Movies
Mike Flanagan Officially Writing a ‘Clayface’ Movie for DC
There were rumors a few years back that Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, Doctor Sleep) had pitched a solo movie for the DC villain Clayface, rumors that Flanagan said at the time were “entirely speculative.” Over a year later, Variety ran a report this week confirming that the Flanagan-scripted Clayface movie is happening!
Variety reports, “DC Studios has officially greenlit a feature film centered around Clayface, the shapeshifting Batman villain, from a script written by Doctor Sleep filmmaker Mike Flanagan, according to a source with direct knowledge of the production.”
“Filming is expected to begin early next year,” the site’s report continues.
Matt Reeves (The Batman) and Lynn Harris will produce through 6th & Idaho Productions. And as a reminder, James Gunn and Peter Safran are now the heads of DC Studios.
No plot details for the Mike Flanagan-written Clayface movie have been announced but Flanagan tweeted back in 2021 that his dream Clayface movie was a “horror/thriller/tragedy.” Whether or not that ended up being the tone of the final product remains to be seen.
The Clayface character was introduced by DC Comics in Detective Comics #40 way back in June 1940, an adversary of Batman with a clay-like form and shapeshifting abilities. The character has been played on screen in both animation and live action, with actors including Alan Tudyk, Ron Perlman, Brian McManamon, and Lorraine Burroughs having played the role.
Stay tuned for more on all things Mike Flanagan and Clayface. On that note, Flanagan is also currently on board to direct a brand new The Exorcist movie for Blumhouse and Universal.
“Creature Commandos”
The Evil Dead franchise is alive and well these days, with brand new installment Evil Dead Burn arriving in theaters this summer and Evil Dead Wrath already set for release in 2028.
But one person you shouldn’t expect to see in either movie is Bruce Campbell, who made it clear back when “Ash vs. Evil Dead” was cancelled that his days of playing Evil Dead hero Ash Williams are very much over. Sure, he made a very small vocal cameo in Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, but Campbell is still sticking to his vow of being retired from playing Ash.
In a new chat with Detroit Free Press, Bruce Campbell again makes it clear that he’s moved on from Ash Williams and the Evil Dead franchise has moved on from Bruce Campbell.
Campbell explains, “We’ve done three things: We moved away from the cabin, we’ve moved away from Sam Raimi, we’ve moved away from Ash and Bruce Campbell.”
“Thankfully, Evil Dead Rise made the most of any money we’ve made from any Evil Dead, so far, and it validated the fact that we can get away from those main elements,” Campbell continues. “You’ve got to find a new audience, because the original Evil Dead fans, you get some of them, you’re not going to get all of them, because they like those original elements.”
“They’re Hollywood, they’re studio movies now,” Campbell says of the franchise today. “They’re not indie movies anymore. And that’s where I found that my use has just phased out.”
Bruce Campbell’s hands-on involvement with the Evil Dead movies has come to an end both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Campbell told Forbes this year, “We had a meeting a couple of years ago and the French director of Evil Dead Burn was there to experience his first script development meeting. He turned in a 10-page treatment to say, “Here’s my rough idea. Here’s what I’m thinking, A to Z’ and I think he got 20 pages of notes back.”
“That’s when I said to myself. ‘You guys got this. I think you guys got this.’ I got tired of arguing points with someone who’s 26 years old about story and structure, and all that sort of stuff, and what matters and what doesn’t,” Campbell explained. “So, I just found out it’s way better to just step back. I’m partners with the guys. Nothing else has changed. I just told them, ‘Guys. I’m actually doing my own thing now, and it takes a lot of time and attention. If I can get fewer emails for approvals not clogging my timeline, that’s good for me at this point.'”
Up next from Bruce Campbell? He directed and stars in the indie comedy Ernie & Emma, which follows a pear salesman who embarks on a journey following the death of his wife.
After 25 years as an executive secretary, Emma leaves behind a detailed list of instructions regarding her ashes, which leads Ernie on a series of challenging and reflective escapades.
Campbell is hitting the road with Ernie & Emma. Follow him on Twitter for updates.
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