Quick TakeArticle at a glance
- The Clayface box office haul topped the weekend charts, opening to $24.5 million domestically and roughly $43 million worldwide on a reported $44 million budget.
- Deadline and Fortune both reported the final weekend numbers Monday, October 26: Clayface opened in 3,458 theaters and pulled in $24.5 million domestically, giving Skydance (the newly merged Paramount-Warner Bros.) its second consecutive global No.
- The film, directed by James Watkins ( Speak No Evil ) from a script co-written by Mike Flanagan, follows struggling actor Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, after a black-market cosmetic treatment turns him into the shapeshifting Batman villain.
The Clayface box office haul topped the weekend charts, opening to $24.5 million domestically and roughly $43 million worldwide on a reported $44 million budget. The R-rated DC body-horror film scored an A- CinemaScore from opening-night audiences, rare territory for a horror movie, but still came in under the studio’s own $25-30 million projection and only narrowly held off a documentary for the No. 1 spot.
The Clayface Box Office Numbers
Deadline and Fortune both reported the final weekend numbers Monday, October 26: Clayface opened in 3,458 theaters and pulled in $24.5 million domestically, giving Skydance (the newly merged Paramount-Warner Bros.) its second consecutive global No. 1 weekend. DC co-head James Gunn pointed out that Clayface’s A- CinemaScore puts it in rare company for the horror genre, alongside Weapons, Obsession, and Get Out.
The film, directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) from a script co-written by Mike Flanagan, follows struggling actor Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, after a black-market cosmetic treatment turns him into the shapeshifting Batman villain. Naomi Ackie and Max Minghella co-star. It is not a Batman movie in any traditional sense — Bruce Wayne does not appear.
A Documentary Nearly Stole the Weekend
The real story of the weekend may be how close it was. The documentary You Can See Everything surged to $19.5 million in its second weekend, pushing its domestic total to $45.1 million on a reported $7 million budget — already more than ten times its cost. Laika’s stop-motion Wildwood opened to $11.6 million, and Street Fighter fell 72% in its second weekend to $8.6 million, bringing its total toward $31 million from an opening that size.
| Film | Weekend Gross | Status | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayface | $24.5M (domestic) | No. 1, opening weekend | $44M |
| You Can See Everything | $19.5M | No. 2, 2nd weekend ($45.1M total) | $7M |
| Wildwood | $11.6M | Opening weekend | N/A |
| Street Fighter | $8.6M | 2nd weekend, down 72% | N/A |
Why a Modest Budget Is the Real Headline
A $24.5 million domestic opening would read as a disappointment for most superhero movies. For Clayface, it isn’t, because the film cost a reported $44 million to make — a fraction of a typical comic book budget.
Its $43 million global opening already covers nearly all of that. Compare that to Supergirl, DC Studios’ other 2026 theatrical release: Milly Alcock’s film opened to just $37.1 million domestically and $68 million worldwide against a reported $170 million budget, a start widely reported as one of the studio’s worst. By that measure, James Gunn’s DCU is getting a far better return on its smaller, stranger bets than on its biggest ones.
That’s the pattern worth watching heading into 2027: Clayface is a genuine risk that paid off creatively (the A- CinemaScore, reviews calling it one of the year’s best horror films) without requiring a $150 million-plus swing to do it.
Clayface isn’t streaming anywhere yet, and no date has been set, though it will most likely land on HBO Max eventually following Warner Bros.’ usual pattern — see our earlier coverage of the film’s premiere reactions and James Gunn’s full DCU slate for what’s next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Clayface make at the box office?
Clayface opened to $24.5 million domestically and about $43 million worldwide in its first weekend, October 23-25, 2026, against a reported $44 million budget.
What was Clayface’s CinemaScore?
Clayface received an A- CinemaScore from opening-night audiences, a rare grade for a horror film, putting it alongside Weapons, Obsession and Get Out.
Is Clayface connected to Batman?
Not directly. Bruce Wayne does not appear in the film, which instead follows struggling actor Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, as he becomes the Batman villain Clayface through a black-market cosmetic treatment.
Will Clayface stream on HBO Max?
No streaming date has been announced. Warner Bros.’ recent DC theatrical releases have typically moved to HBO Max a few months after their box office run.
How does Clayface’s opening compare to Supergirl’s?
Clayface’s $43 million global opening nearly covered its full $44 million budget. Supergirl opened to $68 million worldwide against a much larger $170 million budget, a start widely described as one of DC Studios’ weakest.
