Volker Bertelmann Scores Clayface, Dune Movie Team Gains Oscar Winner

Volker Bertelmann has been hired to compose the score for the dune movie Clayface, giving DC Studios an Academy Award winner for a film it calls its first true horror-thriller. The move adds a composer with a 2023 Oscar and a Dune franchise credit before the movie reaches cinemas on October 23.

Bertelmann’s Oscar track record

Bertelmann won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2023 for All Quiet on the Western Front, and his work on Dune: Prophecy gives Clayface a direct link to one of the studio's most visible sci-fi branches. For DC Studios, that combination suggests a score built to carry more than superhero spectacle; this project is leaning on atmosphere, not just themes.

Watkins, Flanagan, Amini

James Watkins directs Clayface from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, with Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan in the cast. Nancy Carroll and Joshua James also appear in supporting roles, and the teaser trailer has already introduced Harries as Matt Hagen while using Do You Realize?? by The Flaming Lips.

October 23 at cinemas

October 23 is the date that now matters most to DC Studios, because Clayface arrives with a finished creative lane taking shape around horror-first material. The score hire does not change the release schedule, but it does signal that the studio is building the film around a composer with both an Oscar and a Dune franchise connection, which is a cleaner bet than relying on brand recognition alone.