Clayface looks to give the DC Studios team a reason for a happy face in its opening weekend at the box office, although it will encounter competition from the second weekend of A24’s You Can See Everything, which continues to get audiences pumped.
Warner Bros. projects a launch between $25 million and $30 million domestically for Clayface from more than 3,400 North American theaters, along with an additional $20 million to $25 million internationally. Director James Watkins’ $44 million-budgeted body-horror feature stars Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie in the story of Matt Hagen (Harries), an actor who turns to a scientist (Ackie) for assistance after his face becomes disfigured.
This marks the third feature release in the planned slate for DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran. Superman kicked off the DC Universe’s film side with a strong start last year, while Supergirl sputtered over the summer, with the $170 million-budgeted movie debuting to a soft $37.1 million domestically before ending its run with $126 million worldwide. Clayface has the benefit of a far more modest budget.
Clayface has fared better with critics than Supergirl, holding a 75 percent approval from Rotten Tomatoes reviewers, as opposed to the 52 score for the summer’s Milly Alcock-led release. In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Frank Sheck called Clayface “a big swing that definitely pays off.”
Offering potential competition for the weekend’s top spot is A24’s buzzy Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything, which expands to 2,600 North American theaters after playing in 855 in its debut frame. Directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim‘s film about the disgraced Theranos founder’s life before beginning her prison sentence was a sensation in its opening weekend, overperforming to the tune of $15 million as it placed second behind Paramount and Legendary’s Street Fighter.
Hitting theaters this weekend is Laika’s animated stop-motion feature Wildwood from director Travis Knight. It is set for 2,926 North American theaters and holds a sterling 100 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
Additionally, Sony’s Klara and the Sun, with Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams starring for director Taika Waititi, debuts over the weekend, as does Amazon MGM Studios’ Ali G: Who Iz I?, as Sacha Baron Cohen‘s comedy hits theaters for just one week ahead of its streaming launch on Prime Video.
Another newcomer is Black Bear’s Sundance standout Wicker, with directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s romantic fantasy starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård.