Clayface Tops Budget, Watkins Reveals Actor Injury

James Watkins directed Clayface to a global box office total of $46.5 million in its opening weekend. The figure exceeds the film's $44 million production budget. The DC Studios project also secured a Certified Fresh badge on Rotten Tomatoes.

Audience reception diverged from critical consensus. Critics gave the film a 75 percent score. Verified moviegoers awarded it a 94 percent rating. The movie achieved an A- CinemaScore. Watkins noted that this grade is an extreme rarity for the horror genre.

The filmmaker cited a phrase from screenwriter Mike Flanagan as the basis for his pitch to DC Studios executives James Gunn and Peter Safran. Flanagan described his draft as a tragedy in three acts. Watkins proposed a narrative focused on the devolution of Matt Hagen, the malleable foe of Batman.

Watkins described the production as unexpectedly challenging due to personal loss. He received a call informing him that his father, Dr. George Watkins CBE, had died without warning during post-production. Gunn and Safran granted Watkins time to attend to his family. The director dedicated the film to his late father.

“We were in the thick of it, and my dad died very suddenly. As you can imagine, it was difficult,” Watkins said. “James and Peter reached out and afforded me time and were very kind at a point when there was a film to finish. So I’ll never forget that.”

Lead actor Tom Rhys Harries concealed a torn ACL during filming. The injury threatened to end his acting career as his character's face was disfigured. Watkins and the team learned of the injury when Harries revealed it while shooting a scene where Matt flees a premiere and is hit by a car.

“He still did the jump and the fall, but he was frank about it. We were like, ‘We obviously don’t want to create a lifelong injury for you,’” Watkins recalled. “So we had to finesse how we did the stunt. But it’s not like he was cast to play Premier League or NFL football. He’s acting, so [having foreknowledge of his injury] wouldn’t have made any difference to me.”

The plot centers on Matt seeking an experimental procedure from Dr. Caitlyn Corr, played by Naomi Ackie. The treatment uses AI nanocells to repair damaged tissue. Side effects emerge when Matt succumbs to negative emotions. His face melts at a movie premiere, leading him back to Corr's lab.

Matt overdoes the nanite treatment, transforming into a volatile shapeshifter. He attacks a nightclub owned by the mobster who originally disfigured him. Watkins developed this sequence with Hossein Amini. The scene allows audiences to enjoy the satisfaction of vengeance before the story shifts toward its tragic conclusion.

“I really wanted to beef up Matt’s journey upstairs [to confront mobster Markos Szabo],” Watkins said. “I kept talking about capturing the feeling of Robin Hood movies, or a film like El Cid, where they storm the castle. I also wanted to show Matt discovering and experiencing the dark glee that comes with his powers.”

Matt murders Detective John Borelli, played by Max Minghella, despite Borelli seeking legal justice. Watkins explained that Matt’s altered state of mind drives the decision. The nanobots create a reverse Florence Nightingale effect, making Matt obsessed with Corr. He acts out of self-defense, love, and obsession.

Gunn reposted a review of the film on Instagram. He captioned the post by saying it was a pleasure working with Watkins. Watkins stated that he had a straightforward experience with the studio team. He said that if viewers do not like the film, they cannot blame the executives because he had full support to realize his vision.