Clayface Opens With $3.5 Million Previews as Documentary Rival Stays Strong

Clayface enters the weekend against a documentary that has already outperformed expectations. On October 20, Deadline Hollywood reported that A24's You Can See Everything opened in second place with $15.6 million and led Monday ticket sales with more than $2.5 million.

The new challenger takes a different approach to comic book filmmaking. Directed by James Watkins, Clayface turns a Batman villain's origin into body horror, with Tom Rhys Harries in the central role. Deadline Hollywood described it as a film for horror fans rather than the classic superhero audience.

The first reviews on October 21 gave Clayface a broadly encouraging reception. Variety Movies called it good, gross fun that required no franchise homework, while TechRadar described the body horror gamble as one that largely paid off and praised Harries.

There were clear dissenters. IndieWire Movies judged the R-rated film more of a curiosity than an essential story. The Hollywood Reporter summed up the initial response as largely positive, but with a substantial share of detractors.

By October 22, the discussion had shifted toward its place within the wider franchise. Forbes reported that its Rotten Tomatoes score was the second-lowest among DC Universe projects so far, despite reviews being generally favorable. That relative ranking does not contradict the positive overall reception.

The adaptation also drew objections from some fans over its treatment of the character as an anti-hero. On October 22, TechRadar reported that Watkins had responded to that backlash.

The first box office signal arrived in coverage dated October 23. Deadline Hollywood estimated Thursday previews at $3.5 million or more, describing the start as solid for DC's move into lower-budget genre films.

Clayface now has an encouraging preview estimate, not a completed opening weekend. The $3.5 million-plus figure remains provisional, according to Deadline Hollywood, and does not yet establish how it will perform against You Can See Everything.

The documentary remains a strong competitor as the weekend begins. The Hollywood Reporter framed the contest as a chance for Clayface to deliver a box office win for DC Studios while You Can See Everything holds firm. Wildwood, Klara and the Sun, Wicker and Ali G: Who Iz I? are also debuting.

The next meaningful measure is the full weekend result: whether Clayface converts its preview turnout into sustained ticket sales, and how much business You Can See Everything retains after its strong opening. The supplied coverage does not yet establish a weekend winner.

The other open question is how audiences respond to Clayface's horror approach. Critics have generally welcomed the experiment, but the reservations documented by The Hollywood Reporter leave room for a more divided audience response.