Tom Rhys Harries went through an unusually grueling casting process to get the lead in DC Studios’ Clayface. Director James Watkins spent three months with the Welshman, including two very long screen tests, to ensure he could meet the role’s psychological and physical demands.
That approach is indicative of the ambition of the film, which is very much a horror film in its intent and which eschews the usual superhero fare in favor of a tale of transformation, identity and revenge.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s world premiere on October 13, Watkins said Harries had caught his eye from the outset, but he wanted to see what the actor could do before deciding.
“I auditioned the hell out of him,” Watkins said, describing the auditioning process.
Rather than just looking for someone who could play the scary look of Clayface, Watkins was looking for an actor who could get the audience to care about Matt Hagen the man. “He came in, and I thought he really had something, but I wanted to explore it. So we spent time exploring it,” Watkins added.
Harries was happy with the extra time. He told The Hollywood Reporter that it allowed him and Watkins to develop the character together before production. For a character that needs to be both vulnerable and menacing, that kind of prep could be crucial.
The film is about Matt Hagen, a Hollywood actor whose life is turned upside down following a catastrophic facial injury. In his desperation to get his face back and to get his career going again, he goes down the path of an experimental treatment which results in a truly horrific transformation.
Hagen eventually becomes Clayface, a creature whose body can take on the properties of living clay. He’s been a fixture in Batman’s comic-book lore for a long time, but this film takes a very different approach to his origin story, going down the body horror route rather than the standard superhero path.
Harries stars alongside Naomi Ackie and Max Minghella. James Watkins is at the helm, with the screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini.
‘Clayface’ First Reactions Tease a Brutal Horror Experience
Early reactions to the film at its premiere have been very positive for DC’s attempt at a genre film. Chris Killian at ComicBook.com was very complimentary of the film’s horrific take on Hagen’s tragic tale, and Collider’s Steven Weintraub called it fantastic, with particular praise for the brutality of the film.
The early responses also suggest that you don’t need to be a huge DC Comics fan to get the story. That said, they’re not really reviews at all, and the wider reaction from the audience will tell us a lot more.
Clayface is scheduled to release in North American cinemas on October 23rd, 2026.
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