DC Studios’ first R-rated movie is No. 1. Clayface opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated $24 million from 3,458 theaters, according to Sunday studio estimates reported by the Associated Press. Add roughly $19 million from international markets and the global launch lands at about $43 million, per TheWrap.
These are Sunday estimates. Final weekend numbers arrive Monday, and we’ll update this story if they move.
Why $24 million works for Clayface
Judged against a superhero tentpole, $24 million looks small. Clayface isn’t priced like one. TheWrap reports a production budget of around $40 million, closer to a studio horror movie than a cape movie, which changes the math completely.
The start came in near the industry’s own expectations. Deadline’s Friday projection put the weekend at $23 million to $25 million after a $9.5 million Friday that included Thursday previews, which iHorror and Deadline put at $3.5 million. Pre-release tracking cited by iHorror had been a little higher, at $25 million to $30 million.
The more interesting number may be the audience grade. Clayface earned an A- CinemaScore and 4.5 out of 5 on PostTrak, per TheWrap. Horror audiences rarely grade that generously, and an R-rated body-horror movie opening a week before a Saturday Halloween is well placed to hold. Studios also avoided dating new wide releases next weekend, The Hollywood Reporter notes, which leaves Clayface room.
Directed by James Watkins, the film stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen and is the first R-rated release in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe. We reviewed it ahead of release: read The Nerd Wire’s Clayface review. For the comics history behind the character, start with our guide to Matt Hagen, Basil Karlo and Clayface’s origins, and for the bigger picture, why Clayface could change DC’s movie strategy.
You Can See Everything grew in its second weekend
The weekend’s other story is the one that keeps getting bigger. A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything, from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, went wide and earned an estimated $19.5 million from roughly 2,600 locations, up from about $15.6 million on 855 screens last weekend. Its domestic total now stands at about $45.1 million, per THR.
A second weekend outgrossing an opening is rare for any film, let alone a documentary. Last weekend You Can See Everything was already the story of the chart; here’s our report on its debut.
Wildwood opens third
LAIKA’s stop-motion Wildwood, directed by Travis Knight and distributed domestically by Fathom Entertainment, opened in third with an estimated $11.6 million and an A CinemaScore, per TheWrap. Theater counts differ between outlets, so we’re leaving that figure out until Monday.
The Nerd Wire was at the film’s AFI FEST opening-night premiere on Oct. 21. Read our report from opening night and Travis Knight’s reflections on making Wildwood, and find the rest of our festival coverage on the AFI FEST 2026 hub.
Street Fighter drops hard
Last weekend’s winner, Paramount and Legendary’s Street Fighter, fell to an estimated $8.6 million in its second weekend, a drop of roughly 72 percent from its $30.8 million opening. Its domestic total is about $46.9 million, according to THR.
Top 4 at the domestic box office (Sunday estimates, Oct. 23–25)
| Rank | Film | Weekend (est.) | Domestic total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clayface (new) | $24M | $24M |
| 2 | You Can See Everything | $19.5M | $45.1M |
| 3 | Wildwood (new) | $11.6M | $11.6M |
| 4 | Street Fighter | $8.6M | $46.9M |
Sources: Associated Press, The Hollywood Reporter, TheWrap, Deadline.
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