‘Clayface’ Drops Unsettling New Footage as DC’s First Horror Film Counts Down To Release
Few superhero villains have had a marketing campaign quite like Matt Hagen’s. Since DC Studios first showed footage of ‘Clayface’ at CinemaCon, the studio has steadily released more disturbing glimpses of its first true horror film.
The April teaser, set to The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??”, introduced a bandaged Hagen in a hospital bed and ended with him wiping his own face away in a bathtub. A full trailer followed in July ahead of Comic-Con, then a grotesque TV spot in September showed Hagen losing control of his face in front of a horrified clubgoer.
Now the campaign has delivered another new look. A fresh 1-minute, 42-second video arrived on October 7, featuring Tom Rhys Harries as Hagen bathed in warm amber light, his face and shoulders smeared with clay.
The striking image captures Hagen lying close to the camera with a quiet, haunted expression. The clay clinging to his skin hints at the transformation taking over his body. The video arrived on the same day as a new 4DX poster, showing how hard Warner Bros. is pushing the film just over 2 weeks before release.
Both pieces lean into the intimate, unsettling body horror that has defined the campaign so far. One notable feature of the marketing has been how little it shows of the full creature. Director James Watkins told Empire that Clayface’s complete form would stay out of promotional material until the film’s release.
New look at ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/YKERF0EqfO
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 7, 2026
The studio has stuck to that plan. Even the final trailer, released on September 25, ended with Hagen absorbing a man to wear his face rather than revealing the monster in full. Some observers have called that a real gamble, since the studio is selling a wide October release built around a creature audiences haven’t yet seen.
In this version of the DC story, Hagen is a rising Hollywood actor whose career is destroyed after a crime boss leaves him disfigured. He turns to an experimental treatment that restores his appearance.
The cure comes at a horrifying cost. His body slowly turns into living clay, and the treatment starts to erode his grip on reality as he moves toward revenge. Watkins, known for horror titles like ‘Eden Lake’, ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Speak No Evil’, directs from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. Flanagan also has story credit.
Harries leads a cast that includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James. Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran produce.
New posters for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/2DA3HTeKUQ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 7, 2026
The R-rated film arrives in North American theaters and IMAX on October 23. International rollouts begin on October 21, with some markets, including the UAE, opening on October 22.
I can’t wait to share this wonderful movie so lovingly crafted by James Watkins in four short weeks. #ClayfaceMovie – only in theaters October 23. https://t.co/SPfo9nElnP
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 24, 2026
‘Clayface’ will open late in a month already packed with wide horror releases. Its body-horror approach and DC connection may help it stand out from the crowd. The film represents a significant experiment for Gunn and Safran’s DC Universe.
Centering a villain in an adult horror story is a clear departure from traditional superhero storytelling. If it works, ‘Clayface’ could open the door to more genre experiments within the franchise. With each new look, the studio is betting audiences are ready for something much darker.
Are you excited to see DC’s first horror film, ‘Clayface’?
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