Just when you thought you’d seen everything… A three-hour documentary (in its second weekend of release) has earned almost as much as a new comic-book adaptation at the domestic box office.
Although Warner Bros. and DC’s R-rated “Clayface” was comfortably at No. 1 with $24 million from 3,458 North American theaters in its debut, A24’s buzzy Elizabeth Holmes doc “You Can See Everything” was surprisingly close after defying box office expectations again. The stranger-than-fiction film collected a spectacular $19.5 million while expanding to 2,655 venues in its sophomore outing.
Ticket sales for “You Can See Everything” are 28% above its launch of $15.6 million from 855 theaters, which marked the best start for a nonmusical documentary in 20 years. So far, the Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim-directed movie has earned a huge $45.1 million domestically to date. After capturing the zeitgeist and selling out screenings across the country, awards sages are predicting it could become the first documentary to ever score a best picture nomination at the Oscars.
“Opening ‘You Can See Everything’ in 855 theaters was a really smart move, allowing the film to establish itself and build momentum before going much wider,” says Rentrak’s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. “The fact that we’re seeing a documentary deliver such a significant second-weekend increase is remarkable.”
“Clayface” arrived on the lower end of the studio’s expectations of $25 million to $35 million. The antihero adaptation earned another $19 million overseas from 76 markets for a global tally of $43 million. Along with a positive reception, the film seems well-positioned theatrically because it cost just $44 million to produce. That’s a way smaller budget compared to DC’s other recent tentpoles, including this July’s “Supergirl” and 2025’s “Superman.” Although “Superman” was a decent hit with $618 million against a $225 million budget, “Supergirl” was a setback for the newly relaunched comic book studio after bombing with $126 million against a $170 million budget. Meanwhile, DC has found success on streaming with its “Peacemaker” and “Lanterns” shows for HBO Max. DC wanted to keep costs low on “Clayface” because it’s a body-horror thriller that’s much darker than those family friendly adventures. Directed by James Watkins, “Clayface” follows the titular Batman villain, a rising movie star who volunteers for a highly experimental medical procedure after his face is severely disfigured. Audiences enjoyed the film, which holds an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.
“Over the years, there have been a dozen spinoffs of superhero villains and antiheroes, from ‘Joker’ to ‘Venom’ to ‘Kraven the Hunter,'” says David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. “This picture was wisely conceived as something different, costing a fraction of what those films cost, and it should be profitable when it finishes all ancillary business.”
“Clayface” opened alongside a smattering of new releases, including Laika’s stop-motion animated “Wildwood,” Black Bear’s offbeat romantic comedy “Wicker” and Sony’s literary adaptation “Klara and the Sun,” starring Jenna Ortega.
“Wildwood” debuted at No. 3 with $11 million from 2,718 venues, launched above projections of $6 million to $8 million. It’s a promising start for original animation, which has been challenged in the years following the pandemic. And “Wildwood” has the benefit of sterling reviews (a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience scores (an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls), which should help the film stick around beyond its opening weekend. However, this movie carries a hefty $100 million price tag (stop-motion animation is labor intensive and takes years to produce) and likely won’t turn a theatrical profit.
“This is a very good opening for a new animated film from outside of the studio development and distribution system,” says Gross. “Audiences love this movie, but it needs a very long run to recoup its costs.”
So far, “Wildwood” collected just $3 million internationally from 11 markets. The movie hails from Laika Studios, best known for making the 2009 stop-motion fantasy “Coraline.” This is the company’s first release since 2019’s “Missing Link,” which opened to $6 million from 3,413 theaters and ended its run with $26 million globally. “Wildwood” was directed by Laika’s CEO Travis Knight and revolves around a teenage girl who travels with a classmate into an enchanted forest after her brother is abducted.
“Wicker” captured fifth place with $5.75 million from 1,471 locations, a strong start for the low-budget film. Black Bear acquired the well-reviewed movie after Sundance for $2.5 million. Olivia Colman stars as an ostracized woman who commissions a local basketmaker to weave her a husband. Her unexpected romance with the creation (Alexander Skarsgård) sparks jealousy in the village.
“Klara and the Sun” collapsed at No. 15 with $720,000 from 880 locations. Sony scaled back the theatrical footprint after reviews panned the movie as “calamitous” and “confoundingly awful.” Luckily the Taika Waititi-directed adaptation for a modest $20 million, so inevitable box office losses for the studio won’t be too painful. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel, “Klara and the Sun” takes place in the dystopian future as an obsolete companion android (Ortega) tries to bond with her new owner, a young sick girl named Josie.
Paramount’s video game reboot “Street Fighter” landed in fourth place with $8.6 million from 3,575 theaters in its second weekend, a painful 72% drop from its debut. The movie has generated $46.9 million in North America and $79.6 million worldwide to date. Legendary and video game developer Capcom co-financed “Street Fighter” for $82 million, with Paramount only on the hook for distribution.
Disney and 20th Century’s “Whalefall,” too, took a tumble in its sophomore outing with $3.2 million from 3,065 theaters. The survival thriller, starring Austin Abrams as a scuba diver swallowed by a sperm whale, dropped to 10th place on weekend charts and has earned $14.1 million domestically and $31.1 million globally to date. “Whalefall” cost $60 million and requires substantial staying power, since theater owners keep about half of ticket sales.
Elsewhere, Netflix’s generation-spanning drama “La Bola Negra” earned $245,000 from nine locations — a decline of 12% despite expanding its theater count. So far, the streamer’s awards hopeful has collected $650,000 from two weekends in limited release. Netflix plans to keep “La Bola Negra” in theaters for 45 days, a traditional window in post-pandemic times, before the film’s Netflix release on Dec. 2.