Naomi Ackie in talks to join DC horror film Clayface

Naomi Ackie in early talks to star in DC’s horror film Clayface, written by Mike Flanagan, directed by James Watkins.

Naomi Ackie is in early talks to join the cast of Clayface, an upcoming DC horror film directed by James Watkins.

The project will star Welsh actor Tom Rhys Harries in the titular role, with Ackie expected to play a key supporting character. Reading sessions for the film were held in England last week, where Ackie emerged as the top choice. Formal negotiations are expected to begin soon, sources say.

The script for Clayface was written by horror auteur Mike Flanagan and is described as a psychological body horror thriller rooted in the DC Universe. The film is said to channel the tone of David Cronenberg’s The Fly, combining tragic transformation with emotional depth.

Clayface will focus on a rising actor whose face is disfigured by a gangster. Desperate, he turns to a fringe scientist—compared to Elizabeth Holmes—for an experimental treatment. While the procedure initially appears successful, it unleashes terrifying consequences.

The film is scheduled for release on September 11, 2026, and has a mid-$40 million budget. It marks one of the first major entries in the new DC era led by James Gunn and Peter Safran, even arriving ahead of films featuring marquee characters like Wonder Woman. Gunn, Safran, Matt Reeves, and Lynn Harris are all attached as producers.

Ackie is best known for portraying Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance With Somebody and recently starred in the A24 drama Sorry, Baby. Her upcoming projects include The Thursday Murder Club for Netflix and I Love Boosters from Boots Riley. She is represented by CAA, Range, and Peikoff Mahan.