Mike Flanagan acknowledges DC Studios Clayface film is not his work

DC Studios releases the dark horror-thriller “Clayface” in theaters on October 22, 2026, marking the first pure DCU horror film and presenting a shift from the director’s original vision, filmstarts.de reported. While horror specialist Mike Flanagan developed the initial concept and wrote a script in 2023, subsequent rewrites by Hossein Amini and direction by James Watkins resulted in a finished film that Flanagan acknowledges bears little resemblance to his original work.

DC Studios Sets The Theatrical Release Date For October 2026

The Superschurken-Blockbuster arrives in German cinemas on October 22, 2026, as the third feature film in the DCU following upcoming entries for Superman and Supergirl. Tom Rhys Harries stars as actor Matt Hagen, who undergoes an unauthorized experimental treatment after a brutal attack leaves him disfigured. The unforeseen side effects transform Hagen into the infamous Batman villain Clayface. The supporting cast includes Eddie Marsan, Max Minghella, and Naomi Ackie under the direction of James Watkins.

Mike Flanagan Concedes The Final Cut Belongs To James Watkins

Mike Flanagan detailed the production history in an interview with Comic Book Movie, clarifying that he has not yet seen the finished movie and holds no creative control over the final product.

It is really James Watkins’ film, not my film. I wrote a script that I loved, and I handed it in — and that’s it. I haven’t even seen the movie yet. I’m looking forward to it, to find out what James did with it.

Mike Flanagan

Flanagan pitched his concrete story idea to DC Studios in 2023 and completed an initial draft. Because his schedule was committed to major projects including a television adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie,” Warner Bros. and DC brought in British director James Watkins to helm the production. Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini subsequently joined the project to revise Flanagan’s draft, producing what amounted to a completely new screenplay. Official credits list Flanagan and Amini as screenwriters, while Flanagan receives sole credit as the story originator.

Unresolved Questions Surrounding The Final Script And Fan Expectations

The extent to which Flanagan’s original concepts survived the writing process by Amini remains unconfirmed ahead of the premiere. The creative overhaul alters the production’s trajectory from what fans initially anticipated when the project was first announced as a passion project for the acclaimed horror filmmaker.