Mike Flanagan may have ideated the script for DCU’s upcoming Clayface movie, but he is no longer attached to the project and has now come out to address his surprise exit from the project. In a recent interview, the veteran filmmaker and writer opened up about why he decided to walk out of the first horror feature in James Gunn’s revamped DC cinematic universe rather than assuming the directorial responsibilities of the film. Mike Flanagan explains why he left Clayface despite pitching the film’s idea During his recent appearance at Motor City Comic Con 2025, the Doctor Sleep director spoke about his surprising departure from the DCU’s Clayface movie, citing scheduling conflicts as the primary reason behind his decision. “Clayface, I had so much fun developing that with Matt [Reeves], and then with James [Gunn] and Peter [Safran]. It was one of the great kind of sadnesses of my career that I’m so sorry that when it came time to make it, and they wanted to make this movie right away, I wasn’t available,” Mike Flanagan noted on ScreenRant’s Midnight Mass panel. Since Flanagan’s exit, the DCU has roped in Hossein Amini to rewrite the script given by the former, with James Watkins of Speak No Evil fame taking over the director’s chair for Clayface. Talking about handing over his project to someone else, Flanagan stated that “the only time this has ever happened to me where I was like, ‘I have to go make Carrie. There’s nothing I can do.’” Nevertheless, with James Gunn and DC Studios adamant on sticking with their planned release for the film, The Life of Chuck director had to exit the project. “So I had to kind of do the thing that I’ve never had to do before, it’s like, ‘Well, here you go. Have fun making the movie and tell me how it goes,’” he stated. While Mike Flanagan may not be working on Clayface anymore, he remains equally excited to witness the said DCU feature. “I haven’t seen it. They just wrapped, I’m dying to see it. I can’t wait to see what they did with it,” he remarked.
https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/2063530-clayface-mike-flanagan-writer-leave-dcu-film-james-gunn
Original Clayface Writer on Why He Left & Didn’t Direct the DCU Movie
