DC Studios released Clayface in theatres on October 23, 2026, and the body horror take on the Batman villain is drawing strong reviews while posting modest numbers at the Indian box office. The film stars Tom Rhys Harries as actor Matt Hagen, whose face is destroyed and then rebuilt through an experimental treatment that comes with a horrible cost.
This post covers the release details, the full cast with character names, the story setup without spoilers, what critics are saying with their actual ratings, day-wise India box office numbers from Sacnilk, and the expected OTT release window.
Release Date and Launch Details
Clayface had its premiere at the Hollywood Legion Theater in Los Angeles on October 13, 2026, and Warner Bros. Pictures released it wide in the United States on October 23, 2026. The film opened in India on the same day in English and Hindi, as tracked by Sacnilk.
- Director: James Watkins, known for horror work like Eden Lake and The Woman in Black
- Screenplay: Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, from a story by Flanagan
- Producers: Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran
- Music: Volker Bertelmann. Cinematography: Rob Hardy. Editing: Jon Harris
- Runtime: 108 minutes. The film carries an R rating in the US
- Budget: Reported at $30 million to $44 million
- Filming: Shot in Liverpool and at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England between August 31, 2025 and early November 2025, under the working title Corinthians
Clayface is the third film in the DC Universe (DCU) and sits in the franchise’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate. James Gunn has said the film is set before Superman and is connected to the wider DCU, so events here carry forward.
Full Cast
Tom Rhys Harries leads the film as Matt Hagen, the rising star who becomes Clayface. The supporting cast lines up like this:
- Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface, an Academy Award nominated actor whose face is destroyed in an attack
- Naomi Ackie as Dr. Caitlyn Corr, the fringe scientist who creates the nanite treatment and becomes Matt’s love interest
- David Dencik as Markos Szabo, the crime lord who orders the attack on Matt
- Max Minghella as John Borrelli, a Gotham City police detective who is dating Caitlyn
- Eddie Marsan as Frank Fitzpatrick, Matt’s manager
- Nancy Carroll as Hildie Love, Matt’s agent
- Joshua James as Corey Bowery, Matt’s best friend and fellow actor
Breaking Bad fans also spotted Aaron Paul in a cameo that Warner Bros. kept out of the marketing, as Entertainment Weekly reported on release day.
Story Summary
The film opens with Matt Hagen at the peak of his career. Fresh off an Academy Award nomination, he attends a party where he meets actress Mia Torrez and spends the night with her, even though his friend Corey warns him that Mia is the girlfriend of crime lord Markos Szabo.
The next morning, Szabo and his men ambush Matt and slash his face. The police cannot build a case, and Mia then publicly claims Matt drugged her. With his looks gone and his reputation wrecked, Matt cannot find work and slides back into the Gotham City slums he grew up in.
His luck turns when he learns about Dr. Caitlyn Corr, who is developing a nanite treatment that can rebuild damaged skin and tissue at speed. Caitlyn’s fiancé, detective John Borrelli, is investigating Szabo and encourages her to help Matt. The treatment appears to restore Matt’s face, but during a red carpet event his face starts melting in front of cameras. Matt panics, returns to Caitlyn, and injects himself with a much larger dose of nanites against her advice.
What follows is a revenge story with a body horror engine. Matt hunts the people who ruined him while the treatment keeps rewriting his body and his mind, and the film tracks how far he falls from the person he was.
What Critics Are Saying
Clayface holds a 77 percent Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes from 187 reviews, with 144 fresh and 43 rotten, and an average rating of 6.60 out of 10. Verified audiences rate it higher at 94 percent from more than 2,500 ratings, averaging 4.4 out of 5.
The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus reads: “Carving out a unique identity for itself in the DCU while closely resembling a litany of body horror classics, Clayface takes time to get going until it eventually morphs into an icky and satisfying revenge thriller.”
Selected critic verdicts:
- Wendy Ide, Observer (UK): “There are scenes of such inventive gruesomeness that I found myself whimpering pitifully and hiding behind my backpack for much of the feature. That may not sound like fun, but trust me, it is.” (Fresh)
- Tim Cogshell, FilmWeek (LAist): “Horror director James Watkins handles the making of a Batman villain with the care of Dr. Frankenstein. It’s alive, and it’s very good.” (3 out of 4)
- Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service: “The body horror is extreme and unrelenting, but the emotional love story is also deeply felt. The film is a lot weirder than your average comic book movie, and that’s a good thing.” (2.5 out of 4)
- Charles Koplinski, Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam: “Clayface will never be heralded as a classic of any sort, yet it does prove to be better than expected, a movie that surprises and satisfies in a welcome, unassuming manner.” (3 out of 4)
- Joel Harley, Starburst: “Clayface pulls off the impressive feat of balancing slick comic book action with moody monster tragedy.” (3 out of 5)
- Madhurima Sarkar, Mashable India: “The film is part funny, occasionally juvenile, and packed with gory visuals, ultimately giving this supervillain an origin story worthy of the character.” (4 out of 5)
The common thread: the horror is intense, the lead performance works, and the film needs some patience in its first act.
Box Office Collection
Clayface has grossed $47.4 million worldwide so far, against a reported budget of $30 million to $44 million. In India the film is doing steady if small numbers, which is normal for an R-rated Hollywood horror title in the country.
Day-wise India net collection, all languages, as tracked by Sacnilk:
- Day 1 (October 23): Rs 0.75 crore (English Rs 0.65 crore, Hindi Rs 0.10 crore)
- Day 2 (October 24): Rs 1.00 crore (English Rs 0.90 crore, Hindi Rs 0.10 crore)
- Day 3 (October 25): Rs 0.92 crore (English Rs 0.80 crore, Hindi Rs 0.12 crore)
- Day 4 (October 26): Rs 0.32 crore (English Rs 0.28 crore, Hindi Rs 0.04 crore)
- Day 5 (October 27): Rs 0.43 crore (English Rs 0.38 crore, Hindi Rs 0.05 crore)
That adds up to Rs 3.42 crore India net in five days, with the English version contributing Rs 3.01 crore and the Hindi version Rs 0.41 crore. Day 6 is running now, and the second weekend will decide whether the film holds enough screens in India to push toward the Rs 5 crore mark.
Sacnilk notes that its box office data is compiled from various sources and can differ from producer figures, so treat the numbers as close estimates.
OTT Release: Where to Watch
Clayface is running in theatres right now, and no streaming release date has been announced. Sacnilk lists the OTT release as “Not Available”, and Warner Bros. has not confirmed a digital window.
For expectation setting only: Warner Bros. titles have typically reached streaming platforms around 45 days after theatrical release, so an expected digital window for Clayface would be around mid-December 2026, likely on HBO Max in the United States. The India streaming partner has not been announced either. Treat all of this as expected and not confirmed until Warner Bros. or an Indian platform says so officially.
FAQ
What is the Clayface box office collection on day 5?
Clayface collected Rs 0.43 crore India net on day 5 (October 27, 2026), according to Sacnilk, with Rs 0.38 crore from the English version and Rs 0.05 crore from Hindi. The five-day India net total stands at Rs 3.42 crore.
What is the Clayface OTT release date?
There is no confirmed OTT release date yet. Sacnilk lists the streaming release as not available. Based on typical Warner Bros. windows, an expected arrival would be around mid-December 2026, but nothing is official.
Who plays Clayface in the 2026 movie?
Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, the actor who becomes Clayface. Naomi Ackie plays Dr. Caitlyn Corr, and David Dencik plays the crime lord Markos Szabo.
Is Clayface connected to Superman and the wider DCU?
Yes. Clayface is the third film in the DC Universe franchise, and James Gunn has confirmed it is set before Superman and connected to the wider universe. Watching it is not required homework, but its events are part of the DCU timeline.
