Following the debacle of Joker: Pas de Deux and the buzz surrounding HBO's Penguin series, Warner Bros. and DC are back with another Batman villain-centric project. Get ready for the Mudface movie, written by horror master Mike Flanagan.
When the project was first rumored in early 2023, the name alone was enough to make many people prick up their ears, as Flanagan's output in both television and film in recent years has been nothing short of amazing. He was quick to shoot down the rumors, possibly because nothing is confirmed yet, but it turns out the reports were justified.
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Via Variety , we've learned that the film has been greenlit and is expected to begin filming as early as early 2025, meaning Flanagan's script is all but locked up at DC Studios. However, the filmmaker is busy filming new movies for The Exorcist and Carrie as well as other projects he's working on, so it sounds like someone else will be attached to direct.
While surprising at first, it was a smart move by Warner Bros. and DC Studios following Penguin, which resonated with critics and audiences alike. Even if Joker 2 was a huge flop, the original was a huge hit in 2019 and deserves more experimentation with Gotham City's villains. Plus, Flanagan's name carries a lot of weight, as does the semi-confirmed Sgt. Rock film directed by Luca Guadagnino.
It's yet another piece of news that confirms DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's commitment to aligning various offbeat projects, like the tentative Bane and Deathstroke movie, with safer projects like The rebooted version of “Superman” was put into production together. Clayface was even part of his animated series Creature Squad, the first official chapter of the DCU, which raises the question of whether the movie will tie in with an iteration of the character, or be something like A different world story like Batman and Penguin. As well as the aforementioned Joker movie.
Clayface debuted in 1940 as a failed actor wearing a clay mask. He later gained the ability to shapeshift, which was first introduced in 1961. This characterization was retained in most subsequent versions of the character, so even though Flanagan and producers Matt Reeves and Lynne Harris were aiming for a more grounded approach, the film Likely to lean heavily towards horror.
