- Shares
- 68
DC Studios has set the casting mould for its upcoming superhero film Clayface, and Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries is taking the spotlight. The relatively fresh face will play the iconic Batman villain known for his ability to shape-shift, ending a competitive search that included rising British stars Jack O’Connell (28 Years Later), 1917‘s George MacKay, and Tom Blyth of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes fame.
James Watkins, director of Speak No Evil, is helming the project, with prolific horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) serving as scriptwriter. Story details remain under wraps for now, but sources close to The Hollywood Reporter shared that the movie centres on the titular “B-movie actor who becomes a walking piece of clay after injecting himself with a substance in an attempt to keep himself relevant.”
The character was first introduced in 1940 as a moderately successful actor who adopted the identity of a character he’d portrayed in a horror pic after turning to crime. While he has appeared in various media over the years, the forthcoming feature will mark his official debut in the new DC Universe, with a darker, horror-flavoured touch to his portrayal. Alan Tudyk voices his animated counterpart on HBO’s Harley Quinn series and Creature Commandos.
DC Studios co-heads Peter Safran and James Gunn are also onboard as producers, alongside Matt Reeves (The Batman) and Lynn Harris (Se7en, The Notebook). A US$40 million budget has been budgeted for Clayface, which hits theatres on 11 September 2026.
As for Harries, the superhero entry is set to be his most significant leading role. The 35-year-old recently appeared in the short-lived Apple TV+ series Suspicion starring Uma Thurman, and Netflix’s White Lines, holding roles in the Gerard Butler-led action drama Kandahar, BBC fantasy series Jekyll & Hyde, and more.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Ting Wei
