The largely positive critical reception that awaited Clayface when the review embargo lifted was somewhat surprising after decidedly mixed social media reactions, and it looks like cinemagoers are fully embracing DC Studios' first horror movie.
Clayface is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a very respectable 75% - making it the highest-rated solo villain movie ever - and boasts an Audience/Popcornmeter Score of 94% based on over 500 ratings.
This ties James Watkins' R-rated comic book movie with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as the highest audience-rated DC-based movie on the aggregator (even the $1 billion-grossing Joker only reached 89%).
Whether this audience support will translate to ticket sales remains to be seen. Clayface took in $3.5 million from Thursday previews, and is currently looking at a solid enough $25M - $35M opening weekend at the domestic box office.
With a reported production budget in the area of $40 million, it will need to make over $100 million worldwide to turn a profit. It's certainly achievable, and positive word-of-mouth could propel the movie to surprise hit status.
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran recently confirmed that, even though we don't see him or hear anyone mention him, the DCU's Batman is active during the events of the movie.
"We haven't really talked about what he's doing during the actual events of Clayface," he told Collider. "But Batman is there. This is the introduction to the live-action Gotham. We showed a silhouette of Batman in Creature Commandos, so you know he's around, but this is the first step into the world of Gotham for us."
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.