Clayface releases this weekend, and while box office projections for the latest DCU movie remain solid - especially taking its relatively modest $30M - $40M budget into account - the R-rated body-horror comic book film will face some unexpected competition for the No. 1 spot from a movie that's entering its second weekend in theaters.
The James Watkins-directed film looks set to take in $25 million to $35 million from 3,400 North American theaters, while A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, could earn a very impressive $20 million to $25 million after expanding to 2,600 venues.
This would result in YCSE becoming the rare movie to see an increase in ticket sales in its sophomore outing. The Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim-helmed meta-documentary shattered initial expectations with $15.6 million from just 855 theaters, marking the biggest opening for a nonmusical documentary in 20 years.
The review embargo for Clayface lifted earlier today, and, somewhat surprisingly following mixed social media reactions, the movie is now officially "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a perfectly respectable 75% based on 83 reviews.
"It's a character-driven piece," DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran told Collider in a recent interview. "The body horror is great, but without the characters that you care about, it really doesn't mean a lot. And the fact that there's that deep relationship that is ultimately quite twisted between Tom and Naomi [Ackie]'s characters is an important part of it.
I think the best horror movies, if you strip out the horror elements, are still good dramas, and this one has that element. You are following Tom falling in love with his doctor."
Do you plan on seeing Clayface this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
DC Studios’ first-ever foray into the genre, Clayface is a horror thriller from director James Watkins, starring Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the Gotham City villain. Clayface unravels one man’s horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster in a story that explores the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.
The film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James. James Watkins directs from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, story by Flanagan, based on characters from DC.
Clayface is produced by Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran, with Michael E. Uslan, Rafi Crohn, Paul Ritchie, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther executive producing.