UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter has now confirmed that Deadline's early $3.5 million estimate for Clayface's Thursday previews was correct, and noted, "The studio has projected an opening between $25 million and $30 million domestically, along with an additional $20 million to $25 million internationally."
Studios typically share conservative projections, so Warner Bros. and DC Studios may be banking on the movie exceeding expectations and surpassing $30 million this weekend. Interestingly, neither the trades nor social media's box office experts have shared their predictions. It seems no one is sure what will happen between now and Sunday, likely because You Can See Everything is something of a dark horse.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Clayface's score has fluctuated all day, but it currently sits comfortably at a "Certified Fresh" 75%. As for the fan-generated Popcornmeter, it's been awarded 92% after briefly being tied with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as the highest-rated DC movie from audiences.
Clayface is now playing in theaters, and the movie earned an estimated $3.5 million from Thursday preview screenings. Deadline describes this as a "solid start" and predicts a $20 million to $25 million opening weekend.
Previews began at 2 pm, and the expectation is still that the DC Studios horror movie will face tougher-than-expected competition from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary, You Can See Everything. That's currently tracking to make $18 million during its second weekend, but there's chatter about it massively exceeding expectations.
In terms of Thursday previews for villain-led comic book movies, Clayface comes in near the bottom:
Joker (2019) — $13.3 million
Venom (2018) — $10.0 million
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) — $11.6 million
Venom: The Last Dance (2024) — $8.5 million
Black Adam (2022) — $7.6 million
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) — $7.0 million
Morbius (2022) — $5.7 million
Birds of Prey (2020) — $4.0 million
Clayface — $3.5 million
Kraven the Hunter (2024) — $2.0 million
However, this is a tricky comparison as Clayface only cost $44 million to produce (there's no word on its marketing spend). It will likely need to finish its run between $80 million and $100 million to break even, though DC Studios and Skydance are surely hoping Clayface will break out and become one of 2026's many horror hits.
Comparing the James Watkins-helmed movie to similar horror titles, it's slightly behind Other Mommy ($3.6 million previews) but well ahead of Smile ($2 million previews).
On Rotten Tomatoes, Clayface is "Certified Fresh" at 77% from 115 reviews. On the fan-generated Popcornmeter, it has 94%, though that's based on only 250 verified ratings.
We concluded our Clayface review by saying, "Tom Rhys Harries shines in Clayface, an uninspired and unoriginal movie that's too light on horror and lacking in comic book personality to be anything but forgettable. It should have been a game-changer for the genre; instead, it's DC's Morbius moment."
In Clayface, Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self, but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiralling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
The movie stars Tom Rhys Harries in the title role of the "cult-favourite" villain from Gotham's rogues' gallery. The cast includes Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.
Directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, Clayface is now playing in theaters.