Production on Warner Bros’ latest DC super villain yarn, Clayface, is underway on Merseyside and in Greater Manchester, with several spots across Liverpool city centre transformed into Gotham City – the fictional home of Caped Crusader Batman, while Stockport’s Plaza and the surrounding streets appear to have been transformed into the location of a fictional film premier for the movie.
In Liverpool, the Echo reports that the Cunard Building and Water Street have been transformed with fake graffiti and raintowers (although the producers could probably have found a cheaper alternative to producing lashings of fake rain by simply filming the scenes in nearby Manchester instead.)
Liverpool Crown Court and Derby Square have also undergone a Gothamesque transformation in recent days, while the city’s World Museum is reported to have been standing in for Gotham City Courthouse.
Images: @whitewidow616/Twitter
A few miles up the M62 in Greater Manchester, Stockport Plaza cinema and theatre complex appears to be readying itself for the premiere of fictional movie The Light Between, complete with red carpets and prop promo posters which appear to show that the movie will star two supporting characters from Clayface – actress Niki Claire (played by Naomi Ackie) and Freddy Tansino in the leading roles
Images: Stockport Tourism/Vivienne Landers/Facebook
Stockport tourism posted on Facebook: “Production crews are hard at work ahead of a big film shoot. Locals in Stockport this week will have noticed a number of fences, signs, and large-scale props appearing in the town centre – with a lot of action surrounding the streets outside the The Plaza Stockport on Mersey Square. The prominent Grade II-listed building, which was first opened in 1932, has been chosen as one of the backdrops for a big scene in DC’s upcoming Clayface movie. A huge red carpet has been placed outside the theatre, ahead of filming taking place later on today (September 9). For the scenes at Stockport Plaza, posters and signs have been displayed on set promoting a fictional movie called The Light Between, suggesting it will possibly serve as a red carpet premiere in the production. A prop poster of the fake movie suggests it will star characters Niki Claire and Freddy Tansino in the leading roles.”
Directed by James Watkins, Welsh actor Tom Rhy Harries is playing the film’s titular Clayface, a shape shifter who alternates between being an enemy and ally of Batman in the comics, albeit mostly an enemy.
DC Studios supremo and Clayface producer James Gunn has stated that the new film does not exist in the same universe as Matt Reeves’ 2022 The Batman, which also shot extensively in Liverpool and is expected to return to shoot a sequel in 2026. Manchester is also no stranger to comic book lore, with Captain America among the many blockbusters to have shot extensively in the North West city.
Although Clayface cating details for Clayface are still fairly sparse, Eddie Marsan and Max Minghella are among the other confirmed names so far, and Warners has put a September 2026 release date on the film.
