DCU’s ‘Clayface’ Opening Box Office Predictions Are Finally In

DC Studios is heading into the Halloween stretch with its least conventional superhero release yet. ‘Clayface‘ is the first horror film to come out of the studio that has been bringing us films centered on Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. It arrives in theaters on Oct. 23.

The film was directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, an actor whose run-in with the local mob leaves him disfigured, in a Hollywood-tinged origin story. It is a body-horror pitch with an R rating, and that makes the commercial question an interesting one.

That question now has a first answer. DiscussingFilm posted on X on Oct. 2 that ‘Clayface’ is long-range tracking to open with $23 million to $33 million domestically. The post cites the long-range forecast from Boxoffice Pro, which gave the film that $23 million to $33 million domestic opening weekend range.

The same report sets the film against some useful reference points. ‘Clayface’ is the third theatrical release from James Gunn’s DC Universe, and Watkins’ last film, 2024’s ‘Speak No Evil,’ opened to $11.3 million domestically. The report also pointed to the $67 million opening of ‘Black Adam,’ another supervillain spinoff released in late October.

Not every forecast sits quite as high. Early tracking from Box Office Theory had projected a domestic opening in the $20 million to $26 million range. Together, the two forecasts suggest an opening weekend in the mid-$20 millions.

The budget is what makes those numbers look friendly. The film carries a $40 million budget. That means it needs roughly $80 million to $100 million in total box office to break even under typical industry math.

The tracking data behind the forecasts has a quirk. ‘Clayface’ sits at 32% awareness, but among people who already know it exists, 21% say they plan to see it opening weekend. That makes the audience smaller than usual but almost twice as committed to showing up on day one.

The release calendar will also matter. The Boxoffice Pro forecast lists Fathom Entertainment’s ‘Wildwood’ opening on the same day with a $10 million to $15 million range. ‘Street Fighter,’ an IMAX release, opens one week earlier.

DC’s recent history is part of the backdrop. Boxoffice Pro’s latest forecast now pegs ‘Supergirl’ at $45 million to $55 million. ‘Supergirl’ has had a disappointing run, though it has already cleared the $100 million mark worldwide. A smaller, scarier film with a lower budget gets a different set of expectations.

Watch the first trailer for #Clayface.

The new DC horror film is in theaters October 23. pic.twitter.com/gqrrtJSou5

— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) April 22, 2026

There is also room for the number to grow. Monday-through-Thursday ticket sales typically land at 35% to 50% of opening weekend, which could put the first full week at $34 million to $48 million. Those figures are projections built on an early forecast.

For now, the early picture is a cautiously encouraging one. The next few weeks of marketing, reviews and ticket sales will show whether the film can hit the $23 million to $33 million range. ‘Clayface’ opens in theaters on Oct. 23.

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