Description
James Watkins spoke to HeyUGuys at the Clayface Junket in, London, where the director of Speak No Evil explained why his DC Studios horror thriller is a standalone origin story that needs no “PhD in DC studies”. Watkins talked about shooting Gotham’s exteriors on the streets of Liverpool and his preference for real prosthetics over green screen. He also discussed the months-long audition process that led to Tom Rhys Harries, and the chemistry read with Naomi Ackie that sealed it. And on the chances of a sequel, he says that’s a question for James Gunn.
Interviews for Clayface at the Junket. The film stars Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll and Joshua James, it was written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini and directed by James Watkins. Freda Cooper asks the questions.
Plot: Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously restores him, but it also warps his grip on reality and sends him spiralling into a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
Clayface will be released on 23rd October 2026.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Congratulations and a mix of superhero and horror
00:11 An all-British ensemble cast
00:56 A really intimate set
01:01 Taking the work seriously, but not himself
01:11 Prosthetics, makeup and a little CGI
01:43 Shooting Gotham on the streets of Liverpool
02:02 Directing a lesser-known Batman villain
02:16 Why Clayface works as a standalone story
02:53 How much of a villain is Matt Hagen?
03:01 Making the audience root for him
03:30 Putting Tom Rhys Harries through the audition process
03:51 The chemistry read with Naomi Ackie
04:09 Could there be more Clayface?
#Clayface #JamesWatkins #Junket #HeyUGuys #DCStudios #HorrorMovie #Gotham #PracticalEffects #MikeFlanagan #SpeakNoEvil
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