DC Studios just revealed the first footage of this year's Batman villain spin-off movie, Clayface, at CinemaCon. Fans of James Gunn's DCU have already seen trailers for June's Supergirl and August's Lanterns, leaving this October's Clayface as the last to reveal a sneak peek. The R-rated body horror tells the origin story of the Batman supervillain Matt Hagen, an actor who is mutilated by an injury, leading him to be transformed into a melting, shapeshifting monster: Clayface.
During Tuesday night's Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran took to the stage to talk all things Supergirl and Clayface. That included the exclusive world premiere of Clayface's first teaser trailer, which Safran hyped up as a "riveting horror thriller driven by character, not genre."
Regarding when fans around the world will catch a glimpse of Matt Hagen, recent reports stated that Clayface's trailer will land in April or May. DC Studios will unleash its horror thriller worldwide in time for Halloween on October 23.
The first look opens with Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen (a struggling actor), bloodied and bandaged up in a hospital bed. There, he's attacked by a knife-wielding assailant and has chemicals pumped into him, seemingly being the process that would mutate him into the monstrous Clayface.
Attendees caught a glimpse of what got Hagen to this moment before his accident, including his career as an actor in modern Gotham City. At one point, Hagen was seen wandering down a neon-lit alleyway beside circus signs, which is only bound to fuel speculation that Clayface is setting up the DCU's Robin.
The terrifying trailer climaxes with a shadowy shot of Clayface forming his hand into a mace, a signature move for the shapeshifter. Despite being obscured in the shadows, the sneak peek solidifies once and for all, as expected, that James Gunn's DCU will offer a truly fantastical take on Matt Hagen's body-morphing.
Hagen's melting is primarily presented in the teaser through his face, with his eyes and mouth disappearing or his lips fusing at times. Clayface's first trailer concludes with Matt Hagen in a bathtub, wiping his face away like putty into a textured mess.
The trailer is set to a slowed-down, eerie version of "Do You Realize?" by The Flaming Lips, which Gunn previously used in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins, Clayface will introduce audiences to Doctor Who actor Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen. The Welsh star will be joined by Naomi Ackie, Max Minghella, David Dencik, and Eddie Marsan.
DC Studios' Halloween horror will mark several firsts for the blue brand, and it will do so on a low $40 million budget, forcing it to lean into classic practical effects and to focus on creativity to bring a rather fantastic DC villain to life.
Find out all of the DC Studios and Warner Bros. news to emerge from CinemaCon.
