‘Clayface’ Beats Expectations on Opening Day as DC’s Body Horror Bet Takes the Box Office Crown

Heading into the weekend, few were sure how ‘Clayface’ would perform. DC Studios’ R-rated body horror film arrived after weeks of shaky signals, with presales at one point pacing roughly 80% behind ‘Supergirl’, and tracking projections had slipped as low as $15 million to $20 million. The film was also facing a surprisingly strong challenger in A24’s ‘You Can See Everything’.

The stakes were real. ‘Supergirl’ was considered a bomb, earning $126 million worldwide against a $170 million budget earlier this year, while ‘Superman’ brought in $618.72 million during its 2025 run. ‘Clayface’, starring Tom Rhys Harries as disfigured movie star Matt Hagen, is a much smaller bet at a $44 million production cost.

Now the first full day of results is in, and it’s better than many predicted. ‘Clayface’ grossed $10.4 million on Friday from 3,458 North American theaters, including $3.5 million from Thursday previews, landing at No. 1. Earlier Friday estimates had put the opening day closer to $9.5 million.

That puts the film on track for a roughly $24 million to $25 million opening weekend. Box office commentator Luiz Fernando was even more bullish on X, projecting a $24 million to $28 million debut and noting that the opening day topped comparable horror titles like ‘Smile’ at $8.2 million, ‘Longlegs’ at $10 million and ‘Black Phone 2’ at $11 million, as well as ‘Kraven the Hunter’ at $4.8 million.

Received with strong WOM, #DCStudios’s R-rated #Clayface, is ready to top industry’s projections and debut as #1 at US #BoxOffice, as #DCU’s first body horror film, starring #TomRhysHarries, grossed solid 10.4M on FRI Opening Day, including 3.5M THU Previews (vs #KravenTheHunter’s 4.8M ,#Smile 8.2M, #IronLung’s 9M, #LongLegs 10M, #BlackPhone2’s 11M, #TheExorcistBeliever 11.8M, #TheSuicideSquad’s 12.1M, #OtherMommy’s 12.6M. #BirdsOfPrey’s 13M, #Scream5’s 13.4M) Eyeing a 24M-28M 3-day opening weekend in the US alone, a solid start for the CBM Horror carrying a 44M production price-tag not including marketing.
— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 24, 2026

The film also added $4.3 million internationally on Friday. Studio expectations had pointed to an additional $20 million to $25 million overseas, giving it a potential worldwide debut of $40 million to $50 million.

Audiences seem to be driving the momentum. ‘Clayface’ landed an A- CinemaScore and 4.5 stars on PostTrak, a rare level of praise for an R-rated body horror release. Horror films often sink into C and B territory on exit polls, which makes the result stand out.

The final trailer for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/ecTMB97Sto
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2026

Strong walk-up traffic helped too, with the film pulling in an estimated $6.75 million on Friday alone. Some trackers have noted that audience reception continues to run ahead of the pre-release signs, with Saturday matinees looking strong.

Critics have largely come around as well. The film holds a 76% score from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 94% audience score, and The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck praised it as a bold swing that pays off.

New posters for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/2DA3HTeKUQ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 7, 2026

The result carries extra significance behind the scenes. A No. 1 opening would give the newly combined Paramount-Warner Bros. its second back-to-back win after last weekend’s ‘Street Fighter’ ($31 million). Some outlets also see ‘Clayface’ as the film that breaks Warner Bros.’ recent theatrical losing streak.

Against its lean budget, the standalone monster tragedy is positioned to turn a swift profit for DC Studios. Like ‘Superman’ last year, it’s expected to lean more heavily on domestic audiences than international ones.

‘Clayface’ didn’t run away with the weekend entirely. ‘You Can See Everything’ added $6.14 million on Friday after expanding nationwide and is eyeing a second weekend of around $20 million, up significantly from its opening.

Still, for a villain who isn’t nearly as familiar to general audiences as Superman or Batman, a projected $24 million opening represents a genuinely encouraging start. If word of mouth keeps building into Halloween, DC’s riskiest experiment yet could become one of its smartest bets.