Clayface is one of the boldest comic films to be released in years, with some Greater Manchester locations used during filming.
Directed by James Watkins, best known for his work on horror films The Woman in Black and Speak No Evil, Clayface tells the story of Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), an actor who has just landed his first Oscar nomination.
Following a violent encounter with some gangsters and everyone who supported him turning their back on him, Matt is left with nowhere to go. That is until he meets a scientist named Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie).
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In what feels like a tribute to The Fly, Caitlyn begins a series of experiments on Matt. It isn’t long until his body turns to clay and Matt begins to lose his sanity as he is unable to recognise himself.
As seen with the hit film Finding Emily earlier in the year, nothing beats getting to spot places you recognise on screen. Clayface does just that and some more when it comes to showing off the North West of England.
Speaking about filming scenes of Clayface in Greater Manchester, Harries told Manchester Evening News: “I love Manchester, I played a Mancunian in a TV series, two of my best friends are from Manchester. I think that the city is so welcoming and warm. As a Welshman, in the north of England there’s a kindredness between us. It was a real pleasure.”
Oscar-winning composer, Volker Bertelmann stated: “My score was much more dependent on the plot rather than the locations. Sometimes a region, an area or a city, gives you inspiration. In this case I felt it was much more about the story of someone who has a tragic experience and gets soaked into darkness.
Tom Rhys Harries plays the famous Batman villain(Image: DC/Warner Bros.)
“My focus was to give the music more emotional complexity, this is a case where genre is driving the film. I felt it was nice to give it three dimensional depth. You have emotion, action and fun in it.
“It can also become a soup of different things, suddenly you don’t have a clear identity. My goal was to find a theme that was clear and concise, then transform it into different layers and different scenes.”
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Joshua James, who plays Matt’s friend Corey Bowery, noted: “I love Manchester, Manchester is a great city. I’ve worked in the theatre, I did a BBC show called Life there a few years ago. Manchester is an incredible city.”
With Clayface officially hitting the big screen on Friday (October), we’ve rounded up some of the main locations across the north, including in Greater Manchester, which you’ll get to see if you see the thrilling comic book horror flick.
Stockport Plaza
Clayface filming outside Stockport Plaza (Image: MCPIX Ltd)
Last year saw the historic Grade II-listed building in Stockport town centre used to film scenes outside a glitzy movie premiere. Comic book fans as well as paparazzi races there to catch a glimpse of the stars.
Opening all the way back in 1932, with it still using the original organ that was constructed for its grand opening, Stockport Plaza has previously been featured in episodes of the classic BBC programmes Life on Mars and Peaky Blinders.
In Clayface, the beloved Stockport tourist attraction is transformed into a theatre in Gotham City, which is hosting the premiere of a fictional movie called The Light Between. Wearing a crisp navy suit, Harries’ Matt shows off his new look on the red carpet before things take a turn for the gruesome.
Castlefield
Castlefield has been made into a Gotham recreation(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
The other prominent Manchester location used for Clayface, the historic Castlefield arches, near Duke Street, was transformed to represent Gotham City. While Stockport got to look lavish, Castlefield is the location where Matt moves to once he’s run out of money.
Appearing rundown, the exterior locations feature extras dressed as members of a homeless camp, who live in tents and push shopping trollies. Graffiti is splattered on the walls, with posters calling on the public to take down Gotham Police.
Those with good eyes will see a fun easter egg on a wall with ‘The Jokers’ graffitied on it. While Batman doesn’t feature in the film, it’s nice to have a connection to his deadliest enemy. Both Harries and Ackie filmed in Castlefield, which also welcomed Gotham police cars and an Evidence Response Unit vehicle.
Liverpool Crown Court
Liverpool Crown Court was transformed into a Gotham hospital(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Outside of Stockport and Castlefield, the bulk of Clayface was filmed in Liverpool, similarly to 2022’s The Batman. An area outside of Liverpool Crown Court was transformed into a Gotham hospital.
The hospital is seen throughout the film, with Matt needing to get work performed on various occasions. Showing that Gotham isn’t the cleanest area, there is always litter scattered on the ground with graffiti spray painted on nearly every wall.
The Philharmonic Hall
Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall doubled up as fictional nightclub Vesuvius(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The Philharmonic Hall is another prestigious venue that Clayface filmed at. Located on Hope Street, the concert venue was turned into the Vesuvius nightclub.
With a neon lit sign advertising the club, it features in one of the most exciting scenes of the movie. Not to give any spoilers, but its presence in the final act will stick with you long after the credits stop rolling.
Cunard Building
The Cunard Building was used for filming of Clayface(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Liverpool’s Cunard Building became Pinkney Tower for Clayface. Named after Cyrus Pinkney, a visionary 19th-century Gotham architect featured in Batman: Arkham Origins, the Cunard building is located near the Gaucho restaurant.
Other Liverpool locations used for Clayface include the Seacombe Ferry Terminal, The World Museum, Water Street and New Brighton.
Clayface is out in cinemas now