The director behind one of the most genuinely haunting episodes of TV of all time is set to helm a major upcoming DC Universe movie, and I’m excited to see if the film follows suit. The DC Universe release slate already has many talented people involved in its projects, both in front of the camera and behind it. Though focus understandably often tends to be on the actors who are taking on roles as some of the biggest DC heroes and villains to date, having skilled directors, writers, and crew in general is paramount to the success of the DC Universe, just like any other major franchise.

On the plus side, the lineup of people we currently know to be attached to the DCU and its various releases paints a promising picture of what’s to come as the on-screen universe starts to properly kick off. While there are several names I’m hopeful about in this regard, perhaps the most unusual is that of one director who created an episode of television that genuinely still haunts me to this day – and, based on the fact many, many other people have expressed the same sentiment over the years, I’m hype and horrified to note it seems their upcoming DC movie may be able to follow in this episode’s nightmarish footsteps.

James Watkins Is Set To Direct The DC Universe’s Clayface Movie

News that the DC Universe is set to release a horror film centered on Batman villain Clayface emerged towards the very end of 2024, with reports stating that the Clayface movie would be looking at a 2026 release, and that James Watkins had been chosen as the project’s director. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran confirmed both parts of these reports, with Safran affirming they were “in negotiations” with Watkins as of the February 2025 DC press event wherein the duo discussed the current status of DC’s on-screen projects.

While the specific nature of the deal between DC Studios and James Watkins is seemingly still being worked out, netting the director certainly seems to be setting a promising precedent for the Clayface movie. Gunn and Safran also discussed their excitement with the screenplay for the film, which has been written by Mike Flanagan – best known for his other horror work with projects like Midnight Mᴀss and The Haunting Of Hill House – and bringing in a director whose work is already primarily comprised of horror releases should help reinforce the strengths of the script at hand.

James Watkins has been involved with horror movies since 2002’s My Little Eye, perhaps most notably directing 2008’s Eden Lake, 2012’s The Woman In Black, and 2024’s Speak No Evil, which starred superhero movie alumni James McAvoy. However, I believe one of the most promising examples of the directing potential Watkins has when it comes to the DCU Clayface movie can actually be found in a lone episode of television that has haunted me and plenty of others ever since it first hit screens all the way back in 2016.

James Watkins Also Directed One Of The Most Genuinely Haunting Episodes Of TV I’ve Ever Seen

Alongside a range of largely horror-focused movies, James Watkins also directed episodes of three different TV shows, with his work on crime drama McMafia and spy thriller The Ipcress File rounding out his portfolio with some releases not within the horror genre. While the third of these shows – Black Mirror – also isn’t strictly a horror show, it’s Twilight Zone-esque looks at technology often delve deep into the world of horror, even if sci-fi is the series’ arguable main export.

Watkins directed one episode of Black Mirror, as is very much the norm for the anthology series. That said, that episode of Black Mirror is none other than season 3, episode 3, “Shut Up And Dance”, which is one of the most haunting episodes of television to have quite possibly ever been made, and that has left me as just one of many people so lastingly impacted and lightly traumatized by the episode that the song in its final moments – Radiohead’s Exit Music (For A Film) – can even years later, bring me back to the first time I watched it.

“Shut Up And Dance” focuses on a hacker group who blackmail a series of individuals to do a range of different and increasingly unsettling and dangerous tasks to avoid having their secrets leaked. The story centers on Kenny – one such individual – throughout, initially suggesting the shy character is willing to do all of this simply because he’s terrified a video of him masturbating will be made public if not. After undergoing some harrowing ordeals that are intended to build some audience sympathy, all the blackmail is made public.

This leads to a horrifying plot twist wherein Kenny’s mother phones him and reveals the awful secret behind Kenny’s actual concerns, with her devastated delivery of “what did you do Kenny? They say it’s kids… you’ve been looking at kids!” showing that the character viewers have been following all this time has actually been the furthest thing from the story’s hero. As the police pull up alongside Kenny – now wanted for several crimes – it’s hard to not feel genuinely disturbed, especially since the show leaves several hints to this colossal plot twist that only become clear after this moment.

James Watkins’ Directing History Makes Me So Hopeful For What He Can Do As Clayface’s Director

The directorial choices made throughout Black Mirror‘s “Shut Up And Dance” play a huge role in making it both as impactful and as horrifying as it ends up being. Given just how many people have expressed finding it one of the most intense episodes of TV of all time because of its story and this pull-the-rug-from-under-your-legs ending, it’s safe to say Watkins is more than capable of taking a good script and ensuring the parts of it that have the most potential impact are executed in the optimal way to evoke audience reaction.

As such, handing this director Clayface and its “incredible body horror” script seems a recipe that is set to result in a perfectly nightmarish DC Universe horror movie, and one that holds real promise in terms of helping the franchise expand in new and exciting directions that it previously hasn’t explored. The story of a person who ends up transformed far from their human form into a shapeshifting killer is certainly a plot that seems rife for its own major plot twist, and I’m equal parts thrilled and filled with trepidation at how James Watkins can use his talents for the iconic supervillain’s story.

Upcoming DC Movie Releases

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  Superman

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  July 11, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

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  June 26, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Batman Part II

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  October 1, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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