come in shorter. That Josh Brolin-led film ran just 1 hour and 21 minutes.
Initially, Clayface was reported to have a 1 hour and 50 minute runtime back in June, with test screenings said to be positive. However, it seems a bit has changed on that front since then.
Clayface's short length fits its body-horror premise, since movies within the genre typically run short. Director James Watkins is a horror veteran, and his most popular films have all kept things lean: Eden Lake was 1 hour 31 minutes, and Speak No Evil was 1 hour 50 minutes. Horror usually favors a shorter cut because it relies heavily on tension and dread, so keeping things tight makes it easier to sustain that atmosphere until the film's end.
Clayface Makes DC History
Clayface now joins an exclusive club of DC movies with short runtimes, with its 108 minutes placing it near the very bottom of DC's theatrical chart. For context, the aforementioned Jonah Hex is actually the shortest live-action DC movie of the 21st century at 81 minutes. The Josh Brolin Western holds that record by a wide margin and became infamous for its choppy edit, which negatively impacted the story it was trying to tell.
Going further back, the 1951 George Reeves feature Superman and the Mole Men was only 58 minutes long, making it the shortest live-action DC film ever released.
Here is where Clayface stands among the shortest live-action DC theatrical releases:
- Superman and the Mole Men (1951) - 58 minutes
- Jonah Hex (2010) - 81 minutes
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) - 90 minutes
- Steel (1997) - 97 minutes
- Catwoman (2004) - 104 minutes
- Batman (1966) - 105 minutes
- Clayface (2026) - 108 minutes
- Supergirl (2026) - 108 minutes
- Birds of Prey (2020) - 109 minutes
Clayface's Short Runtime Works in Its Favor
As already stated, horror films are typically short because of how their stories are structured, so Clayface keeping things lean is a good thing. It also means Watkins won't be showing the shark early; in this case, Matt Hagen's transformation. In horror, the biggest scare or the monster's final form is saved for last.
Jaws, one of the most iconic horror films of all time, famously kept its shark hidden for most of the movie. That will likely be the case for Clayface as well, with Hagen's final form shown in the third act. It makes the story more intriguing and keeps the audience engaged, and it's easier to pull off when a film isn't dragging.
If Clayface were two hours long, there's only so much jump scares and dread could do to keep viewers hooked until the final form shows up. The movie would have to be padded with filler scenes, which would kill the horror impact. After all, the whole point of these films is to scare those watching. Then there's the matter of budget. Clayface reportedly cost only $40 million, and a villain like Clayface demands heavy use of CGI. To stay within budget, the smartest move is to keep the film tight.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
