‘Clayface’ Gets a Behind-the-Scenes Look as DC’s Body-Horror Experiment Nears Release

DC Studios is heading into unfamiliar territory this Halloween season. ‘Clayface’ marks the studio’s first true horror movie, a stand-alone story about one of Batman’s most twisted villains that leans heavily into body horror.

The campaign has been building tension for months. After an early first look at CinemaCon, an official trailer arrived in July ahead of Comic-Con, followed by a series of increasingly disturbing posters showing star Tom Rhys Harries’ face falling apart.

Now the marketing has added another unsettling image. A new 4DX poster for the James Watkins-directed film has been released, inviting audiences to “feel it in 4DX” when ‘Clayface’ opens only in theaters on October 23.

The new artwork is drenched in deep red. It shows a pair of hands clawing at a face and tangled hair, with fingers stretching into melting, clay-like strands that drip across the frame.

The R-rated film’s title appears at the bottom in bold red lettering. The image fits the film’s visceral tone and suggests that seeing it in the motion-enhanced format will be a very physical experience.

First behind the scenes teaser for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ — including insights from James Gunn and Matt Reeves. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/sUOU8uAPX0

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 7, 2026

Each poster has shown a little more of Matt Hagen’s collapse. The first official one-sheet showed his face melting into the creature, while a later split-face design placed Hagen behind fluted glass, with one side handsome and sharp and the other warped into living clay.

James Gunn shared that split-face artwork on social media, teasing that audiences had never met anyone like Hagen. On September 17, another poster went further, showing a huge, melting face apparently embedded with skulls under the tagline “Everyone sees him differently.”

New poster for James Watkins’ ‘CLAYFACE’ starring Tom Rhys Harries has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/F0snmV2o6X

— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) October 7, 2026

In this version of DC lore, Harries plays Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood actor whose career is derailed after a brutal attack leaves him disfigured. Desperate, he turns to a cutting-edge experimental treatment that restores his appearance.

The cure comes with a terrible cost. It weakens his grip on reality and turns his body into moldable clay, sending him on a path of revenge, and the project has been compared to David Cronenberg’s ‘The Fly’.

Watkins, known for ‘Eden Lake’, ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘Speak No Evil’, was hired in February 2025. The screenplay comes from Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Flanagan also credited for the story.

Harries was cast in June 2025. The Welsh actor, previously known for Netflix’s ‘White Lines’, leads a cast that includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.

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

Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, Gunn and Peter Safran are producing. Behind the camera, the team includes cinematographer Rob Hardy, production designer James Price and visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton. Warner Bros. Pictures will release ‘Clayface’ in theaters and IMAX in North America on October 23. International audiences will get it a little earlier, starting on October 21.

The timing places the film right before Halloween, making it a natural fit for horror fans looking for something new. It also arrives during a busy week for Flanagan, whose ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’ just debuted its first teaser.

‘Clayface’ is a clear test of whether DC Studios can broaden its shared universe beyond traditional superhero stories. A villain-focused, adult horror film is a big swing, and early marketing has leaned fully into the grotesque.

With the 4DX poster now out, the studio is clearly betting that audiences want to feel every disturbing moment. Whether that strategy pays off will become clear when Hagen’s story reaches theaters later this month.

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