Clayface director James Watkins has opened up about creating the oppressive atmosphere of Gotham for the upcoming DCU movie – and how that makes it feel like a certain Dark Knight is breathing down your neck at every turn.
"We looked at a lot of 1980s and 1990s street photography," Watkins told SFX magazine. "There was a documentary called Everybody Street, and I looked at a lot of the work of the photographers in it. It captures the bawdy glamor of New York, slightly edgy, slightly eccentric, slightly menacing, richly saturated colors."
But was presenting such an integral location of the DCU something that required a lot of overnight? On the contrary, Watkins confirmed that he was "not micro-managed at all" and had "real support" from James Gunn and DC Studios.
"We want the world [of Gotham] to be corrupt. We want it to be a city where litter doesn't get picked up, where there's a sense of decay, where there's dirt, where the canyons of these places are overbearing."
To that end, Batman – who hasn't yet been officially cast in the DCU despite being namechecked in Creature Commandos and Lanterns – will feel right at home in the crime-laden streets of Gotham. Clayface may chart the origins of Bat-villain Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), but the Caped Crusader's presence will be felt in spirit, if not necessarily on camera.
"You're in a city called Gotham. So I guess you feel the shadow of the Bat inherently," Watkins said. "Because of the nature of where you are."
Clayface hits cinemas as part of DCU Chapter One on October 23.
For more, we have guides on upcoming DC movies and how to watch the DC movies in order – a perfect way to catch up on the DCU story so far.
