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Clayface opens at No. 1 with $43 million worldwide debut
ReClayface opens at No. 1 with $43 million worldwide debut
The DC film Clayface took the top spot at the global box office with an estimated $43 million opening, earning strong reviews and an A- CinemaScore while Laika's Wildwood and Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything also drew attention.
Clayface opened at the top of the global box office with an estimated $43 million, a result that suggests the low-budget DC Universe film is off to a strong start. The total is split between $24 million in domestic receipts and $19 million internationally, and it lands near the higher end of early projections.
The film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a villain better known in the Batman mythology for his shape-shifting powers. Directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, the story follows Hagen as he tries to rebuild his life after a brutal attack leaves his face scarred. Its body-horror elements and hard-R rating set it apart from other entries in the DCU, which has mostly leaned toward brighter, more family-friendly tones, including the 2025 release Superman. Some fans had questioned whether a darker, more adult story could sit comfortably in the same universe, and the opening weekend suggests audiences were willing to find out.
The performance also stands in contrast to Supergirl, the Milly Alcock-led superhero film released earlier this year. That movie was labeled a box office disappointment after its run gathered $126.46 million against a budget of nearly $200 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Clayface, by comparison, opened with a total close to its reported $44 million budget as reported by Variety, though the film still has to build its earnings over the coming weeks before it can be fully judged a success.
Several factors could help the film hold its audience. Its October release places it ahead of Halloween, giving spooky-season moviegoers a timely option. Reviews have also been favorable, with Rotten Tomatoes showing a 75% score from critics and 94% from audiences. The film's CinemaScore of A- from opening-weekend viewers is a notable result for a horror-leaning release. DC Studios co-chairman James Gunn highlighted the grade in a post on Threads, writing, « Really proud of this. » He noted that Sinners is the only horror movie to earn an A CinemaScore in recent memory, and that only three horror films, Obsession, Weapons and now Clayface, have earned an A- in the last couple of years. Gunn credited Watkins, Flanagan, Amini, Harries, Naomi Ackie and the rest of the cast and crew.
Clayface was not the only film drawing attention at the weekend box office. Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal, You Can See Everything, finished second domestically with $19.5 million in its second weekend. After a limited launch earlier in the month drew strong reviews and positive earnings, the three-hour film expanded to an additional 1,800 theaters, which drove a 25% increase from its debut. Strong word of mouth could help the documentary keep finding viewers in the weeks ahead.
Stop-motion studio Laika had a less promising weekend. Wildwood, a fantasy epic directed by Travis Knight, debuted in third place domestically with $11.77 million. That figure was above projections for the studio behind Coraline, but it remains far below the film's reported budget of $100 million. The debut also places Wildwood near the lower end of Laika's opening weekends, although it is well ahead of 2019's Missing Link. Critics have been enthusiastic, with Rotten Tomatoes showing a 100% score from critics and 97% from audiences, and IGN gave the film an 8/10, calling it an « arresting, exciting fantasy epic » made all the more impressive by its handmade, hand-animated craft. Whether those reviews can offset the box office gap remains to be seen.
Elsewhere on the weekend chart, Street Fighter added another $16.8 million worldwide in its second weekend, and Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Colman's Wicker opened to $5.75 million domestically in a more limited first weekend. Taken together, the results point to a crowded box office heading into Halloween, with Clayface currently setting the pace.
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