Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ Clayface earned $3.5 million in Thursday previews, setting up a weekend forecast of $20 million to $30 million. Meanwhile, A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything finished its first week at $25.6 million and expands to 2,600 theatres on Friday.
Clayface opens in more than 3,400 North American theatres. Previews began at 2 p.m. Thursday. Opening-weekend projections vary by source. The studio is aiming for $25 million to $30 million, plus $20 million to $25 million internationally. A $25 million-plus weekend would give the newly combined Paramount-Warner Bros. its second straight No. 1 opener after Street Fighter.
About Clayface
James Watkins directed the film, which Mike Flanagan wrote. It is a stand-alone story and not a Batman film, though it draws on the Batman villain. Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a young Hollywood actor whose face is disfigured. He turns to a scientist, played by Naomi Ackie, for help. The production cost a net $44 million before marketing and shot in the UK. It is the first DC Studios release since Supergirl struggled over the summer.
Early reaction is strong. The film holds a 76% certified fresh Rotten Tomatoes critics score. Audiences gave it a 94% score and 4½ stars on PostTrak.
Preview comparisons offer a range. Clayface beat Kraven the Hunter ($2 million previews, $11 million opening) and Smile ($2 million, $22.6 million). It sits near Birds of Prey ($4 million, $33 million) and Other Mommy ($3.6 million, $27.8 million).
You Can See Everything Keeps Winning
The Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes earned $2.2 million on Thursday. That took its first-week total to $25.6 million, behind only Street Fighter at $38.3 million. It was the No. 1 film on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The film opened to about $15 million from 855 theatres, the best launch under 1,000 theatres since Borat in 2006.
The Rest of the Week and Weekend
Week’s top five:
- Street Fighter (Paramount): $38.3 million
- You Can See Everything (A24): $25.6 million
- Other Mommy (Universal): $11.1 million, down 70%, $47.6 million total
- Whalefall (Disney): $10.8 million
- Sense and Sensibility (Focus): $10.2 million
Other openers this weekend:
- Wicker (Black Bear): $620,000 in previews from 1,471 theatres. Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård star.
- Klara and the Sun (Sony): $85,000 in previews. Taika Waititi directs.
- Wildwood (Laika): about $1 million in previews. It holds a 100% critics score.
- Ali G: Who Iz I? (Amazon MGM): one week only in 125 theatres.
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