James Gunn says Clayface isn’t just horror-flavoured. It’s the real thing.

In a Q&A supplied by Warner Bros., the DC Studios co-head talks about why the film is such a departure for the DCU, how it began as a screenplay pitch from Mike Flanagan rather than a studio plan, and why horror sets are “some of the best times you can have making a movie.”

Here’s what he had to say:

Question: CLAYFACE is your first DC Studios film with such strong horror elements so it feels like something of a departure from what we’ve seen so far…
JAMES GUNN: I think that all of our projects so far have been very different. Our animated series CREATURE COMMANDOES is very different from SUPERMAN, very different from SUPERGIRL, very different from LANTERNS, and very different from PEACEMAKER. It is really just continuing our tradition of creating something that maybe isn’t what people were expecting but I do believe is what people want… which is a true horror film like the films that I grew up loving—John Carpenter, David Cronenberg—but within the DCU. Not a fake horror movie [laughs], but an actual horror movie.

JAMES GUNN: It also follows up on another thing that is important to DC Studios, which is we always make our movies based on the script. When we took over, we expected that we were going to make a Superman movie, a Batman movie. We didn’t say, ‘Hey, one of the things we need to do is a Clayface movie.’ What happened was [Screenwriter] Mike Flanagan came into us and said he had an idea for a Clayface movie. He pitched us the story, and it was impressive. He had been thinking about it for years. And we decided that it was worth the risk to have a screenplay written—and that screenplay turned out to be even better than the pitch. We have this thing that just dropped into our lap—this wonderful horror movie about a character in DC who is loved by the fans but not necessarily well known to people outside of those fans. And that gave us an opportunity to do something really different within the DC brand. At the end of the day, if a screenplay is great, we’re going to find a way to make that movie.

JAMES GUNN: There’s also something else here. Mike Flanagan grew up loving the Batman animated series—and particularly loved that story of Clayface. So, he was inspired by a moment that didn’t come from the comic books, very much like I was when I made THE SUICIDE SQUAD. Because DC is not just comic books—it’s movies, it’s television shows, it’s animated shows, it’s video games—and all of these characters can come from all these different places, and the people that are making movies with us can be inspired by any of those things and come to us with a story.

JAMES GUNN: One of the things that I always loved about DC Comics was that they had all these great graphic novels, whether it was WATCHMEN, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS or KINGDOM COME. These were unique stories that went from one genre to another; these beautiful individual stories that were about characters within the DC universe but weren’t all necessarily in the same tone—almost never were because they were created by different writers and artists who fully put themselves into their singular creative vision. I don’t expect anything else but that spirit from the writers and directors working on DC Studios projects… they have to be different. People don’t want to see a James Gunn tone in every movie or TV show. I don’t want to see it even in my own work. I don’t think PEACEMAKER is like SUPERMAN, because I like to change it up and do different things at different times.

Question: And this being horror, that’s in your wheelhouse.
JAMES GUNN: I love making horror movies. It is a lot of fun. And I think horror fans are probably the nicest fans in the world. There’s something about the vibe of people who like to watch this really crazy, scary stuff, who have this other side that’s just so nice. And the sets of horror films are like that, too. When you’re making horror, it’s outlandish when you see behind the scenes. There’s some pretty intense stuff going on in this. If you’re seeing it in person, it looks good, but it’s pretty over the top. And, between the takes, it’s funny, gallows humor. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism but believe me, horror sets are some of the best times you can have making a movie.

Whether you’re a longtime Clayface fan or coming to the character fresh, Gunn’s message is clear: this one is meant to be a proper horror film, and DC Studios is happy to let its filmmakers go their own way. A script from Mike Flanagan, a love of the Batman animated series and a studio willing to take the risk is an interesting combination.

Clayface is a Warner Bros. release. Stay tuned to GES for more coverage, and let us know in the comments: are you ready for a horror film in the DCU?