Clayface: Release Date in India, Cast, Story and How It Fits the DCU

Clayface, DC Studios' first horror film, opens in Indian cinemas on Friday 23 October 2026, the same day as its US release. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a young actor whose face is destroyed and who becomes a shape-shifting monster made of living clay. James Watkins (Speak No Evil) directs from a story by Mike Flanagan, the man behind The Haunting of Hill House. It is also the third film in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe. Here is the India release date, cast, the story without spoilers, and where it sits in the DCU.

Clayface quick facts

• India release: 23 October 2026, in cinemas (listed in English and Hindi)
• US release: 23 October 2026, by Warner Bros. Pictures (it was moved from 11 September 2026)
• Director: James Watkins
• Writers: Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini (screenplay), from a story by Flanagan
• Producers: Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran
• Rating: R in the US for strong bloody violence, gore, language, some nudity and brief drug use. It is 18 in the UK. The Indian certificate had not been reported when we checked.
• Runtime: About 108 minutes, according to the UK classification listing
• Genre: Body horror / thriller

In India, ticketing listings show it in English and Hindi. Some markets, such as France and Australia, get it a day or two earlier.

Why the release date changed

Warner Bros. first set Clayface for 11 September 2026. In February 2026 it moved the film to 23 October, closer to Halloween, the busiest season for horror in the US. Older listings may still show September.

What is Clayface about? (no spoilers)

Matt Hagen is a Hollywood actor on the rise. Then his face is disfigured. Reports describe the attack as the work of a Gotham mob boss. With his career finished, he volunteers as a test subject for Dr. Caitlyn Corr, a scientist on the fringes who says she can rebuild his face. The experiment works too well. His body turns into living clay that can take any shape, and his mind starts to go with it.

The official synopsis says the film "unravels one man's horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster". Its themes are lost identity, destructive love and science pushed too far. Expect a horror film first and a superhero film a distant second. Batman is not part of the announced cast.

Clayface cast and characters

Tom Rhys Harries is a Welsh actor known for White Lines. Naomi Ackie played Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

Who made it: Watkins, Flanagan and a small budget

Mike Flanagan pitched and wrote the original script. Hossein Amini (Drive) later rewrote it. James Watkins made Eden Lake, The Woman in Black and the 2024 remake of Speak No Evil, so this is his home ground.

Its budget is small for a superhero film. Early reports said about $40 million, and later figures put it nearer $30 million. Warner Bros. has not confirmed either number.

Trailer

The first teaser came out in April 2026. The official trailer followed on 22 July 2026, just before San Diego Comic-Con. Both lean into the disfigurement and the gore rather than action set-pieces.

How Clayface fits into the DCU

This is not an Elseworlds side story like The Batman. Gunn and Safran have said it is part of the main DC Universe, in the "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters" slate. Here is what they have actually said:

• It is set before Superman (2025). Asked on Threads whether the film takes place before or after Superman, Gunn replied: "Before. It's the first DCU film out of chronological order."
• It is the same Clayface as in Creature Commandos. According to reports, Safran said Harries plays the same character who appears in the animated Creature Commandos, and that the film takes place before that series. Alan Tudyk, who voiced him there, does not return.
• No homework needed. Early viewers say it works without any DC knowledge.

Matt Reeves, who directed The Batman, is a producer. That has fuelled talk of a link to Robert Pattinson's Batman, but nothing announced puts this film in Reeves' world. The studio's position is that it belongs to Gunn's DCU.

DCU movies and shows in release order

1. Creature Commandos (animated series), December 2024
2. Superman (film), July 2025
3. Peacemaker Season 2 (series), August 2025
4. Supergirl (film), June 2026
5. Lanterns (series), August 2026. See our Lanterns story and cast guide.
6. Clayface (film), 23 October 2026
7. Man of Tomorrow (film), scheduled for July 2027

In story order, Clayface moves to the front of the film list, since Gunn places it before Superman.

First reactions and box office tracking

The film premiered in Los Angeles on 13 October, and social media reactions went live on 14 October. They were strongly positive. Several outlets, including Variety and /Film, collected them. Viewers praised Harries' performance, called the film a hard R that is very gory, and compared it to The Fly and Darkman. Some also said it is funnier than expected. A few added that not every part works. These are mostly fan-site reactions, not full reviews.

In the US, Boxoffice Pro's long-range forecast put the opening weekend at $23–33 million, according to several reports. Later presale reports are mixed. Some point to the top of that range and others suggest nearer $20 million. Horror audiences tend to buy tickets late, so treat these as projections, not results. No India box office figures exist yet.

Before you go: horror and Hollywood on NoWireTV

If the trailer has you in the mood for horror, The Conjuring and The Conjuring: Last Rites are streaming on NoWireTV. For Hollywood films on TV, English movie channels Star Movies HD, Sony Pix HD and Star Movies Select HD are streaming live.

Read next

• The Conjuring movies in order
• Resident Evil movies in order
• Diwali 2026 movies in cinemas and on OTT
• New releases this week (13–19 October 2026)

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