Clayface first reactions land ahead of Oct 23 release
The first reactions to DC Studios' Clayface are out in the wild, nine days before the film reaches cinemas.
DC held a premiere and multiple screenings on the night of Tuesday, 13 October, and allowed guests to post brief social media reactions, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Full critics' reviews remain under embargo until 21 October.
The film opens in theatres on 23 October, the studio's current date for the release The Hollywood Reporter reports. It is an R-rated body horror film, meaning it is restricted to adult audiences in the United States and centres on physical transformation and decay.
Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, the actor who becomes Clayface, a shape-shifting villain from Batman comics. The cast also includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan.
James Watkins directs from a script co-written by Hossein Amini and Mike Flanagan. James Gunn and Matt Reeves are among the producers.
Clayface is the third cinema feature in the DC Universe overseen by Gunn and Peter Safran, a shared slate in which characters and stories connect across films and series. It follows Superman from 2025 and Supergirl from 2026.
Those two films posted box-office totals of $619 million and $126 million respectively, figures cited by The Hollywood Reporter. The new film carries a $40 million production budget, a lean sum by superhero standards.
The October date followed a calendar shift earlier this year. DC Studios moved Clayface to October 2026, with Warner Bros. placing Practical Magic 2 into its previous slot, Variety reported in February.
Audiences had seen little of the film until now. The first footage released in April opened on a disfigured man with bloodied bandages covering his face and played without any dialogue, The Hollywood Reporter reported at the time.
For fans, this means the wait is almost over. Short social media posts give an early signal. The fuller picture arrives with reviews on 21 October, two days before opening.
