The latest venture into the darker corners of the DC universe has paid off, as Clayface surged to the top of the box office charts on Friday. Despite being a riskier, more niche project than heavy hitters like Superman, the gory origin story of Matt Hagen drew in 10.4 million dollars from over 3,400 theaters. With its modest production budget of 44 million dollars, the film is already proving to be a savvy financial move compared to recent superhero swings. Early projections suggest it could rake in roughly 24 million dollars by the end of its opening weekend.
Critics have praised director James Watkins for creating something distinct and visceral. By focusing on a disgraced movie star’s descent into madness following a failed medical experiment, the film avoids typical franchise tropes in favor of a genre-bending approach that some have described as ickily enjoyable. This success comes at a time when DC is navigating wildly different outcomes for its properties, ranging from massive global hits to high-budget disappointments.
While superheroes took first place, prestige cinema held its ground in second. A24’s highly anticipated documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, You Can See Everything, earned 6.14 million dollars on Friday alone. The film, which spent three years in development under comedian Nathan Fielder and director Lance Oppenheim, continues to build momentum toward award season. Its distributors are aggressively campaigning for multiple Oscars beyond just the documentary category, including Best Picture and Directing.
Rounding out the top five were several eclectic offerings reflecting a diverse appetite among moviegoers. Laika’s stop-motion adventure Wildwood debuted in third place with 4.28 million dollars, though its steep hundred million dollar price tag means it will need sustained legs to break even. Meanwhile, Olivia Colman starred in the whimsical romcom Wicker, which slid into fourth place with 2.36 million dollars on Friday night. Finally, Legendary’s Street Fighter managed to secure fifth place as it continued its domestic run with another early weekend boost for the martial arts tournament flick.
