DC’s shape-shifting horror experiment is off to a promising start. Clayface earned an estimated $3.5 million or more in U.S. Thursday night previews, according to Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter now projects a domestic opening that could hit $30 million. For a mid-budget body-horror film about a Batman villain, that’s a very healthy lump of clay.
A strong Thursday for a very weird movie
Previews kicked off at 2PM on October 23, 2026, the same day the film opened wide across the U.S. By the end of the night, Deadline reported, Clayface had pulled in at least $3.5 million.
The forecasts vary depending on who you ask. Deadline pegs the domestic weekend between $20 million and $25 million. The Hollywood Reporter is a bit more bullish, projecting $25 million to $30 million from more than 3,400 North American theaters, plus another $20 million to $25 million internationally.
Deadline’s comparisons are encouraging. Clayface’s preview haul beats Kraven the Hunter, which managed $2 million in previews on its way to an $11 million opening. It lands right alongside Other Mommy, which grabbed $3.6 million in previews and opened to $27.8 million. It also leaves Digger in the dust, which pulled $1.2 million in previews and an $8 million opening. If Clayface follows the Other Mommy path, that $30 million mark starts looking very realistic.
The backstory: DC’s big swing
Clayface is the third feature on the slate from DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, as The Hollywood Reporter noted. The first two entries had very different fortunes. Superman (2025) earned approximately $618.7 million globally, while Supergirl (2026) took in about $126.4 million worldwide against a reported budget of $170 million to $186 million. So yes, DC could use a win.
This one is a different beast entirely. Deadline describes it as a standalone story about Hollywood actor Matt Hagen, based on the classic Batman villain, and it was shot in the United Kingdom. James Watkins directs, with Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie starring, per The Hollywood Reporter. And the screenplay comes from Mike Flanagan, according to Deadline, a name that should make horror fans sit up a little straighter.
The Hollywood Reporter called it a $44 million-budgeted body-horror feature, though budget numbers have been a moving target. Deadline and Variety have reportedly put the net production cost at $44 million before marketing, The Hollywood Reporter has reportedly also put it closer to $30 million, and TheWrap has reportedly cited $40 million. Whichever figure is right, it’s a fraction of what DC usually spends, which means the bar for profitability is a lot lower.
The film premiered at the Hollywood Legion Theater in Los Angeles on October 13, 2026, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Critics are (mostly) on board
Here’s where things get fun for DC fans who have been burned before. Clayface holds a 75 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, according to The Hollywood Reporter, compared to Supergirl’s 52 percent. Deadline has it at 76 percent and Certified Fresh.
That puts it ahead of a string of recent DC releases on Rotten Tomatoes, including The Flash (63%), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (49%), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (33%) and Joker: Folie à Deux (31%). After that run, a fresh rating feels almost luxurious.
The Hollywood Reporter’s critic Frank Scheck was especially warm, calling Clayface “a big swing that definitely pays off.” Not bad for a movie about a man made of mud.
The competition and what’s next
Clayface isn’t alone at the multiplex. The Hollywood Reporter pointed to A24’s You Can See Everything, which expands to 2,600 North American theaters in its second weekend after opening to $15 million from just 855 screens. The Elizabeth Holmes documentary, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, scored the biggest nonconcert documentary debut since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. That’s a surprisingly sturdy rival for a doc.
There’s also a corporate subplot. A successful Clayface opening would give the newly combined Paramount-Warner Bros. its second back-to-back No. 1 opener, according to Deadline, following Street Fighter’s $31 million debut the previous weekend. Two wins in a row would be a nice housewarming gift for the merged studio.
So, is Clayface the DC comeback movie fans have been waiting for? The early signs are good. It’s cheap by superhero standards, critics like it, and the Thursday numbers are tracking with a solid horror hit. The real verdict arrives with the weekend totals, but for now, DC’s riskiest bet in a while is holding its shape nicely.
