Watkins Says He Had No Mandates for Gotham in Clayface

James Watkins said DC Studios gave him no mandates while developing Gotham for Clayface, a body-horror film whose gruesome practical effects have drawn praise from early viewers and a more mixed assessment in a review. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on October 23, 2026. Watkins, the director, said he and production designer James Price shaped the city around the story rather than requirements to set up future films. He described their Gotham as grimy and retro, drawing on New York street photography and older visual references. Watkins said the city’s looming architecture and neon-lit streets were meant to convey a place that dominates its residents. The film follows Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, an actor whose face is disfigured after he angers a crime boss. Hagen seeks an experimental treatment from scientist Caitlyn Corr, played by Naomi Ackie. The procedure appears to restore his looks but transforms his body and sets him on a destructive path toward becoming the shapeshifting villain Clayface. Watkins said the story’s body horror was only one part of its appeal. He described the film as a character-led origin story centered on Hagen’s trauma and his...