Well, we now have a face for the latest big DC villain as Suspicion and The Return star Tom Rhys Harries has signed on for the tragic tale of a failed actor come Gotham City villain.
The news of the star’s casting came as DC Showrunner James Gunn wrote on social media: “After a long and incredibly exhaustive search, we finally have our DCU Clayface in Tom Rhys Harries. Both Matt Reeves and I were just blown away by this guy, and can’t wait for you to see this film, directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan.”
The 32-year-old actor, left, has had a big career in recent years, starring alongside the likes of Uma Thurman and Gerard Butler, but his new role in James Watkins’ DC horror is the one that is getting our attention.
The script was written by Mike Flanagan, based heavily on the Batman: The Animated Series double episode, Feat of Clay, which saw actor Matt Hagan become the shapeshifting villain after using a face cream that turned his skin to putty. It’s a cracking story well told, and having Flanagan write it as a superhero horror should be quite the treat for fans.
Flanagan previously said of his take on the story? “That is the perfect [story]! Feat of Clay,’ Ron Perlman, to me, that’s it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely that is what inspired my script. That is the world I wanted to live in. Batman: The Animated Series when I was growing up was my Batman. As much as [Michael] Keaton was my Batman, The Animated Series really was my Batman”
Let’s not forget that the DCU’s first official entry, Creature Commandos, has already featured Clayface, right, portrayed by Resident Alien and Firefly’s Alan Tudyk, so I wouldn’t rule out this movie being the introduction to this version of the character – this being the large, misshapen one who can turn into anyone he pleases
The movie is currently pencilled in for release next September.
TIDBIT:
It was also revealed in the latest episode of the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast that the movie is expected to be a hard-R horror and will be a commentary on deepfakes and AI and their use in modern media/society.
Watch full episode:
Source: Deadline
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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