Clayface Opens With $3.5 Million in Previews as Reviews Divide Critics

Clayface brings a Batman villain into the DC Universe through body horror rather than a conventional superhero adventure. Deadline Hollywood described director James Watkins' film as a fun, scary origin story, written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini.

Tom Rhys Harries plays the central character, an actor whose transformation drives the horror. Variety Movies called the film good, gross fun that requires no franchise homework, suggesting an entry point for viewers who have not followed the wider DC story.

The box office competition was already taking shape on October 20. Deadline Hollywood reported that You Can See Everything had opened to $15.6 million in second place and led Monday with more than $2.5 million.

Reviews arriving on October 21 were broadly favorable, but far from unanimous. TechRadar praised Harries and judged the body horror gamble largely successful. IndieWire Movies, by contrast, called the film a gross miscalculation and more of a curiosity than an essential story.

On October 22, Forbes reported that Clayface had the second-lowest Rotten Tomatoes critics' score among DCU projects so far, despite reviews being generally positive. That relative ranking does not mean most critics disliked it. The Hollywood Reporter had described the reception as largely positive, with a substantial group of detractors.

The reservations continued on October 23. Euronews praised the dark, gruesome horror but said the script faltered in the second half, producing a bold yet uneven film. Meanwhile, Forbes reported that early Rotten Tomatoes audience scores had set a DCU record.

Also on October 23, Variety Movies reported $3.5 million in Thursday previews. The Hollywood Reporter reported the same figure as You Can See Everything expanded, putting the two films into direct competition for the weekend.

The firm box office figure in the supplied reporting is $3.5 million from previews, not a completed opening weekend result. Deadline Hollywood described the estimated preview start as solid. The coverage does not establish that Clayface has already lost the weekend contest.

The critical picture is clearer than a simple positive or negative label suggests. Harries' performance and the film's horror approach have won praise, while its storytelling has drawn criticism. The Hindu described Harries and Naomi Ackie as anchors of a pulpy but predictable origin tale. The strong early audience response reported by Forbes offers a contrasting signal, though it is not a box office result.

The next meaningful measure is Clayface's full opening weekend total, alongside the performance of the expanding You Can See Everything. The preview earnings reported by Variety Movies provide a starting point, but do not yet show whether enthusiastic early viewers will translate into sustained ticket sales.

There is also a creative test: whether DC's horror detour can attract viewers beyond its established comic book audience. The accessible, standalone appeal identified by Variety Movies is one potential advantage; the uneven storytelling flagged by Euronews is a potential limitation.