‘Clayface’ Opens Below ‘Supergirl’ Overseas, Putting DC’s Horror Gamble to the Test

DC Studios has a lot riding on ‘Clayface’, and the film’s international rollout is offering the first real test of how audiences are responding. The R-rated body horror movie from director James Watkins began opening in several overseas territories on October 21, 2 days ahead of its North American debut on October 23. With a footprint of 76 territories, the early numbers were always going to set the tone for the weekend.

The pressure stems from what came before. ‘Supergirl’ opened to $38 million domestically in June and finished with $126 million worldwide against a budget of at least $170 million, making every new DC result a closely watched benchmark. Back home, presales for ‘Clayface’ were already pacing about 80% behind ‘Supergirl’ at the same point in its sales cycle, according to Box Office Theory.

Now, the first overseas comparisons are in, and they aren’t the start DC was hoping for. According to day 1 comps shared by Box Office Forecast, ‘Clayface’ is opening below ‘Supergirl’ in every early overseas market reported so far, landing at roughly 70% of its debut in Australia, around 35% in Indonesia and about 55% in South Korea.

The South Korea figures paint the clearest picture. ‘Clayface’ opened in third place with just under 19,000 admissions including early screenings, roughly $132,000, trailing a Japanese animated hit and a local release. ‘Supergirl’, by comparison, opened at No. 2 there with 34,939 admissions, while ‘Superman’ recorded 93,000.

🚨 Not the box office start DC was hoping for 😵‍💫 #Clayface is opening below Supergirl in every early overseas market reported so far.. Can we at least clear Kraven the Hunter? 📊 Day-1 comps: 🆚SuperGirl 🇦🇺~70%❌|🇮🇩~35%❌|🇰🇷~55%❌ 🆚Kraven 🇦🇺~170%✅|🇮🇩~40%❌ 🌍$45M global opening in play Budget💸: $44M – Possible Profit🤞

— Box Office Forecast 🎬 (@BoxOfficeFcst) October 23, 2026

The story isn’t much different in Europe. In Italy, ‘Clayface’ placed 7th on its opening day with €36,924 from 4,907 spectators across 150 cinemas. In France, it opened outside the top 5, a notable gap given that ‘Supergirl’ managed 4th place there on its own debut.

There are some silver linings. Indonesia, one of the most horror-friendly markets in the world, saw ‘Clayface’ open in second place. It’s also worth noting that the Korean release played on 556 screens compared to the 808 ‘Supergirl’ opened on.

The final trailer for DC’s ‘CLAYFACE’ has been released. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/ecTMB97Sto

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 24, 2026

The other big question is how ‘Clayface’ stacks up against Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’. Box Office Forecast’s comps show it opening at around 170% of ‘Kraven’ in Australia, but only about 40% of its debut in Indonesia. Domestically, the comparison looks friendlier, as ‘Clayface’ earned an estimated $3.5 million in Thursday previews, beating the $2 million ‘Kraven’ took in before its $11 million opening.

Despite the soft overseas start, ‘Clayface’ was never built to perform like a traditional superhero blockbuster. Variety reports the film cost $44 million to produce, a fraction of what ‘Superman’ and ‘Supergirl’ required. Variety had projected $20 million to $25 million overseas from 76 markets, for a global opening of $45 million to $55 million.

Box Office Forecast still sees a $45 million global opening in play, and its worldwide forecast currently sits at $115 million. With break-even estimates ranging from roughly $80 million to $100 million under typical industry math, that would put the film within reach of a profit.

Reviews could help ‘Clayface’ rebound, with the film sitting at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, well ahead of ‘Supergirl’ at 52%. As a hard R horror title, it’s also a more niche proposition than a family-friendly superhero movie, so direct comparisons only go so far.

Still, with the domestic run now carrying more weight, DC will be watching the opening weekend closely. A strong showing from horror fans could turn this cautious start into a genuine win.

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