Mike Flanagan Writing ‘Clayface’ Film For DC

Mike Flanagan is reportedly writing a standalone Clayface movie.

The prolific horror filmmaker, who is currently working on the upcoming Exorcist reboot and has penned the likes of The Haunting of Hill House,The Fall of the House of Usher, and Doctor Sleep, has long been vocal about his desire to bring the character to the big screen.

As reported by Deadline, he has signed up to write a script for DC Studios focused on the shapeshifting supervillain.

It’s said the studio is looking for a director to helm the movie. Last year, the same outlet reported that Flanagan’s idea for the character wouldn’t portray him as a villain.

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Meanwhile, there were suggestions Clayface could be a key addition to Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 sequel, with Robert Pattinson once again returning as the Dark Knight.

Back in 2021, Flanagan was asked if there was a specific DC character he wanted to bring to the big screen.

He replied on X — formerly Twitter — at the time: “Well I’ve wanted to do a Superman movie since I was a kid, but I would also be really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy.”

Clayface was first introduced in Detective Comics #40 back in June 1940, with the initial origin story focused on a moderately successful actor who turned to crime and took on the identity of a character he played in a horror film.

He has appeared in plenty of animated films, series, animated works and more over the years, with Brian McManamon and Lorraine Burrough taking on the role in Gotham and Pennyworth, respectively.

In the 1970s, the character was developed with his appearance explained by him being a scientist suffering with hormone irregularities.

Currently, Flanagan, 46, is working on a reboot of 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, which is set to be released in March 2026, after a new trilogy was scrapped after the release of The Exorcist: Believer.

He previously revealed he fought “very aggressively” to land the rights to the iconic horror franchise, and he wanted to radically reimagine the beloved flick.

In September this year, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “We aren’t making this easy on ourselves. But I’ve always felt that there’s no point in going into a franchise or into a property that monolithic unless there’s something new you can bring.

“I chased The Exorcist very aggressively because I was convinced I had something I could add. This is an opportunity to do something that I believe has never been done within the franchise – something that honors what came before it but isn’t built on nostalgia.”