Hollywood is full of exciting films that never get made, because it’s part of the movie business to drop some ideas when they’re too hard to pull off or too ambitious to make a profit. However, from time to time the stars align so that a previously abandoned project becomes relevant again. It would be like this Mike FlanaganA Clayface movie perfect for DC Studios’ new DCU co-heads. James Gunn And Peter Safran built over the past few months.
On an episode of the Script Apart podcast released earlier this month, Flanagan was asked to parse his favorite adaptation. Stephen KingX Doctor Sleep. During the episode, Flanagan revealed that he had actually contacted Warner Bros. to discuss the possibility of making a DC movie. At the top of his priority list was the presentation of the film Clayface, where he could use his experience in the horror field to get justice for the Batman villain. Flanagan said: “I went to Warner Bros. to have a meeting about DC. It was a general meeting with [producer] John Berg Speaking of if there’s anything in the DC universe that I could be good for… I really wanted to do Clayface. I walked in and said, “You know, if you want to do something in the DC horror style, I have a great version of Clayface.” I would like to be in this film.”
It’s easy to see why Warner Bros. didn’t give Flanagan a chance as the DCU has been struggling for some time. First, Zack Snyder proposed an ambitious crossover plan that was scrapped when the studio realized Batman v Superman did not live up to the box office. After that, Walter Hamada was hired to keep the cinematic universe alive, which he struggled to do with executives constantly changing their minds about what they want. Finally, DCU disbanded after the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery and Dwayne Johnsona failed attempt to turn his Black Adam into the center of the DCU. It’s hard to imagine that someone from Warner Bros. I’d bet my money on a rigorous horror movie about a Batman villain who isn’t usually among the stars of Gotham City but deserves to be. Thankfully times have changed and Mike Flanagan’s pitching should definitely be revisited by James Gunn. The opportunity just arose when Flanagan and his partner Intrepid Pictures Trevor Macy took the project for another look at DC studios.
Who is Clay?
While there are several supervillains in DC Comics history who have used the moniker Clayface, the most famous version of the character was created by a writer. Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane for the 1940s Detective comic #40. In his first incarnation, Clayface was Basil Carlo, a B-list actor who goes insane after being kicked out of a remake of his biggest cinematic success, to the point where he puts on a disfigured mask and starts hunting down the cast and crew. movie. It would take a couple of decades before Basil Carlo gained the shape-shifting ability that would live up to his moniker, but currently we can only imagine the villain as a mass of clay that can take on any shape, hiding from Batman or turning its limbs into powerful weapons. . So while Clayface’s story is twisted and full of twists and turns, the superpowered version of the villain Basil Carlo is the most famous.
While Matt Hagen is Clayface, featured in Batman: The Animated Series, the series used Basil Carlo’s backstory to make the villain more interesting. As a result, the animated version of the character began to be portrayed with Basil’s acting background and Matt’s mud-like abilities. Basil Carlo was also part of Batman: Arkham the game trilogy is arguably the best adaptation of DC comics in the gaming world. More recently, a comedic version of Basil appears in Harley Quinnvoices Alan Tudyk. So it’s safe to say that Clayface is famous enough to bring fans to theaters. And with Flanagan behind the project, the character will have everything he needs to become a horror sensation.
Mike Flanagan’s “Clayface” would be great for James Gunn’s DCU
While James Gunn and Peter Safran have yet to reveal their full plan for the new DCU, we do know that their single storyline will be split into two chapters. The first chapter, “Gods and Monsters”, will feature new versions of beloved heroes such as Superman and Batman, as well as a look at horror-inspired characters from the DC Universe. For example, Gunn wrote all the episodes for Creature Commandos animated series that will feature DC’s version of Frankenstein’s monster. Also have Swamp Thing film in development, inspired by Alan Moorecharacter mileage. And since Moore brought existential horror to Swamp Thing, we can expect the film to do the same. So there is no doubt that Gunn is ready to use horror as a storytelling tool in his new DCU.
Given the plans for the DCU that we know so far, there seems to be room for parallel stories to be created featuring lesser-known characters. In this way, the film Clayface can explore the character’s bodily horror. Even in Harley Quinn, in which the villain is used for comedic effects, Clayface is still a human at odds with his body, unable to communicate with other people due to his unique morphology. Now imagine that same idea viewed entirely through a horror lens. Sounds good, right? And if a Clayface movie is ever developed, Flanagan has already proven himself up to the job.
Although Flanagan made horror films for a while, he became incredibly popular after the release of the Netflix series. The ghosts of the house on the hill. The series uses Shirley Jacksonnovel of the same name to create a completely original story that respects the original but finds new ways to scare the public or bring us to tears. The ghosts of the house on the hill is not the only adaptation of Flanagan’s filmography, as he has also loosely adapted Henry James’ screw turn V The Haunting of Bly Manorused Christopher Pikework for midnight clubit turned out Doctor Sleep And Gerald’s game in science fiction films, and is preparing for release Fall of the House of Usherbased on the short story of the same name by the Gothic King Edgar Allan Poe. Considering Flanagan is also adapting King Dark tower TV series, it’s easy to tell that the director has a knack for turning literary works into successful live-action productions. In short, Flanagan has the experience and the tools to bring Clayface’s horrific story to the silver screen.
We still don’t know the full scope of the Gods and Monsters chapter, as Gunn revealed part of the DCU list for movies and TV shows. However, as talented as Gunn is, handling the entire DCU on his own is too much work for a single creative mind. Sooner or later, Gunn and Safran must turn to other directors and writers for help in realizing their ambitious plans. And if the newcomers aren’t getting in the way of the main story that Gunn is trying to tell, there’s no reason DC Studios can’t accept interesting offers. Flanagan’s film Clayface sounds like an intriguing concept that fits perfectly with the Gods and Monsters theme. So Gunn and Safran would do well to give Flanagan the green light. Clay film and giving him a chance to be part of the DCU.
Source: Collider
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