DC Studios will reportedly keep Matt Hagen's final form in Clayface under wraps until the movie is released, but two new movie-themed comic book variant covers offer at least a hint at what's to come next month.
With a little over four weeks to go, now would be a good time for the James Gunn-led studio to start building hype for the R-rated horror movie. Artwork like this is a decent start, particularly when it's provided by artists of the calibre of Jim Lee and Frank Cho.
Both covers show the actor's good looks melting away as he becomes more monster than man. Based on what we saw in Creature Commandos, we know the villain eventually masters the ability to look like whoever he wants, so it will be interesting to see how Clayface handles that (surely it's every actor's dream, even if the process of getting there is a nightmare).
When Creature Commandos was released, Clayface wasn't even being considered by DC Studios. That's led to some complicated continuity issues, which it's now up to this movie to figure out.
"[Joker and The Substance] are both great films, but this is a very different story and a very different universe," filmmaker James Watkins previously said. "It creates its own atmosphere, it creates its own vibe, and the story of Matt Hagen is its own story, and I think it’s a compelling one, and it takes people on a real roller coaster journey."
"It’s going to give people a lot of ick and a lot of gore. But there’s also an emotional core that gives it a dimension," he continued. "When you sit and watch this, and you feel the anima of an audience responding to the film, there’s some comfort in that, I suppose."
In Clayface, Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self, but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiralling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
The movie stars Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the cult-favourite villain from Gotham's rogues' gallery. The cast includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.
James Watkins directs from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Flanagan also getting a "Story by" credit. Clayface is produced by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran, with Michael E. Uslan, Chantal Nong Vo, Lars P. Winther, Rafi Crohn and Paul Ritchie executive producing.
Watkins' creative team includes director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer James Price, editor Jon Harris and costume designer Keith Madden. Volker Bertelmann (Conclave) is the movie's composer.
Clayface will be released in theaters on October 23.