Clayface director James Watkins has explained why Liverpool was the ideal city to bring his vision of Gotham to life, as the DC Universe film arrives in cinemas today (October 23). The movie, which follows the origin story of actor Matt Hagan, played by Tom Rhys Harries, sees the character undergo a horrific physical transformation and descend into madness as he adopts the identity of a character from a horror film.
Liverpool's Unique Aesthetic
In a clip shared exclusively with the ECHO, Watkins, who previously directed Eden Lake, spoke about wanting to take full advantage of the city's unique aesthetic. The 53-year-old noted that the story goes back 86 years to the creation of Gotham in Bob Kane's comics.
He said: "We're shooting Gotham which is sort of a version of New York. New York was inspired by Liverpool. It's amazing shooting in Liverpool. It's got such great buildings, such great architecture, such history. Gotham has got some textures, some richness, some decay."
Landmarks Transformed
Liverpool's involvement in Clayface is more immersive than in Matt Reeves' 2022 film The Batman, with multiple areas of Merseyside completely transformed during filming. The Cunard Building was renamed Pinkney Tower, with photos showing reporters swarming the building's steps and yellow New York-style taxi cabs lining the street.
The Philharmonic Hall was transformed into Vesuvius Nightclub, a neon-soaked venue where filming captured police cars arriving outside. Another set was pictured in New Brighton, with vintage cars spotted outside Adventureland ahead of fairground scenes.
Cast Reaction and Release
Naomi Ackie, who plays Dr Caitlyn Corr, was impressed by the scale of the transformation. She said: "The way that they've dressed it makes it have a different vibe in the DC universe. I love it." The MV Royal Iris Mersey Ferry, which sailed for the final time in March, was also featured, docking at Seacombe Ferry terminal with a CGI'd Gotham skyline backdrop.
Clayface is classed as a body horror and currently boasts a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 109 reviews. The film is now showing in cinemas.
