{
  "id": 15053225,
  "title": "James Watkins says he \"auditioned the hell out of\" Tom Rhys Harries for Clayface",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/james-watkins-says-he-auditioned-the-hell-out-of-tom-rhys-harries-for",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T14:35:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The A.V. Club",
    "slug": "the-a-v-club",
    "url": "https://www.avclub.com/james-watkins-tom-rhys-harries-clayface-auditions-dc-studios"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "James Watkins, the director of DC Studios' upcoming film Clayface, revealed during the Tuesday night red carpet premiere that he heavily auditioned star Tom Rhys Harries for the role of Matt Hagen/Clayface. The psychological disintegrating villain required a significant amount of exploration before casting, as multiple actors were vying for the part. Watkins admitted he had never auditioned anyone as extensively as Harries, stating, \"He came in, and I thought he really had something but I wanted to explore it. So we spent time exploring it.\" Harries appreciated the grueling audition process, which lasted three months, as it allowed them to workshop the character before hitting the set. Clayface, DC Studios' first live-action film to bring audiences to Gotham City, is described as a gritty, dirty place due to the absence of the Batman. The horror film, originally pitched by Mike Flanagan, was later rewritten by Hossein Amini and directed by Watkins, promising a rollercoaster ride with elements of horror, heart, and humor.",
  "summary": "Clayface director James Watkins says he \"auditioned the hell out of\" star Tom Rhys Harries before casting him as the Batman villain.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hollywood Reporter",
        "title": "‘Clayface’ Director James Watkins on Why He “Auditioned the Hell” Out of Star Tom Rhys Harries",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/clayface-director-james-watkins-on-why-he-auditioned-the-hell-out-of",
        "published": "2026-10-16T13:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}