‘Clayface’ Debuts in Third Place Overseas, Outpacing ‘Supergirl’ but Trailing ‘Superman’ in a Measured Overseas Start
DC Studios’ first horror film has begun its international run, and the early numbers are in from one of the first markets to open. ‘Clayface‘, the R-rated body horror movie from director James Watkins, started playing in several overseas territories on October 21, two days before its North American release on October 23.
The stakes are significant. The film is the third entry in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, and it follows ‘Supergirl’, which opened to $38 million domestically in June and finished with $126 million worldwide. ‘Clayface’ carries a reported $40 million budget, so it doesn’t need a blockbuster result, but DC Studios could use some positive momentum.
The first snapshot from South Korea is a mixed one. ‘Clayface’ opened there on October 21 with just shy of 19,000 admissions, including earlier screenings, or roughly $132,000, placing it behind a Japanese animated hit and a local release on the daily chart. The figures give a rough sense of how the film is landing with Asian audiences before the bigger markets weigh in.
The day’s winner was ‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island’, which has been out since September 30 and drew 28,985 admissions on the day. The Korean release ‘Paradise Lost’ followed with 20,625 admissions, while ‘Clayface’ pulled in 14,664 admissions on its first day across 556 screens, good for an 11.4% share of the day’s revenue.
Counting the earlier screenings, the movie’s cumulative admissions came to 18,839. Directly behind it on the chart was ‘The Assassin(s)’ with 13,538 admissions, so the margin for the top spots was fairly tight.
The more telling comparison is with the earlier DCU films in the same market. In South Korea, ‘Superman’ recorded 93,000 admissions and ‘Supergirl’ recorded 34,000, according to the figures shared alongside the chart. That puts ‘Clayface’ well ahead of ‘Supergirl’ in raw admissions but far behind ‘Superman’, which remains the franchise’s high-water mark.
The comparison has limits. ‘Clayface’ is a hard R horror film and a more niche proposition than a family-friendly superhero movie, so it isn’t an apples to apples matchup. Still, the Korean debut shows that the film is finding an audience without breaking out.
Variety projected that ‘Clayface’ could earn $20 million to $25 million overseas from 76 markets, for a global opening of $45 million to $55 million. In North America, its opening weekend is projected between $25 million and $35 million from about 3,400 theaters, with other forecasts landing in the mid-$20 millions.
The film also faces unexpected competition at home. A24’s documentary ‘You Can See Everything’ is expanding to roughly 2,600 venues and could challenge it for the top spot. Earlier tracking had pointed to a softer presale pace than ‘Supergirl’, though an R-rated body horror movie right before Halloween has its own built-in advantages.
Watch the first trailer for #Clayface. The new DC horror film is in theaters October 23. https://t.co/gqrrtJSou5
— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) April 22, 2026
For a film with a modest budget, strong international results could help close the gap. Reports have suggested ‘Clayface’ needs around $80 million to $100 million in total box office to break even under typical industry math, which makes the overseas share an important part of the equation.
Reviews and first reactions have been strong, praising the film’s brutal, gory approach to Matt Hagen’s story. If that goodwill carries into word of mouth, the first weekend could be the start of a steadier run than the early Korean numbers suggest.
The real test arrives when North America opens and the global totals start to come into focus. A solid result at home and in key overseas markets would show that DC’s move into horror is working, while a soft showing would add to the pressure on the franchise.
For now, the South Korean debut offers a small but useful data point, with ‘Clayface’ holding its own against ‘Supergirl’ while still leaving plenty of room to grow.
How do you think Clayface will perform at the worldwide box office?
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