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Salford woman’s hilarious post about having her garden path stolen
The Manc -
26th February 2020
The Manc -
26th February 2020 Trending
Trailer for Clayface gives closer look at Batman villain in new DC film shot in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
DC have dropped a brand-new trailer for the upcoming Clayface film: a new ‘body horror’ movie by the Hollywood studio and superhero franchise.
Giving the first extended look at the cult favourite Batman villain, it’s set to be one of the darkest and most disturbing big-budget DC projects for some time.
The James Watkins-directed flick notably began filming across multiple parts of Greater Manchester in 2025 ahead of its full debut this autumn.
Set to release on 23 October, it drops in just time for ‘spooky season’, and judging by this latest trailer, they’re certainly doubling down on the creepiest sides of the character. If you’re a bit squeamish, we’d say proceed with caution:
It’s certainly a striking reveal and has some of the most mature themes we’ve seen from DC over the years; that’s what you get when you park a supervillain like this.
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For anyone who hasn’t come across Clayface before, it is an alias used by multiple individuals in the comics, including Basil Karlo and Preston Payne.
However, this version of the alter ego follows the story of Matt Hagen, a struggling actor who suffers serious disfiguration and experiments with experimental science before embarking on a tale of revenge.
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While this differs somewhat from Hagen’s original backstory, without straying into spoiler territory, there’s plenty to be made from the trailer, as you can see.
Played by Tom Rhys Harries, the actor was first spotted on the set in Stockport town centre at the famous Plaza theatre, with its art deco exterior being turned into a movie premiere:
How cool is it seeing places like #Stockport turned into a Hollywood film set? 🤩#DC #GreaterManchester #Clayface #dccomics pic.twitter.com/6aCvP4ILwg
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) September 12, 2025
The 33-year-old Welshman is making his first foray into the DCU, though it remains unclear how much he will feature (if at all) in future projects.
After both studio co-head James Gunn and The Batman director Matt Reeves rubbished rumours that he might appear in the sequel starring Robert Pattinson as ‘The Caped Crusader’, we’ll just have to wait and see how much more mainstream audiences take to this tale and tragic villain.
If you’re wondering what kind of film to expect beyond what you’re now already aware of, it’s worth noting that James Watkins is known for films such as The Woman In Black (2012), Bastille Day (2016), and the heavily nominated James McAvoy-led movie, Speak No Evil (2024).
We were lucky enough to walk past their other major period of filming over in Manchester city centre last September, where the often-used Castlefield doubled as Gotham.
@the.manc Batman spin-off Clayface has taken over Manchester again, with filming crews transforming Castlefield into Gotham. So cool 🎬 #themanc #manchester #clayface #dcuniverse #batman ♬ original sound – The Manc
What do you make of the new Clayface trailer, and how much of our region could you spot?
Read more:
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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE
Featured Images — DC Studios/Warner Bros. (screenshots via YouTube)
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Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? named biggest UK studio album EVER by Official Charts
Danny Jones
You’re damn right: Oasis continue to be MASSIVE as new figures from the Official Charts Company have confirmed that (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? has clocked in as the biggest UK studio album of all time.
The Britpop icons and history go hand in hand.
Yes, according to the latest numbers by our domestic chart-crunchers, only two other albums surpassed Oasis‘ second LP – and they’re both greatest hits collections.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, 22 July, just over a whole year on from those reunion world tour shows at Heaton Park. How fitting.
Starting off by channelling Liam Gallagher energy and quipping that “Oasis vibes are in the area”, they go on to explain the colossal cumulative record.
“Oasis claim one of the biggest honours in British music history, they write, “as (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is named the UK’s Official biggest studio album of all time, according to new Official Charts Company data.”
Combining UK sales of the record – both physical and digital over the years – along with modern streaming statistics, the sophomore outing from the Britpop giants has amassed approximately 6.2 million UK chart units. Staggering stuff.
Last year’s Live ’25 shows have no doubt helped give an added boost to their metrics, but it’s still gargantuan stuff from the local band.
Yet another incredible stat not just for the Burnage boys but the Manchester music scene as a whole.
Besides picking up the bronze medal overall, it’s also worth noting that ‘Wonderwall’ is also enjoying a resurgence in the singles rankings, thanks to being embraced by the England team and fans alike for the 2026 World Cup.
In case you were wondering who beat them out in the race for the top spot, they were pipped to the post by Queen’s Greatest Hits and the same again from ABBA, two worthy opponents to take third place after.
You can see the rest of the list in full right HERE.
Oh, and Definitely Maybe also made the list, too, coming in at number 39 – making that two in the top 50 even amongst all the compilations.
It feels like last July all over again, doesn’t it? And if now isn’t the perfect time to stick on the title track, we don’t know what is.
Read more:
- Liam Fray says ‘yes’ to Courteeners supporting Oasis on tour amid rumoured 2027 dates
- Review | Beat-Herder 2026 – the wonderfully weird festival we can’t stop coming back to
- The best Northern music artists of the month | June 2026
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE
Featured Images — Creation Records/Audio North
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